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Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Pretzel Bites

Jalapeno Popper Pretzel Bites

These jalapeno popper stuffed pretzels are a crowd favorite. And one of our favorite stuffed pretzel recipes. They are easy to make and will fly off the plate as soon as you put them out.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: jalepeno popper, pretzel
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough

Jalapeno Popper Filling

  • 4 Ounces Cream Cheese Room temperature
  • ¼ Cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
  • 1 Medium Sized Jalapeno Broiled
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Sliced of Bacon Crumbled

Lye Bath

  • 2 Tablespoons Food Grade Lye
  • 6 cups of water

Instructions

  • Make a batch of basic pretzel dough. Click here to see the recipe.
  • Start by cutting the jalapeno in half and taking the seeds and rib out. If you like it spicy then by all means keep the seeds in and broil the jalapeno whole. Broil the jalapeno in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the skin gets nice and charred (rotate the pepper to ensure all sides are charred). The cooking time could change depending on how close your rack is to the broiler so keep an eye on it. When the jalapeno is done take a paper towel and pull the skin off then mince and set aside. (See notes)
  • Cut the bacon into strips and cook on medium heat until crispy. Add the cooked bacon in a small bowl lined with paper towel. (See notes)
  • Add the cream cheese, jalapeno, bacon and cheddar cheese in a medium size bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
  • Measure out a 1.5 ounce of pretzel dough using a food scale. (See notes) Roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick. Fill the dough with 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture.
  • Fold the dough over the mixture ensuring no filling will leak out. Pinch the dough once you have covered the filling. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Lye or Baking Soda Solution

  • Gather safety goggles, disposable rubber gloves, stainless steel pot, long stainless steel stirring spoon. Put on safety goggles and rubber gloves.
  • Take the stainless steel pot and fill it with 6 cups of water. Add the lye to the pot and heat on high until you see steam. Then turn the heat off and set aside for about 5 minutes until you no longer see the steam. Make sure that the area you work in is well ventilated. Do not inhale the steam.
  • If you opt to use baking soda instead of lye, follow these instructions:
    When using the baking soda bath you will need to bake ¼ cup of baking soda at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Then you will need a stainless pot with 8 cups of water. Add the baked baking soda to the pot of water and cook on high until you it simmers. Use a stainless steel spoon to mix the solution to make sure the baking soda dissolves. Then turn the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. You are ready to dip your pretzels for 30 seconds then cook.
  • Once all bites are made dip them in the lye bath for only 30 seconds. That’s right I said 30 seconds. You do not want to soak the pretzels in the lye bath. Make sure to use a kitchen timer to ensure each bite only sits in the lye bath no longer than 30 seconds. Place the bites back on the parchment paper. At this stage, because of the lye, do not touch the pretzels with bare hands.
  • After all of the pretzels have been dipped in the lye solution be sure to clean the pot, any utensils and work area. You can pour the lye solution down the drain. Clean the pot, utensils and work area with soap and warm water.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • After dipping the pretzels use a sharp knife cut a couple slits on the bites to prevent them from exploding in the oven. Top each bite with salt and bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
  • Let the bites rest about 5 minutes before digging in, you don’t want to burn your mouth. Enjoy!

Notes

    • I like getting the skin of the jalapeno nice and charred that is where you will get that smoky flavor without using a grill. You want to pull the skin off after it’s done because let’s face it eating a piece of charred skin isn’t going to taste that good and you don’t want to make the mixture taste bitter. I promise you will still have that smoky flavor.
    • If you don’t put the bacon on paper towel, then the mixture could be too wet and no one likes a soggy pretzel.
    • If you do not have a food scale you could use a tablespoon. Measure out about 3-4 tablespoons to ensure all bites are even in size and to ensure proper cooking.
    • If these don’t fly off the plate you can place leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
    • They are best reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
    • If you let the bites sit too long on the baking sheet it will be a little harder to score them. Make sure you score each bite as soon as you finish dipping them in the lye bath.
    • Follow all of the safety precautions when working with food grade lye.
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