My keto pretzel bites are delightfully chewy and soft, with a crispy crust! Make this easy keto treat in just 30 minutes. Oven and air fryer method.
This recipe is for all of you who love pretzels, but don't have time to roll pretzel shapes!
My low carb pretzel bites are made with the same mozzarella dough I use in my keto pretzel recipe. This genius keto friendly dough yields pretzels that taste surprisingly similar to classic pretzels.
I tested the recipe several times in both the oven and the air fryer. Now it's absolutely perfect and fool-proof even for baking beginners.
Bonus for me, we've been enjoying keto soft pretzel bites for several days now. Quite a treat 😍.
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What's To Love About This Recipe
Easy. All you need is 5 basic ingredients. No mixer needed, we stir the dough with a fork (and our hands).
Versatile. Serve as a snack with dips or as mini keto bread rolls with lunch or dinner.
Keto. It's only 1.4g net carbs per serve and the recipe is naturally gluten-free as well.
Delicious! This is the most important part - the centre is soft, fluffy and chewy thanks to the fathead dough. And the outside has a lovely crunch.
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients. You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Almond Flour: I used ground almonds, which is the same as regular almond flour. Reduce by 1 tablespoon if your almond flour is super-fine.
- Mozzarella - I used pre-shredded mozzarella. Some people find that the part-skim shredded mozzarella works better than the full-fat version. Personally, I don't see any difference between the two. It's also possible to buy a mozzarella block and shred it at home. Note: the soft, white mozzarella balls we use in salads are NOT suitable for this recipe.
- Egg - Large, room temperature and whisked.
- Cream Cheese - Must be full-fat. Makes the dough smooth.
- Baking powder - Helps the bagels rise. Check that it is fresh.
- Optional toppings: Sesame seeds and / or coarse sea salt flakes. You could also use a mix of black and white sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
Essential: Measure out and prepare all ingredients before you start. This means you stir together the dry ingredients and whisk the egg in separate bowls. This helps you to work quickly later!
Instructions
It is simple to make soft Keto pretzel bites. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in a microwave. Or, heat in a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring regularly. The cheese should be fully melted but not bubbling hot.
Microwave in increments, as described in the recipe card. The microwave method is less messy. Unfortunately, my microwave is not working right now!
STEP 2
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
STEP 3
Stir the dough using a fork or spatula, then use your hands to knead it until cohesive and smooth.
STEP 4
Form a dough ball, quarter it and roll 4 logs. Cut each log into 4 segments and smooth any rough edges.
STEP 5
Brush the tops with olive oil or whisked egg, then dip each pretzel into a bowl with sesame seeds and / or sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Arrange on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving space in between.
STEP 6
Bake until golden and puffy.
Rotate the baking sheet if the back pretzels brown quicker than the ones at the front. Also, cover the tops with aluminium foil once golden to prevent over-browning.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 Mozzarella dough is sticky. I oil my hands with a light olive oil when I work with it.
#2 The sesame seed topping adds a new flavor dimension. I hope you'll try it! Use the sea salt sparingly - the mozzarella is salty already.
#3 Work the dough while it's warm, but don't bake it until it's close to room temperature. This way it won't spread.
Air Fryer Instructions
To make keto pretzel bites in the air fryer, preheat the oven to 160C or 320F.
Arrange the pretzel bites in the air fryer basket, leaving space in between so the air can circulate.
Air fry for 10 minutes, then turn the bites over and continue for another 4-5 minutes. These timings may vary from air fryer to air fryer!
I did find that the pretzels browned quicker in the air fryer and became more crusty. I personally prefer the oven method because it's easier to see exactly when they are done.
Variations
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free mozzarella and cream cheese alternatives. Readers have successfully done this in other recipes such as my keto bagels.
- Coconut Flour: Use ⅓ cup or 40 grams of coconut flour instead of the almond flour.
- Keto yeast pretzels: Add ¼ teaspoon of active dry yeast. Adds more authentic flavor. I tested this in my keto croissant recipe, which is also made with fathead dough.
- Sweet pretzel bites: Add 2 tablespoons of powdered sweetener and brush with melted butter.
Serve With
Pretzel bites taste great as a snack on their own.
Or, dip them in mayonnaise (stir a little mustard into it!) or my keto bechamel sauce. Now, that combination is a proper treat!
We have also served them like mini dinner rolls. Yesterday, I had two with a bowl of keto chicken soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can use a mixer with dough hooks or a food processor to make fathead dough. I like to mix it by hand because I do not want to end up washing my bowl AND my mixer. It's simply less work.
When fathead dough is cold, it becomes hard and difficult to work with. Gently warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Keto pretzel bites freeze well! Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Fathead dough becomes rather hard when cold. I think that reheating is essential for a proper pretzel bite experience! Warm them on a low power level in the microwave. Or, reheat in the oven or air fryer for a couple of minutes. This makes them soft and fluffy again.
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Recipe
Keto Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella 170g / 6oz
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese 30g, full fat
- 1 egg large, room temperature, whisked
- 1 cup almond flour 100g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Optional Toppings
- 1 egg, whisked (or olive oil) for brushing the tops
- sesame seeds or sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F electric. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Get all ingredients ready because you'll need to work quickly: Stir together the almond flour and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk the egg in another.
- Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl in a microwave for 1 minute. Add 10 second increments as needed. Stir to combine. The mix should be hot, but not bubbling. You can also do this in a non-stick pan on the stovetop over low heat.
- Add the almond flour and baking powder as well as the whisked egg to the melted mozzarella mix. Stir with a spatula, then knead with your hands until a cohesive dough forms. Oil your hands if the dough gets too sticky.
- Form a dough ball and quarter it. Roll each quarter into a log and slice into 4 pieces. Shape and smooth out the edges.
- Option to brush the pretzel bites with whisked egg or olive oil, then dip them into a bowl with sesame seeds or sparingly sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
- Arrange them on the baking sheet, leaving space in between each pretzel bite. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked on the inside. ***see notes
Wanda
I have used not only this recipe but several others. They are easy to follow. Delicious and Keto. Threes a charm!!!
Elizabeth
I think that regular homemade pretzels taste like pretzels because they are boiled in water with baking soda before they are baked. Have you tried a baking soda wash on these?
Katrin Nürnberger
No, but that sounds like a great idea!
Joanna
These sound amazing! Can't wait to try them.... TONIGHT!!