Super easy homemade gluten-free soft pretzels that taste like the real deal! Incredibly soft inside with a chewy outside and the classic pretzel flavor. Dip in homemade cheese dip, mustard, or brush with melted butter. Either way, you won't be able to eat just one.
What's the modern-day equivalent of meeting your friends at the mall? When my kids hit middle school, will they just get together with friends to go window shopping on their computers next to each other? That'd be a shame though because they'll miss out on filling up bags of assorted candy and splitting cheap buttery soft pretzels.
I know I'm not the only one here whose generation was defined by that experience . I know because when you search "soft pretzels" online, you get a bunch of hits that describe the recipe "as good as mall pretzels." These gluten-free soft pretzels are not "as good as mall pretzels." Nope - they're WAY BETTER than mall pretzels.
Why these are the best gluten-free soft pretzels
- They emerge fresh from the oven with a soft fluffy inside (kind of like gluten-free focaccia bread) surrounded by a chewy shell.
- Buttery golden brown and salty with the quintessential pretzel taste from the baking soda bath.
- Easy to make! Just knead the dough together, shape, boil, then bake.
- No one will ever believe they're gluten-free.
For a gluten-free bread dough that can be baked up as pretzels, I use a combination of tapioca starch, gluten-free oat flour, sorghum flour, and cornstarch. Rather than using an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour, I prefer to make my own blend of gluten-free flours. Not all store-bought flour blends behave the same in different recipes - what might work for one recipe doesn't work for another, especially when it comes to yeasted dough.
Gluten-Free Flours for Soft Pretzels
Oat flour add wholesome whole grain notes and soft moist texture. Together with sorghum flavor, the oat flour drives the flavor of the dough.
Sorghum flour is a soft flour with slightly sweet notes that give the dough depth of flavor. Ever since I picked up a bag of Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour for my gluten-free breakfast oatmeal jam bars, I've been experimenting with adding it to different recipes, each time even more pleased with the result.
Tapioca starch is added for a chewy texture and structure. It's what makes my homemade gluten-free hamburger buns so soft. It's essential for the classic pretzel chew.
Corn starch is crucial for creating the crisp browned shell classic to the outside of a pretzel.
Why use milk in the dough?
This gluten-free pretzel dough uses milk in place of water in traditional pretzel dough recipes. The proteins in milk (caseins) can mimic gluten and help provide structure to the dough. From my experience testing gluten-free bread doughs with water versus milk, the milk aids in trapping the the air, creating a better crumb texture of the baked dough.
How to Make Gluten-Free Soft Pretzels
Lightly wipe your rolling surface (cutting board, marble slab, countertop) with oil then turn out the dough and cut it into 8 equal wedges. One at a time, roll a dough wedge into a long 16-18-inch rope.
Carefully, make a U-shape with the rope, then cross the ends over each other twice and fold them down, pressing the ends into the bottom to make the pretzel knot. Carefully transfer the pretzel to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat.
Recipe
Better-than-Mall Gluten-Free Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ ounce (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast, (not instant)
- 1¼ cup (140 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons (180 g) Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oat flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (80 g) Bob’s Red Mill sorghum flour
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (74 g) Bob’s Red Mill cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 8 cups water
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing
- Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm the milk in a small pot to between 105-115°F (if you go over, just let it cool until the temperature is in that range so you don't kill the yeast). Transfer to a wide medium bowl and mix in brown sugar. Slowly sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and use a spoon to mix completely. Let set for 10 minutes while the yeast activates and foams. If your yeast hasn't gotten foamy by 10 minutes, you may have bad yeast and you should try again with a new packet.
- Meanwhile, combine oat flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, corn starch, salt, and xanthan gum in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl. When the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the bowl with the flour along with the melted butter and mix on low to combine. If using a mixing bowl, mix with a wooden spoon until it's thick, then knead with your hands. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough is super smooth and pulls away from the edges a bit.
