These sweet and savory seasoned pretzels are coated with brown sugar, smoked paprika, lemon zest, rosemary, and just a bit of cayenne pepper. This snack is sweet, smokey and has just a hint of spice. These guys are great on their own, but pair them with the maple mustard dipping sauce and you've got quite the snack!
These sweet and savory seasoned pretzels are a perfect party food that will definitely be a crowd pleaser! If you are looking for a snack for the holiday season, these are perfect for that. Rosemary mixed with smoked paprika, lemon and brown sugar is a flavor combo that will blow you away!
This addictive snack is so easy to make and only takes a few minutes to whip up. The best part is you can make it the day before you plan to serve it so it will be ready to go when you are!
If you are looking for more appetizer recipes, try my: Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts, Double Layer Beef Taco Cups or Mini Bell Pepper Nachos with Chorizo.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It's easy. This is quick to make and doesn't require any special kitchen equipment.
- It's a crowd pleaser. This is a great snack to make for a crowd, but it goes quickly, so consider making a double batch!
- Smokey, sweet and savory. The flavor combination of the smoky paprika, the sweet brown sugar, the savory rosemary, and a little heat from the cayenne pepper is just so good!
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make this salty snack. All ingredients can be found at your local grocery store or at an online retailer like Amazon.
- Butter: Unsalted is best for this recipe. You already have salt on the pretzels, so no need for more!
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work for this recipe.
- Smoked paprika: The smokey flavor you get from the smoked paprika is one of the best parts of this recipe, but if you don't have smoked paprika, sweet or hot paprika would still add great flavor.
- Cayenne pepper: There isn't much cayenne pepper and it adds just a perfect amount of heat. If you prefer more, you could increase this by a ¼ teaspoon or if you prefer no heat, remove it completely.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is best for this. If you are unable to get fresh rosemary, you could substitute 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.
- Lemon zest
- Pretzels: You could really use any shape or size you prefer here, but I really like to use pretzel twists for this.
- Mayonnaise: Full fat mayonnaise always tastes the best, but when you are making a dipping sauce like this, light mayo would be just as good. When it's mixed with the other ingredients in the dipping sauce, the flavors all meld together really nicely and it doesn't really matter which kind of mayonnaise you use.
- Cream cheese: You could use full fat or ⅓ less fat cream cheese here, but I wouldn't go for fat free with this particular recipe.
- Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup is going to give you the best flavor here.
- Whole grain mustard
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how you make sweet and savory seasoned pretzels and the maple mustard dipping sauce.
Make the Dipping Sauce
STEP 1: Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix until smooth.
STEP 2: Place in a small serving bowl, cover tightly and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Make the Pretzels
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 250°F.
STEP 2: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
STEP 3: Place the pretzels in a large bowl and set them aside.
STEP 4: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon zest, and rosemary to the butter and mix well.
STEP 5: Pour butter mixture over the pretzels and stir to coat pretzels evenly.
STEP 6: Pour pretzels onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer.
STEP 7: Bake the pretzels in the 250°F oven for 20 minutes, stirring twice during baking time.
STEP 8: Remove the pan from the oven and let them cool completely, for about 10 minutes. Break apart any pretzels that may have stuck together during baking.
STEP 9: Serve with maple mustard dipping sauce.
EXPERT TIPS
- The maple mustard dipping sauce is best when prepared ahead and put in the fridge for several hours before serving. I like to make this the night before I plan to serve it so there is plenty of time for the flavors to blend together well.
- You can either mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a mixer or whisk them by hand.
FAQ
No. These are great on their own, but the dipping sauce definitely adds to this super flavor combo.
Yes. This recipe would be equally delicious on any pretzel shape or size you prefer. Mini pretzels, pretzel sticks or pretzel crisps would all be a great choice. Feel free to use whatever kind of pretzels you prefer.
Storing and Freezing
I recommend eating these fresh out of the oven. You could store the pretzels in an airtight container if you aren't planning to eat them right away or if there are leftovers for up to 2 days.
Freezing is not recommended for the pretzels or the dipping sauce.
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Recipe
Sweet and Savory Seasoned Pretzels
Ingredients
For the Pretzels:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
- Zest of a lemon
- 6 cups pretzels
For the Dip:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Instructions
For the Pretzels:
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add brown sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, rosemary, and lemon zest. Stir well to combine.1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped, Zest of a lemon
- Place pretzels in a large bowl. Pour butter mixture over pretzels and stir well to coat in the butter mixture. Dump pretzels onto prepared baking sheet, scraping any remaining butter mixture from the bowl.6 cups pretzels
- Bake in 250°F oven for 20 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
For the Dip:
- In a medium sized bowl, add the mayonnaise, cream cheese, maple syrup, and mustard. Whisk until smooth. Put in a small serving bowl. Serve alongside pretzels.⅓ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup cream cheese, softened, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
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