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Air fryer copycat Auntie Anne's pretzels brushed with butter and sprinkled with coarse salt on a plate

Air Fryer Copycat Auntie Anne's Pretzels

5 from 3 votes
Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

Soft, buttery, golden pretzels that taste like the mall original — made easy in your air fryer.

Ingredients 

Ingredients

  • 6 oz warm water, or warm beer, about 110°F
  • 1 1/8 tsp instant dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp pretzel salt or coarse salt, for finishing

Baking Soda Bath

  • 3 cups warm water, about 110°F
  • 1 cup baking soda

Instructions

  • Combine warm water (or beer), yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Stir and let sit 5–7 minutes until bubbly.
  • Add flour and kosher salt. Using the dough hook, mix until combined, then knead on medium about 5 minutes until a smooth ball forms, adding flour 1 tbsp at a time if too sticky.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm spot about 1 hour, until doubled.
  • Knead briefly, divide into 4 pieces, roll into ~22-inch ropes, and shape into pretzels.
  • Whisk warm water and baking soda in a large bowl. Submerge each pretzel, then place in a greased or parchment-lined air fryer basket.
  • Air fry at 350°F for 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden brown.
  • Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. For cinnamon sugar, dip buttered pretzels in a mix of 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon.
  • Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Equipment

  • Air Fryer, Air Fryer Basket or Air Fryer Oven
  • Cooking Spray, or Parchment Paper

Notes

  • Nutrition note on sodium: Most of the baking soda is discarded with the bath and not consumed, so the eaten-sodium per pretzel is far lower than a raw ingredient calculation suggests. Calculate nutrition using only the finishing salt actually applied for an accurate figure.
  • Active dry yeast can be substituted 1:1 for instant; proof the same way.
  • For gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose blend.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 10256mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 175IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 3mg