Preheat oven to 275° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place pretzels into a large bowl. Stir together melted butter, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder in a small bowl. Pour melted butter over the pretzels. Stir to evenly coat the pretzels. Add the parmesan cheese and stir.
Bake until topping is set, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Pretzels. Use bite-size pretzels or sticks. Large pretzel rods or twists aren’t recommended.
Butter. Melt butter in either a microwave-safe container or in a small pot on the stove. Allow the butter to cool for a minute or so before adding the spices. If you don’t want to use butter, margarine or oil are good substitutes.
Garlic and Onion Powder. Use garlic and onion powder, not garlic salt or onion salt.
Ground Cayenne Pepper. The amount of cayenne pepper you use depends on how much spicy heat you like. For a mild spice, use 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. For spicy pretzels, use 1/2 teaspoon or more.
Parmesan Cheese. Canned parmesan cheese makes the perfect topping for these pretzels. The powdery texture clings to the pretzels.