- With tapioca-flour dusted hands, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, shaping it into a ball (It will be sticky and that's okay! Here's an Instagram Story behind-the-scenes video to show the texture and entire cooking process). Cover with plastic and set in a warm place for 50-60 minutes, until doubled in size (I use the proof setting on my oven).
- Preheat oven to 450°F, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat, and liberally brush the parchment paper with vegetable oiI. If using the proof setting in your oven, be sure to remove the dough before preheating! Bring 8 cups of water to boil with baking soda. Prepare the egg wash and pastry brush.
- Lightly wipe your rolling surface (cutting board, marble slab, counter top) with oil then turn out the dough and cut it into 8 equal wedges. One at a time, roll a dough wedge into a long 16-18-inch rope. Carefully, make a U-shape with the rope, then cross the ends over each other twice and fold them down, pressing the ends into the bottom to make the pretzel knot (see pictures above). This gluten-free dough is pliable, but more delicate than traditional gluten dough, so make sure to be gentle with the dough while folding so it doesn't break. Carefully transfer the pretzel to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all 8 pretzels.
- One at a time, use a spatula to gently lower the pretzels into the boiling baking soda bath for 25-30 seconds (any longer and the pretzels may develop a metallic taste). Gently lift the pretzel out of the water with the spatula, giving it a little tap to get rid of excess water, and return it to the baking sheet. Repeat with all 8 pretzels.
- Brush each pretzel with egg wash on top, sides, and grooves. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 15-17 minutes until dark golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with cheese dip, mustard, or brush with melted butter.
Why do you dip pretzels in baking soda?
Before baking soft pretzels, most recipes call for dunking the pretzels in a bath of boiling water and baking soda. This baking soda bath does three essential things. Most importantly, it gives pretzels a recognizable flavor, one that is distinctly different than any other shaped bread. This bath also contributes to the brown shiny crust that develops in the oven after the dunk! That crust is also what gives pretzels their classic chewy texture!
Lee aka YodaMomma -
AMAZING!!! I have been cooking GF for the boy Gustav (who lives and is 6'7" thanks be to Dr. Glen Barclay perdiatric gastroentorologist) for almost 25 years!!!! WHERE HAVE THESE BEEN ALL MY LIFE!?
I will say I have been making bread for 45 years -- quit of course when said boy was 8 yo -- and I have never made pretzels --- let alone ones I love to eat! I followed the recipe carefully. Mine benefited from sitting before the water bath for about 10 min. And yes, I had to reconstruct when they got out of the bath -- but YUMYYUMYUM!!!
AND PICTURE PERFECT --- yes, I am screaming!!!!!!!
Rachel E Siebert -
Sarah, have you ever made these, but a sweeter version? I like to make these like little pretzel buns, because I have a bunch of kids and time is at a premium, but I would love to make little currant buns - sweeter and obviously without sprinkled salt. Any idea what adding extra sugar and skipping the soda water bath would do?
Sabrina -
I want to make these for vegan friends and was wondering if there's anything I can sub for the egg wash that will give it that nice shine? Maybe aquafaba? Cornstarch slurry? Sweetened soy milk?
Sarah Menanix -
I would probably try brushing with a plant milk. Then once they come out of the oven, brush with melted plant butter.
Kim -
Soooooo so good!! I typically don’t use recipes with a variety of gf flours, but it was worth it. Easy, perfect and they look & taste great. We dipped ours in heated marinara sauce ❤️
Allie -
These are amazing. I made lots of substitutions and they still turned out great! Used water and buttermilk powder instead of milk. Used instant yeast.
Ellen -
I didn't have the right flours, nor the energy to to out and buy them so I used Bob's 1:1 and also subbed homemade cashew milk, and they came out SO GOOD. I'm excited to try again following the actual recipe and see how they turn out.
