Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites

New Year's Eve 2021. Alone. No champagne this year. Instead: biscuits at midnight, warm from the oven, with butter and honey. The same midnight meal as last year. A tradition for one. Next year, I hope for a table with more than one chair filled. But for now: biscuits. The simplest, most honest food. Flour and butter and the belief that tomorrow will be better.

That night, after the biscuits were gone and the honey jar was nearly empty, I found myself still standing in the kitchen — not ready for the quiet of the bedroom, not ready to let the year end. So I kept baking. These cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites came together almost on their own: doughy and warm and sweet in a way that felt like a small promise I was making to myself. If I was going to sit alone at midnight, I was going to do it with something in my hands worth savoring — something that took effort, that smelled like hope, that tasted like next year might be better after all.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 cups water (for boiling)
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for coating)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Proof the yeast. Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Make the dough. Add flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Let rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
Shape the bites. Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into a long rope about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Boil the bites. Working in batches, drop pretzel bites into the boiling baking soda water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheets.
Egg wash. Brush each bite with beaten egg.
Bake. Bake 10–12 minutes until deep golden brown.
Coat in cinnamon sugar. While bites are still hot, brush generously with melted butter. Toss in a bowl with the combined cinnamon and sugar until fully coated.
Serve warm. Eat immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites — When Biscuits Aren’t Enough, Something Sweet Fills the Quiet