Love salty and sweet snacks? Then these cinnamon and sugar pretzels are for you. Made with only four ingredients, they make great gifts or a perfect late-night snack.
What I love about these, besides the taste, is how easy they are to make. All you do is coat small pretzels with a simple butter-sugar mixture. Then bake until set. That’s it.
In theory, these pretzels last for several days when stored on the counter. In my experience, however, they disappear quickly.
Ingredients and Substitutes.
The ingredients you need to make cinnamon-sugar pretzels are listed in the name, except one: butter.
Pretzels. Small pretzel twists or thin sticks work best in this recipe. Full-size thin pretzels tend to break when mixed and large sourdough pretzels don’t have the right flavor.
Butter. Melted butter helps the cinnamon-sugar stick to the pretzels and adds a lovely flavor. For a dairy-free option, use melted dairy-free butter or coconut oil.
Sugar. Granulated sugar works best on pretzels. It adds sweetness and a pleasant crunch. Brown sugar, because of the molasses, tastes great but isn’t as crunchy as granulated sugar.
Cinnamon. A teaspoon and a half of cinnamon adds a nice flavor to these pretzels. Old jars of cinnamon tend to lose flavor. Check yours for freshness before using.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Key Steps.
- Preheat the oven. Before starting the recipe, turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. This way the oven is ready to go when the pretzels are ready. Don’t put the pan into a cold oven. If you do, the sugar melts and can get hard. Preheating the oven is key to the best texture.
- Mix the Cinnamon and Sugar. This recipe uses a half cup of cinnamon sugar. Mix it together in a small bowl before adding it to the pretzels.This helps the cinnamon coat the pretzels evenly. If you buy premade cinnamon sugar, feel free to use it in this recipe.
- Coat the Pretzels. Pour melted butter over the pretzels. Stir until there is no melted butter clinging to the bottom of the bowl. Once the pretzels are coated with butter, add the cinnamon-sugar. Stir the pretzels until the sugar coats each pretzels.
- Bake until Brown. Place the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The parchment keeps the pretzels from sticking to the pan. If you don’t have parchment, use foil or grease the pan lightly.
The pretzels don’t change much during baking. Look for them to darken slightly. They’ll also have a lovely cinnamon aroma. The heat really brings out the cinnamon flavor. A pan takes about 10 minutes to make.
How to Store.
Store the pretzels in an airtight container. They last for up to a week–sometimes longer. I don’t recommend freezing. The pretzels tend to lose their crunch if frozen.
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 5 cups small pretzel twists or sticks
- ¼ cup butter, melted (2 ounces; 56 grams)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
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Place the pretzels in a large bowl. Add melted butter. Stir until the butter coats the pretzels and there’s no butter in the bottom of the bowl. Add the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Stir gently to coat the pretzels.
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Spread pretzels onto a baking sheet. Bake until the sugar bubbles and pretzels are brown, about 10 minutes.
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Remove the pan from the oven and let pretzels cool on the pan. Once the pretzels are cool, break apart.
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Store pretzels in an airtight container for up to one week.
Recipe Notes
How to Melt Butter.
On the Stove: Place butter in a small pan and heat over low. Stir until butter is melted.
In the Microwave. Cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on low for 15 seconds. Remove the butter from the microwave. Stir. Doing this prevents the butter from splattering. Repeat until melted.
Kimberly Wood says
Love this idea, but oven temp is WAY to high. In my opinion. Mine burned in a very short time and they had to be thrown away! I’ll make again, but will lower the oven temp to 200
Elizabeth says
350℉ is the correct temperature. I’m sorry yours burned! Let me know how they work at 200.