Cinnamon Pretzels

These cinnamon pretzels are crispy, yet soft, golden brown, and coated in cinnamon sugar. No yeast or boiling is needed.

Want more recipes using my 2 ingredient magic dough? Try my 2-ingredient pizza dough, 2 ingredient bagels, and healthy pop tarts next.

Goodbye, Auntie Anne’s pretzels- my homemade recipe for cinnamon pretzels tastes even better and is so easy too. And yes, your kitchen will smell incredible as they bake!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make cinnamon pretzels
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. Storage instructions
6. More recipes for cinnamon lovers
7. Cinnamon Pretzels (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Foolproof. Like classic homemade pretzels without yeast, these are so easy. There’s no need to boil water or spend time letting the dough rise. 
• 5 ingredients. You probably have everything you’ll need on hand already. 
• A healthy snack. Compared to store-bought pretzels, these come in at half the fat and calories, though you’d never be able to tell. 
• They freeze like a dream. I like to make a double-batch so I can freeze the rest. Whenever I have a craving, I just pop one into the oven, and it’s as good as new.

Ingredients needed

• Self-Rising flour. Made up of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This is the only kind of flour that works for this recipe, so if you don’t have any, you can easily make your own with my homemade self-rising flour. Use gluten-free self-rising flour if needed. 
• Greek yogurt. To make the dough. I used full-fat Greek yogurt, but low-fat or non-fat options work well too. For a vegan substitution, use fermented coconut yogurt.
• Cooking spray. To spray the baked pretzels with before adding the cinnamon/sugar topping. 
• Cinnamon. Obviously needed for a cinnamon-heavy recipe! I recommend using Saigon Cinnamon, which has a much more pronounced and delicious cinnamon flavor. 
• Sugar. I used simple white sugar, but you can use brown sugar or sugar-free sweeteners.

How to make cinnamon pretzels

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Make the pretzel dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour with yogurt. Using your hands, form into a dough ball. 

Step 2- Cut. Sprinkle flour on the dough ball, then roll it onto a lightly floured surface. Press into a ball shape and divide into 8 equal pieces. 

Step 3- Shape. Take one of the pieces of dough and roll it out into a thin sausage about 12 inches long. Grab both ends and connect in the center, then twist once to form a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining pretzels and transfer them to the baking sheet. 

Step 4- Bake. Brush the tops of each pretzel with melted butter or water. Bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. 

Step 5- Add cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Spray both sides of the pretzel with cooking spray and dip them into the cinnamon mixture. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Recipe tips and variations

• Use a stand mixer. While optional, I do find using a stand mixer makes shaping the dough easier. 
• Re-flour your surfaces. Trust me, the more flour you use, the easier it will be to roll out the pretzel dough. 
• Change the shape. When I’m feeling lazy, I’ll roll out the dough, make pretzel sticks, and slice them into 1-inch pieces to make soft pretzel bites. 
• Avoid overbaking. These pretzels tend to burn quickly, so pull them out when they’re golden brown and slightly firm.

Storage instructions

To store: Leftover pretzels should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

To freeze: Transfer cooled pretzels to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge, or add more reheating time.

To reheat: While optional, I recommend it for the best texture. Reheat them in a toaster oven for 10-12 minutes or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave in 15-second intervals until warm.

More recipes for cinnamon lovers

• Cinnamon protein bars
• Cinnamon pita chips
• Cinnamon crunch bread

Originally published April 2020, updated and republished April 2024