Oktoberfest, an annual festival in Munich, Germany, is held over a two-week period that begins in September and ends on the first Sunday in October, so this Vegan Pretzels recipe is to honor the long-lasting tradition of Oktoberfest.
Get ready to make your own tasty vegan pretzels with my easy-to-follow recipe. These homemade pretzels are completely plant-based and perfect for those who follow a vegan lifestyle or simply enjoy delicious snacks without animal products. With this step-by-step recipe guide, you’ll be able to create soft, chewy pretzels from scratch. No need to worry about complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients – our simple instructions will take you through the process, ensuring you achieve pretzel perfection with every batch. Let’s get started and enjoy the rewarding experience of making and devouring these delightful vegan pretzels.
My version of the Pretzels Recipe
We really enjoyed eating fresh delicious pretzels on our trip to Germany in the summer of 2019. On our first day there I realized that they don’t serve mustard with the pretzels and I was quick to find a grocery store to buy myself a tube of spicy mustard. From then on, I carried it in my purse everywhere and enjoyed pretzels the way I like them, with spicy mustard!
Earlier this year my daughter and I took a pretzel-making class online and now love making pretzels at home. The process is really so easy and there is nothing better than enjoying hot and fresh pretzels at home.
We were taught Alton Brown’s recipe in the class but I veganized the recipe to suit us. One thing I realized is that I did not need to brush the boiled pretzels with any fat for it to get color. The non-vegan version uses egg wash to give it shine, but we are happy with the color and shine without the wash.
Ingredients to make Vegan Pretzel recipe
Use these simple ingredients to bake an amazing batch of vegan pretzels:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces vegan butter, melted
- 6-8 cups water
- ¼ cup baking soda
- coarse salt or pretzel salt for topping
- Oil for greasing the cookie sheet
How to make Vegan Pretzels at home – Step by Step Recipe Guide
There are 5 major steps to making vegan pretzels at home:
- Make the dough
- Let the dough rise
- Shape the dough into a pretzel shape
- Boil the pretzels
- Bake
Let’s see each of these five steps in detail
Make the dough
Proof the yeast, add all the ingredients, and knead the dough till soft and pliable. I use a stand mixer to do this part, but you can use your hands. Just note that it will take a bit longer to knead a soft dough.
Rise
Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour till almost doubles in size.
Shape the dough into a pretzel shape
It may look complicated but shaping pretzels is fairly easy. Here is how you can make the pretzel shape:
- Roll each piece of dough with your palms to a long rope, about 18-20 inches long.
- Make a U shape with the rope facing yourself.
- Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U, to form the shape of a pretzel.
Boil the shaped pretzels
This is one key step that sets Pretzels and Bagels apart from other breads. The shaped pretzels are boiled for about a minute in boiling water with some baking soda. This step helps in making the pretzels chewy.
Bake the pretzels
The boiled pretzels are baked in a 450 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 10-12 minutes till the tops are dark golden brown and cracked.
Recipe Tips for Vegan Pretzels
Here are a few expert tips to help you create the best version of this vegan pretzel recipe:
- You can make the vegan pretzel dough a day ahead and store it in a large airtight container in the refrigerator for proofing. Take it out of the refrigerator the next day an hour prior to rolling, boiling, and baking the pretzels. This really makes the process easy and the results are the same as doing everything on the same day.
- I have used Active dry yeast in this recipe. It is different from Instant yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be proofed in warm water as the recipe indicates. I also keep my yeast container in the refrigerator once opened and replace it every 6 months. The quality of yeast really makes a huge difference. If your yeast does not bloom in warm water in 10 minutes, it is time to replace it.
FAQs- Vegan Pretzels recipe
Yes, you can. For a non-vegan recipe, you can use regular butter to make the pretzels.
Leftover baked vegan pretzels can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, I like to reheat them in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes.
Other easy bread recipes to try
Recipe Card – Vegan Pretzels
Master the Art of Homemade Vegan Pretzels with this Stepwise Recipe
Learn how to make delicious vegan pretzels with this step-by-step recipe. These soft and chewy pretzels are completely plant-based and perfect for a satisfying snack. Follow these simple instructions to create your own homemade pretzels without any animal products. Dive into the stepwise guide and enjoy the warm, doughy goodness of vegan pretzels today!
10
servings30
minutes10
minutes1 hour
Ingredients
4 cups All purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
2 oz vegan butter melted
6-8 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
coarse salt or pretzel salt for sprinkling
oil for greasing the pan
Method
- In 1 ½ cups warm water (you should be able to comfortably touch it, about 110 degrees F) add, yeast and maple or agave syrup. Stir and leave it aside for 5 minutes. The yeast will bloom and become foamy.
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add flour, salt, melted vegan butter, and the proofed yeast mix. Start the mixer on slow and slowly increase the speed. Mix till the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl, and is smooth for about 4-5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand, kneading for about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl of the mixer, oil the same bowl well, and return the dough to it for proofing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm corner of the kitchen for approximately an hour till the dough has about doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Put a large saucepan with 6-8 cups of water to boil. Grease a cookie sheet well with any cooking oil.
- Remove the proofed dough from the bowl to a clean work surface. Section the dough into 10 equal parts, about 3.5 oz each. Roll each piece with your palms to a long rope, about 18-20 inches long. Make a U shape with the rope facing yourself. Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U, to form the shape of a pretzel. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Using a small pairing knife, make a couple of small slits to the bottom and sides of the pretzels. This helped them crack and give the signature pretzel look.
- Once the water has boiled, add the baking soda and stir well. Keep your stove top at medium-high heat. One at a time carefully put pretzels in the boiling water. Wait for 45 secs- 1 minute and remove the pretzel with a slotted spoon and place it on the greased cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle the boiled pretzels with coarse salt. Repeat the process.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes, keeping a close eye towards the end. Enjoy warm pretzels as is, or with grainy mustard and cheese sauce.
Tips
- You can make the pretzel dough a day ahead and store it in a large airtight container in the refrigerator for proofing. You can take it out of the refrigerator the next day an hour prior to rolling, boiling, and baking the pretzels. This really makes the process easy and the results are the same as doing everything on the same day.
