Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Filled with pepperoni, pizza sauce and 2 kinds of cheese, these Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites are the perfect appetizer for watching football!
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When it comes to favorite football appetizers, the list is long. Of course, buffalo wings and buffalo chicken dip will always be favorites. Then there’s these Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs – SO GOOD! Homemade pretzels are sure-fire crowd favorites, too. And then there’s the ultimate football food – pizza. So many choices!
I’ve been having fun using pretzel dough in different ways lately, and I had the idea to roll spicy pepperoni and cheese up in pretzel dough. (I served the sauce on the side for dipping…it would have been too messy to try to include the sauce in the pizza pretzel bites.) This is the ultimate game day party appetizer!
Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites
A tray of these pretzel pizza bites won’t last long – trust me! The salty pretzels combined with the pepperoni slices and melted cheese is basically the perfect football food. Or if there’s no game on tv, then just make it a game night. Just find any excuse you can to make these pretzels!
Homemade pretzels are incredibly easy to make, and they’re a staple whenever I get together with friends to watch a game. If you’ve never made homemade soft pretzels, do yourself a favor and make a batch. They’re easy, and they’re delicious! I posted this recipe for Classic Soft Pretzels a few years back, and that post still gets a bunch of visitors around this time every year. I assume folks are looking up recipes for their Super Bowl parties and such. I know I am!
This year, I decided to get creative and turn those soft pretzels into Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites. These pretzel bites are what happens when a truck carrying pizzas crashes into a truck carrying soft pretzels. You’ve got the chewy pretzels wrapped around a cheesy, pepperoni-y filling…and don’t forget the salted top! These pretzel bites were a huge hit in our house!
I suspect I’ll be making another batch (or 6) of these Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites for the Super Bowl. I hope you enjoy these homemade pretzel bites as much as we do! Cheers, friends!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers should be allowed to cool fully before being stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a 325ºF oven or toaster oven for about 6-7 minutes, or until heated through. I recommend tenting the tops with foil to prevent burning. These pretzels bites can also be frozen, but the texture of the pretzels just isn’t the same. I recommend eating them fresh!
I hope you enjoy these pizza pretzel bites as much as we do around here. They’re definitely a party favorite – Cheers!
Did you make these Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp brown sugar
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp warm water
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
For the Pretzels
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 3 oz. pepperoni sliced
- 1¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- coarse salt
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
For the Pretzel Dough
- Using a countertop mixer, combine the first 5 dough ingredients (flour, salt, brown sugar, yeast, and warm water); mix on medium speed for 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm (85°F) location for 30 minutes. (Note: I typically put the bowl in the oven. Turn the oven light on, but do not turn actual oven on.)
- Meanwhile, combine the boiling water with the baking soda; mix until well combined. Set aside to cool.
For the Pretzels
- Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Spray paper with nonstick spray. (Tip: Spray parchment paper liberally or the pretzels will stick as they bake!)
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- Once dough has risen, divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll one piece of dough into a ~15” long rope.
- Working on a well-floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough into a 3”x18” strip. Spread 2 Tbsp of pizza sauce down center of the dough. (Note: The rest of the pizza sauce will be used for dipping baked pretzels.)
- Layer half of pepperoni evenly down center of dough and then sprinkle half of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top.
- Roll the dough up widthwise to create a long rope; pinch edges tightly to seal. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
- Slice each roll into 1” pieces. Place pretzel bites into baking soda/water mixture for 2 minutes (spoon water over the top of the pretzel if it is not fully covered by the water). Transfer each pretzel bite to a parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Sprinkle bites with coarse salt, and allow the pretzels to rest for 10 minutes uncovered.
- Bake at 475°F for 9-11 minutes, or until pretzels are golden brown in color. Remove pretzels from oven and brush with melted butter.
- Serve with remaining pizza sauce for dipping.
Looking for more Super Bowl appetizer recipes? Check out these other favorites:
You are definitely in touch with my love-to-snack side, my friend! These look awesome! I’m always on the lookout for snack foods for my kids that they can grab out of the freezer and heat up (something like a hot pocket but not a hot pocket). These would fit the bill perfectly! Although I doubt many of them would last long enough to make it to the freezer!
Yes! I love that we share a snack/comfort food vibe, Kelly! Have you ever made soft pretzels? They’re surprisingly easy, and then you can do cool stuff like stuff ’em full of pepperoni. 🙂 I highly suspect these won’t make it to the freezer either. Just sayin’!
It’s like you’ve read my mind. For the last week I’ve been craving stuffed pretzels so badly I can hardly stand it–I almost drove to the mall last night just to get one because I haven’t had time to actually make a batch. But these look faster to make than the pretzels I’ve made in the past so I might be able to feed my craving a little easier. Hooray! Have a great weekend!