Gigi -
These are hands-down THE BEST soft pretzels I’ve ever made- far, far beyond traditional ones! I used almond milk, maple sugar, and Earth Balance and they turned out divine!! They even stayed thick and chewy the next day or two, and I found myself devouring them as quickly as when they were still warm. Traditional ones had always hardened up immediately and were disappointing the next day. One more note I’d love to share is that it truly helped to keep rehydrating the dough with a touch more milk and/or oil or butter, just even splashing my hands a bit and returning to rolling and shaping made these perfect. Thank you so much for these- they are total keepers!!
Jack Brallier -
Just made these. Subbed milk for Oatly Full Fat oatmilk and used Namaste GF flour. Came out beautifully.
Michelle -
Hi Sarah, ok, we tried this recipe the first time - and the pretzels were outrageous!! The 2nd, 3rd and 4th time- not so much - we can't seem to get the dough to the consistency on your instagram?? it's very crumbly and in the ned- tastes too doughy?? We opened a fresh package of yeasts- thinking it was a yeast issue?? Can you help??
Sarah Menanix -
Oh no! I'd love to help figure out what happened! A few questions:
What brand of flour did you use for each of the flours? I have only tested this with Bob's Red Mill flours, and I've found, for example, that other brands of tapioca flour are less finely ground and grittier/soak up moisture differently.
Did you measure the flour by weight or volume?
Did you include the xanthan gum? This will make a big difference in whether the dough has elasticity versus being crumbly.
Before you put it in the bowl to rise, was the dough sticky and well-mixed or crumbly/dry?
Hans -
amazing recipe, just made for the 2nd time this evening, this time using the dough cycle on my compact cuisineart breadmaker. I found i needed to knead dough just a little before rolling on a greased cutting board, which worked perfectly. worked out better than my first time around, when I don’t think i oiled my rolling surface quite enough.
Barb Bingham -
What can you use instead of corn starch?
Melissa -
I tried making these and the dough fell apart as soon as I put it in the water. I was very gentle. Not sure why?
Sarah Menanix -
Oh no! I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe - I’ve never had that happen when i put them in the water, but I’d love to help troubleshoot! The most common issue I’ve found is if folks measure the flour incorrectly or use different brands. Did you measure by weight and did you use Bob’s Red Mill brand of each flour type? Different brands have different grind of flour and your results will vary if you use different brands. Were there any substitutions to the ingredients that you made?
Alita -
Just made these tonight and they turned out amazing! I pulsed GF oats in my food processor to make the flour. I also measured out the weight of all the flours versus using cup sizing. I used instant yeast with unsweetened almond milk and everything turned out super well. I did end up adding about 1/8c of tapioca flour to the dough right at the end of mixing because it was a bit wet. All in all really good and my celiac husband has already eaten four of them! Win win!
Kirsten Legner -
Does anyone know if these could be made as nuggets instead of the traditional pretzel shape? Like the nuggets one sees at Auntie Anne’s?
Sarah Menanix -
While I haven't done it, I've seen folks post and tag me on IG stories that they've made nuggets so they should work! I would just adjust the baking time down as needed.
Rachel Siebert -
In case anyone is curious, I used psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum with excellent results. Probably 3-4 tsp, but I didn’t really measure because that’s not how I do things. 😂 I added it to the yeast after it had bloomed. Stirred for a while. I also added maybe a 1/4 cup of extra water. But then the dough was gooey, and I added another couple tablespoons of tapioca, so maybe the extra water wasn’t necessary.
At any rate. They were divine. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
David Baillargeon -
I made these today for my wife and sister-in-law (both are celiacs and have been craving soft pretzels). They turned out amazing! I found I liked them better then the gluten variety! I used a digital scale for the measurements, and watched the included video. We all were very impressed with the results! Thank you so much!
Tiffany -
Hi,
I'm wondering if you can freeze these or the dough? I love soft pretzels, but I'm the only one in the house that eats them. Also, have you tried doing 'bites' instead of weaving them?
