Every day should be National Pretzel Day with these little bacon and cheddar filled morsels. This recipe for Bacon & Cheddar Pretzel Bites may seem intimidating, but I promise you it is simple and the whole thing comes together in 30 minutes or less. You can impress your peeps with these on game day, at a backyard BBQ, or for the next Netflix binge. The beer cheese is packed with flavor with the addition of our Derek Wolf Honey Mustard IPA blend and would be incredible delicious drizzled on French fries for a kicked up Poutine. Anyway you decide to slice and dice this recipe, you’ll be glad you did it.
Bacon & Cheddar Pretzel Bites Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Bites
- 1 package premade pizza dough (like Trader Joe’s) or homemade
- 1 cup cooked bacon pieces, about 5 strips
- ½ cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 quarts water
- ¼ cup baking soda
- Flakey salt or pretzel salt
For the Beer Cheese Dip
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup beer (we used NoLi Red, White & Hazy, but any beer will work)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons Derek Wolf Honey Mustard IPA Rub
- 3 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Cut pizza or pretzel dough into 16 equal pieces. Lightly stretch out one piece to about 3 ½ inch square and add a few pieces of bacon and about ⅓ teaspoon Cheddar cheese. Fold up the sides and pinch them together. Lightly roll the ball in your hand and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Grease a cast iron skillet with cooking spray or left over bacon drippings and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the water and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Carefully add the baking soda (it’s going to bubble up quickly then go down). Add 5-6 balls at a time and carefully flip them over in the water for about 45-60 seconds. Remove and arrange in the prepared skillet. Sprinkle with salt of choice and cut an X in the top of each.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned on top and bottom. Remove and keep warm.
For the Beer Cheese Dip
- While the pretzel bites are baking, add 3 tablespoons butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine, about 30 seconds. Add the beer slowly whisking constantly. Add the milk slowly, whisking until combined. Add in the spice blend and cheddar cheese and whisk over low until the cheese is melted. Keep warm.
- Serve the warm pretzel bites with the beer cheese dip and enjoy!
Notes
You could easily bake the pretzel bites on a Traeger, grill, or smoker at 400-425ºF. Watch for doneness as times may vary based on how hot your grill is.