No way! Sounds like you’re living my life with the constant pretzel craving. I mean a good soft pretzel really is hard to beat! They’re not that hard to make at home…so I say you should make a batch this weekend. And maybe stuff ’em full of our favorite pizza toppings while you’re at it. 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend, Kelsie!
Hi David! I haven’t made pretzels in years, but as I remember it was a lot of fun! These sound like fun to make and more fun to eat! Did you have any problem with cheese oozing out during the water bath?
You should totally make a batch of pretzels this weekend, Dorothy! (Assuming you’re back up on your feet, that is.) So I didn’t have any problem with the cheese oozing out, but I did make sure to seal the seams well and I also use a cold water bath. Just try not to agitate the pretzels too much while in the water. I hope you are doing well, my friend! Have a great weekend!
What a wonderful treat not just for the games. My niece and her husband would have loved those stuffed pretzels .
Ah, yes, your niece and her husband would have enjoyed these indeed! Maybe you’ll have to make a batch and send her a photo. Maybe that’ll entice her to come back and visit again? 🙂 I hope you had fun visiting with them, and I also hope you have a great weekend ahead! Thanks, Gerlinde!
Another great recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. My boyfriend is a big New York Giants Fan, he loves MetLife Stadium and he hates the cowboys haha. Ohh I’ve never been to a live soccer game before, it looks like a lot of fun. I’m a huge fan of pretzels, these will be served at my super bowl party 🙂 Thanks David
Hah! That sounds like a true Giants fan talking right there. MetLife is only a couple hours drive for me, but I’ve never been down to a Giants game. Maybe if they host New Orleans some year…we’ll see.
Also, homemade pretzels? Yum! They do involve yeast, but I have 100% faith that you can make these, Mary! 🙂 Happy Sunday, my friend!
Another delicious, comfort food snack. I might go as far as to call it a meal. Just give me a side salad and I’m all set. Game day or not, I’m in.
We totally turned these pretzel bites into a meal, Valentina! Yum! Thank you so much. 🙂
David, glad to hear you have an appreciation for a proper football game. Needless to say, in Sweden, there are two major sports, football (as in soccer) and ice hockey. We’re into the ice just now and we have a big Malmö Red Hawks match this weekend and your pizza pretzels and you muffin stromboli will be served. I think my Swedish friend will gobble them up.
Haha! I do indeed have an appreciation for soccer (football), and it’s getting easier to find soccer games here in the States. The other sports still dominate the headlines, but soccer is working it’s way in there. Best of luck with the best Red Hawks matchup this weekend! 🙂
Whew! That’s some crazy prices. Better stay home and make all your delicious favorites and buy your own beer! Love these pretzel bites. That’s a whole lot of goodness rolled into those pretzels.
Tell me about it! I mean I get it. Food and beers at sporting events are expensive. But holy cow! I think I’ll opt for my tv at home and a batch of these pretzels! 🙂
I agree, the cost of food and drinks at sporting events has gotten out of control! It’s nutty, especially because tickets aren’t cheap either.
I went to a Real Madrid game in LA about a year and a half ago, and I had a blast too! Going to a soccer game in Europe has been on my bucket list 🙂
You make a great point about ticket prices, too, Nicole. Going to a sporting event is definitely a special treat…they’ve gotten way too expensive to go more than that! And, yes, that soccer game in Europe is absolutely on my bucket list. How crazy would that be to watch say a World Cup game over there??
It’s probably best that you don’t invite me over to watch football, David, because you’d have to make a double-batch of these pretzel pizza bites just for me.
Hey, I think that can be arranged, Jeff. I’ll just make a 4x batch. 2 for you. 2 for me. Deal?
Ha ha! David you’re a man after my own heart moaning about the cost of food and drinks at the footy game. Seriously though I changed your dollars to pounds and it was really expensive! Yes, better to make your own like your delicious looking pizza stuffed pretzel bites. And MUCH cheaper too!
Yup, those prices at the Super Bowl (and regular season games for that matter) are downright silly. The problem is they have a captive audience. It’s either pay those prices or get nothing. I must say though that there is a growing trend to charge more reasonable prices at sporting events. Still expensive, mind you…but more reasonable. Either way, I’d still rather stay home and make tasty snacks. Plus, there’s no line for the restroom at home! 🙂
being an appetizer lover i only have garlic bread but you are changing my mind to start trying these out. recipe tempting recipe. i’ve seen a lot of delicious recipes on your site thanks for sharing good delicious stuff
Hey, I love garlic bread, too, Mary…that’s a difficult one to top! But take warm pretzels and stuff ’em with pepperoni? That’s a darned good app, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for the kind words!