Sarah Menanix -
I haven't tried freezing either the dough or the baked pretzels - sorry! I imagine you could freeze the fully baked pretzels and then reheat them in the oven to get the "crisp" shell back, but I just can't say for certain. I also haven't tried making bites with this particular dough but I think it should work just fine! I had another reader on Instagram that made different shapes and it worked for her!
Kelsey -
I had THE hardest time kneading these with my hands. But it was soooooo worth it! I have been wanting soft pretzels ever since going gluten free. I replaced the butter with melted refined coconut oil, and the sorghum flour with Bobs 1 to 1. I wish I had a bigger slotted spoon (one used for frying would have been perfect), as most of my pretzels broke as I took them out. Either way, SOOO good. Sooooo worth all the mess and frustration. Ps I am NOT a baker! I am a chef. Never been good with flour/yeast! So this was a bigger deal for me than maybe someone more seasoned.
Oliver -
We tried this and the salt ended up killing the yeast mixture twice also we found out that white sugar works much better.
Sarah Menanix -
So sorry you had that trouble! I've never run into that issue with my yeast since it's such a small amount, but there's no reason not to just add the salt when you add the flours instead - I'll update the recipe so others don't end up having the same problem you had! Thanks! I like the flavor of molasses, but white sugar works great as well!
Kareena -
Hi! I made your pretzels last week, and they came out incredible. I loved making them, and was impressed with how "gluten-like" the dough became. Unfortunately, the only difficult part was submerging the shaped pretzels into the boiling baking soda water. How did you accomplish this without having the dough stick to the spatula? I was able to maintain their shape somewhat, but even less than 10 seconds underwater, and the pretzels became soggy. Help please! I'm dying to make these again.
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! I'm so glad they turned out for you! I've not experienced that issue with the spatula or with them getting too soggy in the water - hm! Here's a few tips that might be helpful: I used a metal spatula, which I'm not sure if that makes a difference versus a silicone one. I also used all Bob's Red Mill flours - I have noticed that different brands have different properties when they cook/get wet based on the quality and how finely ground they are. If you didn't use all BRM flours, then that might contribute to differences! Was your dough super sticky after you rolled them out into pretzel shapes? They shouldn't be very sticky anymore at this point because of the oil on the surface when you roll them out. Also - I've got target="_blank">an IG highlight that shows me making the pretzels start to finish which I think might be helpful at identifying where yours may have differed - let me know if this is helpful!
Kareena -
Hm.. I did use a different oat flour brand, but other than that, all BRM flours. Maybe that was why! My dough was sturdy and not super sticky, but your IG highlight was great to see your process. I'll let you know how my second try goes!
Justin Sewell -
Question: Do you think if I made the dough exactly as described that, instead of cutting it into equal parts and then rolling those parts into pretzels, I could actually make a bread loaf out of that dough? How would I go about boiling the dough, if that's possible?
Sarah Menanix -
Hm - I tried using this as a base for a loaf of bread and it was too dense (although it bakes up soft and fluffy as pretzels) - for that I skipped the boiling since that is only to add the classic pretzel exterior. Sorry to say!
Zalie Mann -
Thanks! I didn't see your reply yesterday, so I just went with it. They didn't rise, so the texture was a little off, but otherwise they were pretty good! My brother liked them a lot. I know we all love sourdough bread, so knowing how to make a sourdough starter would be great! Is this the email I should use: [email protected]?
Zalie Mann -
Hey! I love your recipe so far. My dad and brother are gluten free, so we try to alter all of our baked goods for their sakes. We are stuck at home and we don't have any yeast. I found a substitute online that was equal parts baking soda and lemon juice. I don't want to mess up these delicious pretzels, do you think this substitute would work?
Sarah Menanix -
Hmm - that's a good question! I'm sorry to say that Ive never tried substituting yeast, so I don't have any experience to answer this! Do you have time? I wonder if subbing in a gf sourdough starter would work (it takes about 7 days to build it up strong enough to bake with and you could then sub out some of the milk/flour for some starter). If you do have time, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you my instructions on making a gf sourdough starter (you just need water + brown rice flour or brown rice flour + sorghum flour).
