Sweet & Savory Pretzels

Pretzels 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 Pretzels are a perfect party food that will definitely be a crowd pleaser!

If you are looking for a snack to bring to a holiday get together, these pretzels are perfect for that. Rosemary mixed with smoked paprika, lemon and brown sugar is flavor combo that will blow you away!

This 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 recipes, try: Pretzel Dip Recipe, Oven Baked Zucchini Chips or Basil Pesto.

Why You Will Love This

• 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 make for a crowd, but it goes quickly, so consider making a double batch!
• Smokey, sweet and savory. The flavor combination of the smokey paprika, the sweet brown sugar and the savory rosemary is just so good!

Ingredients Needed

• 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 add 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 & Savory Pretzels with 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 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 prepared baking sheet and spread them out in an even 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

Storing

I recommend eating these fresh out of the oven. You could store the pretzels in an airtight container if you aren't planning to eating them right away or if there are leftovers for up to 2 days.

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