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

Copycat Auntie Anne's Pretzels

5 from 3 votes
Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

Soft, buttery, golden copycat Auntie Anne's pretzels that taste like the mall original — bake them in the oven or 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 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp pretzel salt or coarse salt, for finishing
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

Baking Soda Bath

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

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

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 twist into pretzels.
  • Whisk warm water and baking soda in a large bowl. Dip each pretzel until submerged, then lift out and let drip.
  • Oven: Bake at 450°F on a parchment-lined sheet for 10–12 minutes, until deep golden brown.
  • Air fryer: Air fry at 350°F in a single layer for 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway. Work in batches.
  • Brush hot pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with salt, or dip buttered pretzels in cinnamon sugar.

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Baking Sheet or Air Fryer
  • Parchment Paper

Notes

  • Times are for 4 full-size pretzels. Pretzel bites cook in about 2/3 the time.
  • Active dry yeast substitutes 1:1 for instant; proof the same way.
  • For gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose blend.
  • Nutrition note on sodium: most of the baking soda is discarded with the bath and not consumed, so sodium per pretzel is far lower than a raw ingredient calculation suggests.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 10257mgPotassium: 76mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 353IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 3mg