Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

These easy Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels are the perfect sweet and salty snack- pretzel crusted in sugary deliciousness. Ready in 45 minutes (including cooling), this quick snack mix is great for sharing, stashing for quick noshes and even on dessert boards. No fridge required.

 

Easy Pretzel Snack

If you’re in the market for a wonderfully easy, wildly delicious sweet/salty snack or dessert recipe, these pretzels are for you.

My entire family is into cinnamon—and these pretzels highlight that favorite ingredient while stepping it up a notch with sugar! The cinnamon sugar coats store-bought mini pretzels, then we bake ‘em until the cinnamon sugar melts into the surface.

They are an excellent snack at any type of party or gathering, as well as them being a homemade gift option to give to people you care about during the holiday season.

They cook up in a flash, they smell AMAZING and they taste pretty darn good, too!

Ingredients 

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels are shockingly simple to make at home, and you’ll need a few ingredients to make ‘em.

• Store-bought pretzel twists—the small ones! You could also use pretzel sticks, though I haven’t tried those in this recipe.
• Unsalted butter—since the pretzels are salted, we don’t need to use salted butter.
• Granulated sugar—brown sugar or turbinado sugar will not work in this recipe, so please use this- it needs to be able to caramelize.
• Ground cinnamon– make sure it isn’t expired, you’ll lose the fabulous flavor and scent.

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

These pretzels are extremely simple to make, but before you get started, make sure to preheat your oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. This will ensure the pretzels don’t stick to the baking sheet.

1. Pour the pretzels into a large mixing bowl, then drizzle the melted butter on top of them. Use a rubber spatula to toss until the pretzels are coated—we don’t want any rogue butter at the bottom of the bowl!

2. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Stir them up and pour the mixture on top of the pretzels.

3. Use that same rubber spatula to toss the pretzels until they’re all coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture. This might take a few minutes, just depending on how large your bowl is and how easily you can move the pretzels around. 
4. When the pretzels are covered, pour them onto the prepared baking sheet, and pop that in the preheated oven.
5. When the pretzels are done, the sugar-cinnamon mixture will have crystalized on the pretzels. They will look dry, as opposed to how they looked when you initially put them in the oven. (If they still look wet, you need to bake them for longer.) They will also be slightly golden brown.

6. Let them cool, and once cool, enjoy or store for later! They are great warm too.

Pro Tip: In order for these cinnamon sugar pretzels to bake evenly, you’ve got to stir them with a heat-safe spatula every 10 minutes. To do this, I like to take the baking sheet out of the oven and place it on a heat safe surface, then give them a gentle stir before transferring back into the oven. You can use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon for this step.

Quick Variations

This recipe is delightful as-is, but there are also some fun variations you can use. Add just a dash of other warm spices like nutmeg or allspice. During the holiday months, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice will also elevate the flavors.

Serve them with a side of dipping sauce, or a variety of sauces. A pretzel dip like fudge sauce or caramel is great- or just grab a tub of chocolate or cream cheese cheese frosting at the store.

Storage & Prep

Once the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels have completely cooled off, transfer to a gallon-sized plastic bag and seal tightly, pushing any extra air out of the bag. They will keep for more than a week if stored properly.

How to make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels ahead of time:

These pretzels are brilliant to make ahead of time because they store so easily. Simply bake them on a day where you have an hour to spare, especially since you’ll need to be close to the oven to give the baking pretzels a stir, and then follow the instructions for storing so they’ll keep until you are ready to use them.

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar

If you can’t find cinnamon sugar on the shelves at the store, it’s super easy to just make your own. It’s made from a combination of sugar and ground cinnamon.

For this recipe, we’re using granulated (white) sugar. Typically, there is more sugar than cinnamon since a little cinnamon goes a long way, flavor-wise.

More easy snacks:

• Soft Pretzel Bites
• Ranch Chex Mix
• Ranch Oyster Crackers
• Dill Pickle Pretzels
• Peanut Butter Pretzels