These cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bites are a quick and tasty sourdough discard recipe. They can be made start to finish in under 3 hours. These sweet bites are reminiscent of Auntie Anne’s pretzel bites but can be made from the comfort of your own home.

cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bites in bowl.

These sourdough pretzel bites make a great addition to any party snack table. They are great for the Super Bowl, your child’s birthday party, or a Memorial Day, Father’s Day, or Fourth of July barbecue (and don’t forget about Labor Day)! If you prefer a salty soft pretzel bite recipe, check out my sourdough pretzel bite recipe and beer cheese dip.

Ingredients and Substitutions

cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bites ingredients in individual measuring cups and bowls.

Water
Butter: I recommend unsalted butter but you can use salted butter if that is what you have on hand. Reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter.
Sugar: Sugar is used in two steps of this recipe. A small amount is used to activate the yeast when preparing the dough. You will then coat the finished pretzel bites in a cinnamon and sugar mixture when complete.
Yeast: Use dry active yeast for his recipe. Make sure your yeast is not expired or you will not have good results.
Flour: You can use all purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe.
Salt
Sourdough Starter: Your sourdough starter can be active or sourdough discard from the fridge. Active starter is not used to leaven the dough here, but it is fine to use.
Cinnamon
Baking Soda: The baking soda is used to give the pretzels their deep golden brown color. Traditionally, lye is used to achieve this effect. For the home cook, a baking soda bath works great.

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Pretzel Bites

Step 1: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat.

Step 2: Stir in the water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bring temperature to 105F. I highly recommend using an instant read digital thermometer to measure the temperature. If you overheat the water, (with temperatures closer to 120F) you will kill the yeast.

Step 3: Remove from heat and add the yeast. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. This will activate the yeast (also known as “blooming” the yeast). The surface of the water should have some bubbles on the surface when finished.

butter water mixture with foamy surface from yeast for sourdough discard pretzel bites.

Step 4: Add the water mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the flour, salt and sourdough starter. Fit the machine with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 7 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let rest on the counter for 40 minutes. During this time, the dough will nearly double in size.

fully fermented sourdough pretzel bite dough in large bowl.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.

Step 7: Bring the remaining 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda until completely dissolved. Reduce heat to low.

Step 8: Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal sized pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a long rope about 3/4 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into approximate 1-1/2 inch pieces.

sourdough pretzel dough pieces on a counter that have been rolled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces using kitchen shears.

Step 9: Use a slotted spoon to submerge about 12 pieces of dough at a time to the baking soda bath. Allow the dough pieces to soak for 30 seconds before removing and transferring to prepared baking sheet. Make sure you drain off any excess water when removing the pretzel bites from the water bath. Space the bites about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough.

sourdough pretzel dough pieces submerged in a saucepan containing warm water and baking soda.

Step 10: Bake the bites for 14-15 minutes. The bites should appear deep golden brown when done. Allow to cool completely.

Step 11: Once cool, place the bites in a gallon storage bag. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Seal the bag and mix the bites to coat with the drizzled bag. Open the bag and sprinkle in the cinnamon sugar. Reseal the bag and mix the bites to completely coat with the cinnamon sugar. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.

hand holding cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bite. There is a gallon ziplock in the background containing the finished pretzel bites.

How to Serve

These cinnamon sugar pretzel bites pair wonderfully with a fruit sauce or chocolate dipping sauce. They also pair nicely with a side of fresh fruit. I always recommend serving a sweet treat with a cozy beverage like tea or coffee.

How to Store Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites

These cinnamon sugar bites do best when eaten the same day. When stored, the sugar tends to get absorbed and slightly soggy from the moisture in the pretzel bites. If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container and reheat in an oven preheated to 350F for a few minutes.

If you plan on having leftovers, I only coat a portion in the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture at a time. That way, the cinnamon sugar coating will be fresh when you serve the leftovers.