Nick -
Hi Sarah! I want to make this recipe for a friend, but I don't have a stand mixer and I have zero GF bread experience. I've made plenty of bread with standard flour, but I'm wondering how I know if I've kneeded the dough enough/too much. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for in terms of texture or feel with gf dough that's different from a non gluten free dough?
Thanks!
Sarah Menanix -
For gluten-free dough, you don't need to knead to develop gluten, only to make sure that it's also evenly combined, so as long as it's super smooth and evenly combined, you'll be good! The one thing you should know about kneading with your hands is that it will be super sticky, so start with a wooden spoon first and then dust your hands in tapioca starch before digging in. I have a story highlight on my Instagram that shows the dough at each stage, so I recommend checking that out too! Good luck!
Anastasia -
Can I double this recipe? Will it still rise enough or be too heavy?
Sarah Menanix -
I've not tried doubling the recipe, but what I would do just to be safe is before you set it to rise, split it into two balls of dough in two bowls. (It might work as one big ball, but my guess is that it would require a longer rise time and I've just never tried it so I would hate for you to not have success!)
Kristen Viera -
Hello! I am so excited to make these pretzels. Do you think it would be alright if I made the dough the night before, cover it, and put it in the fridge so that the next day I can shape and bake them?
Sarah Menanix -
I've not tried that, so I'm not sure! I think you probably could, but then you'd need to bring them to room temperature to finish the rise before you shaped them, but since I've not tried it I can't say for certain! Sorry!
Cara -
We tried refrigerating the dough overnight after letting it rise; the dough was a little crumbly and hard to hold together to roll and shape - they still tasted fantastic though!
Anne -
I know this is a silly question, but has anyone successfully subbed oat flour for anything in this recipe or others? I have celiacs, and have a cross reactive issue with oats, so even certified gf oats don't work for me.
I'm staying with my parents at the moment, and my Dad is a year in to gf eating after a celiac diagnosis (after six years of my nagging him because we had the same symptoms and I wanted him to stop eating gluten back when I did!) and he adores this style of soft pretzel.
Adia -
I made these and used rice flour instead of oat, and they came out as amazing dough, not sticky, easy to work with, it was a win win and the pretezles still turned out soft and amazing.
Victoria -
Did you use the same measurement as oat flour? By weight or measuring cup? Thanks!
Victoria -
Ooooh one more question, Adia. What type of rice flour did you use? There are so many.
Mia -
Hello Sarah, recipe looks super good!
have you tried to replace xanthan gum with psyllium husk powder? I would rather prefer that but I don't have experience with it.. :)
Thanks
Sarah Menanix -
I haven't and I think you'd have to adjust the liquid quite a bit because psyllium husk powder it more absorbent. I have tried my pizza crust (not posted yet) with 2.5 tablespoons ground chia seeds (ground in a coffee grinder) though which I think would work for this recipe!
Rachel E Siebert -
Just for the sake of knowing, I make these with psyllium husk every time and just add a bit more water - like 2 tablespoons or so.
Amanda -
Hi! I absolutely love your site - I've made your matcha cupcakes before, and they're to die for. It's very hard to find great gluten free recipes, so thank you! I typically exclusively buy a gluten free cup for cup flour - sometimes Bobs mill, sometimes Cup 4 Cup. In your recipes, should I replace the flours by weight or by total measurement with my cup for cup gluten free flour?
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you! I would recommend adding up the weight all the flours in my recipe and replace it by weight with an all-purpose gf flour. And if your blend does not contain xanthan gum, be sure to add that. Otherwise, you can leave out the xanthan gum!
Katie -
Hi Sarah! If I am using a 1 for 1 GF flour (with Xanthan gum), do I still need to include the Xanthan gum listed in the recipe?
