Keto Pretzels
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Soft, chewy, and perfectly salted, my oven-baked keto pretzel recipe is easy to make and requires no boiling or yeast. 2 grams net carbs.
Trying to make a low carb version of my soft pretzels turned out to be one of my easier baking experiments, mainly because I had a versatile dough to work with: my fathead dough. To achieve their classic soft, chewy, pull-apart texture, though, I still had to make a few tweaks to keep the pretzels fluffy rather than dense or gummy.
After testing several versions, I found that the trick is to get the dough consistency just right before shaping, much like traditional soft pretzels. Once baked, these keto pretzels develop a crisp, golden exterior while staying soft and chewy in the center.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No boiling or frying needed. These pretzels are baked entirely in the oven, making them quicker and easier than traditional soft pretzels.
- Easy to customize. I included the base recipe plus a handful of flavor swaps so you can try something different- I love the cinnamon sugar one.
- Tastes like the real thing. Soft and chewy in the center, with a crisp, golden exterior, they have the same classic pull-apart texture as Auntie Anne’s… minus the carbs.
- Naturally gluten-free. And grain-free, too.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into keto soft pretzels, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Almond flour. Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal will make the pretzels crumbly and gritty.
- Baking powder. Helps the pretzels rise and keeps them fluffy.
- Mozzarella cheese. I usually prefer full-fat mozzarella, but for this recipe, I recommend part-skim, low-moisture shredded mozzarella. It melts more smoothly into the dough, giving the pretzels their chewy, elastic texture.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat and softened to room temperature.
- Eggs. Two are used in the pretzel dough, and the third will be used as an egg wash.
- Salt. Coarse and flaky salt to top the pretzels.
Flavor variations
- Cinnamon sugar. Brush the pretzels with melted butter, then sprinkle cinnamon and keto brown sugar. If you like super sweet pretzels, I suggest adding two tablespoons of allulose or sweetener to the dough.
- Jalapeno. Fold in ½ cup of sliced jalapenos to the batter and top the pre-baked pretzels with a few more.
- Roasted garlic and parmesan. Brush the pretzels with melted butter, garlic, and Parmesan before baking.
- Pepperoni. Top the pretzels with mini pepperoni and mozzarella cheese before baking.
- Raisin. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar free confectioners’ sugar to the dough and 1/4 cup of raisins.
How to make keto soft pretzels
Step 1- Prep work. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven.
Step 2- Mix the dough. Add the almond flour to a bowl. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, microwave both cheeses until smooth. Stir to combine.
Step 3- Blend. Pour the cheese mixture into a food processor along with the flour and two eggs. Pulse to a thick dough.
Step 4- Shape. Place the dough ball on a kitchen surface and divide it into 8. Roll each into a hot dog shape, then cross to form a pretzel. Place them on the baking sheet.
Step 5- Bake. Brush the third egg over the pretzels, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden brown.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Work quickly with the melted cheese. As it cools, it becomes harder to mix smoothly into the dough.
- If the dough seizes, warm it back up. Pop it in the microwave in 20-second intervals until it’s soft enough to mix.
- Lightly oil your fingers before shaping the dough to prevent sticking,
- Make keto pretzel bites! This is my go-to party appetizer. Simply omit the folding step and cut the logs into bite-sized pieces.
- Serve them with sauces, like my keto cheese sauce or keto frosting.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover pretzels can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will need to be reheated before enjoying again.
Reheating: Microwave individual pretzels for 30 seconds or in a toaster oven for 5-6 minutes.
To freeze: Place the pretzels in a ziplock bag and freeze for 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
No, these keto pretzels do not need to be boiled before baking. The fathead dough naturally bakes up soft and chewy without the extra step.
No, I don’t recommend substituting coconut flour in this recipe. Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid, which would completely change the texture of the pretzels unless the other ingredients were adjusted too.
5-Ingredient Keto Pretzels
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese low moisture and part skim
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs divided
- 1 teaspoon salt to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the shredded cheese with cream cheese and microwave until the cheese has melted. Whisk together.
- Transfer the cheese mixture into a food processor. Add the bowl of dry ingredients and two of the eggs, and pulse until combined and a thick dough remains. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky.
- Lightly oil your fingers, then transfer the ball of dough onto a kitchen surface. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Roll out each one into a 10-inch hot dog shape. Cross each one into a pretzel shape and place on the lined tray. If the dough cracks while shaping, gently press it back together.
- Whisk the remaining egg and brush it over the top of each pretzel. Sprinkle with the salt.
- Bake the pretzels for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Remove the pretzels from the oven and serve immediately.
These were so delicious! And the video was super helpful. Thanks for sharing.
So welcome, Cindy!
Just wondering 4 the pretzels any sub 4 the almond flour thxs
It’s as close to a real pretzel as keto can get, and the heaping amount of cheese contributed to the chewiness and smells better than other keto doughs. I highly recommend setting them out for 24 hours to get a chewier texture, and also putting a tray/layer underneath while baking (my sad bottom tray of pretzels got burnt to protect my top tray, lol). Thanks, Arman!
I would like to order Hard Copy of your Cookbooks. Where can I get them?
Hi Lori, you can find links to order them on my about page 🙂 Hope this helps!
Under flavor variations your directions morphed into Bagels instead of pretzels
Hi Lily- sorry I’m a little confused by your comment- do you want to see if this dough works as bagels for those flavors?
I made these. They are great as pretzel bites. My only issue is that I can’t figure out how your calculations show 2 net carbs and when I calculate them it is 5 net carbs.
Subtract fiber from carbs. That gives you your net carbs. Carbs: 4, Fiber: 2. This gives you a Net Carbs: 2.
Can i use the recipe of 2-ingredient to make the bagel but using almond flour and greek yoghurt?
cheers
Hi John! Yes, that works! 🙂
Just made these and they are awesome!!! Leave off the cinnamon and sweetener and dipped them in nacho cheese sauce. Grand kids loved them, just wish the recipe made more!!
Love that! 🙂
Would it work with coconut flour as well?
Is there a specific yogurt you recommend or is plain Greek yogurt ok?
Greek is great 🙂
What is 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella by weight? And low moisture or regular? Thanks!
You’ll need to google the weight conversion, regular works fine.
Wondering if you can get close to that real pretzel flavor with the boiling process/baking soda (and then mustard of course). Will this dough stay together for a quick boil?
I haven’t tried 🙂
Arman love all your recipes can’t wait to try this one! What type of low moisture mozzarella? Is it ok to use the package stuff or do I need to shred myself?
Thankyou
Donna
Hi Donna, you can get away with some brands of preshredded low moisture mozzarella but lots of them are coated with anti-caking agents that impact the dough. For best results I would shred the block myself, I really like Galbani but you can also use something as readily available as Kraft 🙂 Let us know how you go!
Followed the recipe but rather than make whole pretzels I made pretzel bites. When cooled, sprinkled them with cinnamon/sugar. Outstanding!
Thanks for the feedback, Maryanne!