Homemade Pretzel Dogs

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These are the best pretzel dogs you will ever eat! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! A delicious game-day appetizer that is freezer friendly!

front view of three pretzel dogs on a plate


If you’re looking for a great appetizer or hand-held meal to enjoy while watching your favorite sporting event, then these homemade pretzel dogs are for you!

This pretzel dogs recipe is the best! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! Plus they’re delicious and freezer friendly! 

This Homemade Pretzel Dogs recipe combines two of my family’s favorite foods, my Homemade Pretzel Bread and hot dogs, so they’re always a winner in our house.

overhead view of 5 pretzel dogs

How to make Pretzel Dogs

As always, we’ll walk through the process of making this recipe, and don’t forget to watch the video!

Make the Pretzel dough

Begin by making the dough. Start by proofing the yeast, then adding the wet ingredients. 

two overhead photos showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Add the dry ingredients and using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, or by hand, knead the dough until it’s slightly tacky. 

two overhead photos showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel in a warm place to let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.

two overhead photos showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Wrap the Hot Dogs

Once the dough has risen and been punched down, it’s time to wrap the hot dogs. Make 8 balls of dough the same size, which I always do using a food scale. The total weight of the dough comes out to be about 800 g, so each ball should weigh about 100 g. 

Take one dough ball and roll it into a thin rope, 8-10” long. Wrap it around one hot dog making sure the ends are secure. Repeat this with all 8 hot dogs.

two overhead photos showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Baking Soda Bath

To make the baking soda bath, bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda. Be careful or you will have a baking soda/water explosion. 

baking soda bath for pretzel dogs recipe

Boil Wrapped Pretzel Dogs

Gently place two dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water and place them on an oiled baking sheet.

overhead photo showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Sprinkle with Salt & Bake

As soon as the boiled pretzel dogs are placed on the baking sheet, sprinkle coarse sea salt over the dough to your specific tastes. Note: the dough does not rise here. Straight from boiling to the oven. 

Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once. They are done when they are deep brown!

Note: These Homemade Pretzel Dogs have a tendency to stick to the pan. Greasing it thoroughly helps with this issue! 

Brush with butter

Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the Pretzel Dogs to guarantee a soft, buttery crust. 

two photos showing How to make Pretzel Dogs

Serve

Serve with your favorite condiments and enjoy!

Store:

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

To Freeze Pretzel dogs: 

Let the pretzel dogs cool to room temperature. Freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 2 months. 

front view of 3 pretzel dogs on a baking sheet

Pretzel Dogs: Ingredients & Substitutions

I don’t recommend making substituions in this recipe, but here are some options.

  •  Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or cream are all possible substitutions that work well.
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
  • Hot Dogs: Choose a brand and variety with a short ingredient list and one that is made with all beef! We always use Nathan’s!

That’s it! I really don’t recommend tinkering with this recipe any more! 

Recipe FAQs

How do you cook frozen Pretzel Dogs?

You can cook these pretzel dogs from frozen, just decrease the baking temperature by 50 degrees F and tent the baking sheet with foil. You can also warm them at 250 covered in foil or in a baking dish with a lid.

How long do pretzel dogs last?

Baked pretzel dogs last for 5-7 days in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer.

pretzel dog with a bite taken out of it so you can see inside

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Homemade Pretzel Dogs Recipe

Laura
These are the best pretzel dogs you will ever eat! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! A delicious game-day appetizer that is freezer friendly!
5 from 7 votes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Pretzel Dogs
Calories 301.5
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients 
 

Pretzel Dogs:

Baking soda Bath:

Instructions 

  • Combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let stand for 5 minutes (until foamy).
  • While yeast is proofing…melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in milk and set aside.
  • Once yeast is proofed, add milk/butter to yeast mixture and mix on low speed with dough hook until just combined.
  • Add salt and flour and mix with dough hook until flour is fully incorporated.
  • Knead in your mixer on high speed until the dough forms a slightly tacky, but firm ball, you may need to add a little more flour 1 TBS at a time, but be careful, you want your dough a little tacky but not too sticky to handle.
  • Oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel in a warm place to let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda (Be careful or you will have a baking soda/water explosion)!
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and gently press out the air bubbles.
  • Make 8 balls of dough the same size (NOTE: The total weight of the dough comes out to be about 800 g, so each ball should weigh about 100 g).
  • Take one dough ball and roll it into a thin rope, 8-10” long. Wrap it around one hot dog making sure the ends are secure. Repeat this with all 8 hot dogs.
  • Gently place two dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water and place them on an oiled baking sheet.
  • Immediately sprinkle coarse sea salt over the dough to your specific tastes. Repeat with the other 6 hot dogs. (Do not let it rise at all here! Straight from boiling into the oven).
  • Cook the Pretzel Dogs for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once. Pretzel dogs are done when they are deep brown!
  • Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the Pretzel Dogs to guarantee a soft crust.
  • Serve with your favorite condiments and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

  •  Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or cream are all possible substitutions that work well.
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
  • Hot Dogs: Choose a brand and variety with a short ingredient list and one that is made with all beef! We always use Nathan’s!

Store:

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

To Freeze: 

Let pretzel dogs cool to room temperature. Freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1pretzel dog | Calories: 301.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.3g | Protein: 11.5g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 36.2mg | Sodium: 643mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 5.2g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

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12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I live in a small town and i am known for my Breads and pizzas. My husband came to me and said he wanted me to make him Pretzels. I didn’t know what i was doing. LOL I did do a lot of research and came across your recipe. I Loved the fact you use Bread flour and brown sugar. I have made this for my Grandkids several times now. My Grandkids told me to Thank you for this awesome recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    Great recipe! We make these often. Yesterday, my 5 year old granddaughter helped me wrap the dough around the hot dogs. She has never eaten her hot dogs with a bun. Last night, she tried these and gave it a big thumbs up! My question is, how do you reheat these from the refrigerator? I usually make a big batch and wrap each one individually. My husband takes them out of the freezer, microwaves them for 2 minutes at 60% and then into the toaster oven for 3-4 minutes. That gets the dog hit plus crisps up the bread. We’ve never reheated them from the refrigerator. Any suggestions?

    1. I’d try the same method for reheating them from the refrigerator just for less time. I’m often in a hurry and just microwave them.

  3. Hello! I want to make these ahead of time for a get together. You say they’re freezer friendly but I can’t see any instructions around that. Do you freeze these before or after boiling and baking?

    Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    This is super sweet. I love that your husband will eat anything, and that you love to serve him things that he really loves to eat. These look like the perfect perfect food. I love corn dogs,(did I just say that?), and these look like a step up from those (a HUGE step).