Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce
These no-fuss Pretzel Cheese Bites are soft, chewy, and easy to make with simple, store-bought ingredients. Served with a rich homemade cheese sauce, they're the perfect crowd-pleasing snack for game day, parties and entertaining with friends and family.
Servings 16 servings
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Bites
- 2 16.3- ounce cans refrigerated biscuit dough buttermilk or homestyle
- 4 cups warm water
- ½ cup baking soda
- 4 tablespoons melted butter or 2 eggs for egg wash
- Coarse salt optional
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded (not package pre-shredded cheese - shred your own)
- Kosher salt
Instructions
For the Pretzel bites:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut each biscuit into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Use a knife to cut a small slit on the top of each one.
- In a medium bowl or pot, whisk together the warm water and baking soda until dissolved.
- Place dough balls into the baking soda bath and let soak for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet, slit-side up.
- Brush each pretzel bite with melted butter or egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired.
- Bake for 8–9 minutes, or until puffed and deep golden brown.
- Serve warm
For the Cheese Sauce:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for about 30 seconds to form a smooth roux. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps.
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sauce gently simmers and thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until it's fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and season with a pinch of salt if needed.
- Serve immediately while warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave using 30-second intervals at medium power, stirring between each interval until warmed through.
Notes
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, warm in the oven for a few minutes at 350° until warm and crispy. We don't recommend microwaving, as they'll turn rubbery and chewy.
- Freeze leftover bites for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rewarming in the oven, or bake from frozen at 300°.
- You can prep the pretzel bites in advance by cutting and soaking them in the baking soda bath, then refrigerating the unbaked dough until ready to bake and serve fresh.
- Alternatively, fully bake the bites and cool, then store at room temperature, in the fridge or the freezer, until you're ready to serve. Simply reheat in the oven to crisp them up before serving.