Sarah Menanix -
If your flour has xanthan gum, you won't need to add more! (Keep in mind all GF 1 to 1 flours behave differently in different recipes so your results may vary a bit depending on the GF blend you're using)
Julie -
Hi Sarah!
My daughter and I would like to try making these while we're stuck at home, but we can't do dairy.
I see that some people are using water as a substitute, but will other milk alternatives like rice or oat "milk" work?
Sarah Menanix -
I haven't tried using rice or oat milk, but I would recommend using water! My pizza crust (which I haven't posted yet) is a similar dough and I have tried it with water - it's just slightly less fluffy. The proteins in the milk help trap the air bubbles from the yeast, but there are other things in the recipe that also aid in that (apple cider vinegar), so water should work too!
Lauren -
Hi Sarah, any substitute options for the sorghum flour? We have everything else (and currently social distancing). Other flours we have are chickpea, white rice, brown rice, almond, and 1 to 1. Thanks!
Sarah Menanix -
I would use the 1 to 1 in its place!
Azurell -
I made this last night and they turned out pretty good, but they were so sticky coming out of the mixer that the idea of being able to make it a ball was laughable. If it's too wet, what's the best dry ingredient to add a tad more of in order to make it more pliable? I ended up kneeding in extra tapioca starch at the end to get them workable enough to make into the shape but don't know.
Sarah Menanix -
Interesting! If you click through a few frames on my Instagram Stories highlight, you can see me make the pretzels again behind the scenes and I demonstrate how sticky it is in the video. Did yours look stickier than this? You really do need to coat your hands in tapioca starch to form it into a ball or it will be much too sticky. I wonder if different brands of flours could be the culprit. For example, there's a different brand of tapioca flour I've had to purchase in a pinch that I discovered made subpar results in baking recipes because it wasn't as finely ground as Bob's Red Mill. Were you able to use all Bob's Red Mill flours? That being said, tapioca flour is the one I'd recommend adding more of if you need it.
Victoria -
I've scrolled through and there isn't a video of you making the pretzels :(
Sarah Menanix -
If you go to my Instagram page, at the top where the highlights are, there's now a highlight just of the pretzels.
Adia -
I made these and used rice flour instead of oat, and they came out as amazing dough, not sticky, easy to work with, it was a win win and the pretezles still turned out soft and amazing.
Debbie Velarde -
Do you think I could sub the corn starch for arrowroot starch?
Sarah Menanix -
Hm - I'm not that experienced with arrowroot starch so I'm not sure, but possibly?
AJ -
I used arrowroot starch and it seemed to work out well.
TT -
I did the same and it worked out nicely!
Jenny -
Any substitute for the tapioca starch? I cant tolerate it.
Sarah Menanix -
Unfortunately, I have not tested the recipe without the tapioca starch, so I can't say. Perhaps you could try subbing it for arrowroot starch, though I honestly don't know how it'd work! Sorry!
Amy -
I subbed arrowroot and it worked great!
Briana -
Can I sub flower with Bob all purpose gluten free or his 1:1 flour?
Sarah Menanix -
I haven't tried it, but I think the 1 to 1 or else their pizza blend might work! If you try it, please let me know how it works for you!
Shannyn Howe -
Any way I can sub the milk with a vegan option? My husband, son and I are all allergic
Sarah Menanix -
While I haven't tried it in the pretzels, I have tried substituting the milk for water in my pizza crust, which is a similar recipe base (not posted yet:) and it works! The milk just helps activate the yeast to make them a bit fluffier. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Amy C -
I used water instead of milk and they were delicious!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
It's so true Eric and I stopped by the mall on our last date and it was so anti climactic. We were THIS close to splitting a pretzel but then we decided to get real dinner instead, haha. And hot topic was nowhere in sight, does it still exist?? Ah high school. I will take this your pretzel over Wetzel's ANY DAY just look at that cheese. YUM.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin -
Spectacular!