11 Delicious Upgrades To Frozen Pretzels

If you are at a concert, theme park, movie theater, or a mall food court, you have likely spotted the soft pretzels at a concession stand. Hanging in a glass case, warmed up and waiting for you to order, soft pretzels are the perfect portable snack you can grab and go with. Concession lines can be long, preventing you from getting that coveted pretzel. The craving may even strike when you're back at home, nowhere near the kiosk.

Luckily, there are plenty of soft pretzel options in the freezer aisle of grocery stores that you can enjoy at home any time. But what you may have found on your pretzel pursuit is that they just don't taste quite the same at home. It may not be your imagination, since there seems to be a certain technique to heating up soft pretzels to get the perfect crisp outside and chewy inside. We have rounded up some cooking tips and techniques and some delicious additions you can make to frozen pretzels that may just rival Auntie Anne's (or at least be close).

If you are following the instructions on the back of the frozen soft pretzel box from the store, it will likely tell you to sprinkle some water on the pretzels before adding the salt packets and popping them in the microwave or oven. While water works just fine for adding the moisture needed to get the salt granules to stick, it doesn't really do much in the flavor department.

It's not a secret that butter is a delicious addition to basically any snack. We douse our popcorn with butter, so why not bring the butter to the soft pretzels? Homemade pretzel recipes call for brushing or dipping soft pretzels into melted butter before coating them with your topping of choice. Even if you are going for the classic salt topping, butter allows the salt crystals to stick to the pretzel. Another perk is if you are reheating in the oven, you may get a little golden coloring on your crust, thanks to the butter. And if the pretzels look dry coming out of your cooking method of choice, a little melted butter may do the trick.

You may just think of how you enjoy the typically salted pretzels at the concession stand when you're purchasing the pretzels in bulk. The benefit of heating up your own pretzels at home is that you can personalize your pretzel to your preference. If you have a sweet tooth, make your pretzel sweet instead of savory. Ditch the salt packet provided in the box and instead dust your frozen pretzel with some cinnamon and sugar.

You can also melt some high-quality chocolate to drizzle over your pretzels to make an eye-catching design and leave it at that. But that melted chocolate can also adhere some fun toppings to it, like nuts, coconut flakes, or sea salt for a salty and sweet combination that adds some texture. If you aren't a chocolate person, try dipping your pretzel in icing and decorating it with fun colored sprinkles for a "birthday cake-themed" pretzel that you'll want to stick a candle in and celebrate.

If food court soft pretzels are your vice, you may want to try this cooking tip. Most instructions for frozen pretzels say you can just pop them right in the oven or microwave from frozen — no thawing necessary. However, thawing your pretzels first may give them that food court-style taste and texture. Reddit users have weighed in on how Sam's Club thaws its pretzels first before adding butter and baking. Other users say the pretzels are thrown into the same oven as the pizzas.

Another perk of thawing your pretzels first is a quicker cook time (especially for smaller pretzel bites). If you do opt for thawing your pretzels ahead of time, you will want to only set out what you plan to cook and eat. It is not recommended to thaw and refreeze the pretzels in order to keep the highest product quality. Maintaining pretzel quality with safe storage temperatures and handling is also important for pretzels made without preservatives.

Your cooking method choice can be the difference between a perfect soft pretzel and a chewy disappointment. Though it may be tempting to heat your soft pretzels in the microwave to get your pretzel craving satisfied quickly, you may want to reconsider unless you want to risk a gummy pretzel. The oven is a solid choice to ensure a good pretzel texture, but preheating can be time-consuming. Luckily, there is another option.

The air fryer cooks up soft pretzels in as little as three minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (though it is recommended to preheat the air fryer since the pretzels have a short cook time). The air fryer also gives the pretzel that nice brown color on the outside and a soft interior. You don't need to add extra oil on the pretzels or in the air fryer — just slightly dampen the pretzels to get the salt to stick. Another air fryer tip is to be sure the pretzels do not overlap or touch to prevent sticking. You can even reheat the already cooked pretzels in the air fryer at a slightly lower temperature (300 degrees Fahrenheit) to ensure good texture.

Cheese can bring deliciousness to any meal, and soft pretzels are no exception. Not only will adding cheese amp up the flavor, but it can also make the pretzel look even more appealing and exciting beyond the salt grains. Pick your favorite grated cheese and sprinkle it on top of your still-warm pretzel for some gooey goodness.

Aged sharp cheddar can be a big flavor boost, while a milder cheese can appeal to picky palates. You can do an homage to Auntie Anne's Parmesan Cheese Pretzel by lightly dusting your frozen pretzel with Parmesan. Crisp up your cheese of choice by melting it directly on the pretzels in the broiler. For an added depth of flavor and a kick, top your pretzel with raw jalapeños and melted cheese for a loaded spicy pretzel. Regardless of which cheese you choose, cheese and soft pretzels just seem to go hand-in-hand.

While the soft pretzel alone can be the star of the show, it also can be the vessel for some tasty dipping sauces. Nacho cheese sauce and mustard are some traditional go-tos, but you can elevate your dining experience by thinking outside of the box. For an Italian-inspired pretzel, consider a marinara dipping sauce warmed to the same temperature as the pretzel and topped with Parmesan cheese. The herbs and aromatics of the tomato sauce can make your pretzel rival the standard breadstick.

Or, if you are in the mood for dessert, a dunk in some warm chocolate can be an unexpected treat. Other fun ideas for palates that like to experiment include a horseradish dip or a cilantro pesto. But if you have your heart set on some of the typical sauces, consider making your own honey mustard sauce blend instead of the yellow mustard in the packet by sweetening your mustard of choice. You can also whip up a quick homemade cheese sauce or add some beer for a beer cheese sauce.

Frozen soft pretzels can offer some versatility in the appetizer department and impress your guests. Beyond serving pretzels and dip in a fondue style, guests may be looking for an appetizer with some personality. Rather than a typical slider with a bun, try out an appetizer with a fun take on finger sandwiches using soft pretzels as the bread.

After baking your soft pretzels and cutting them to your preferred size, assemble your sandwiches with a filling of your choice. Cream cheese, bacon bits, green onions, and diced peppers combined make the perfect one-bite sandwich with a myriad of flavors, creaminess from the cheese, and a bit of crunch. You can make a variety of sandwiches with fillings with and without meat for those with dietary restrictions. One of the biggest bonuses is that since soft pretzels are typically heftier than the average slice of bread, you don't have to risk the chance of your sandwiches not holding up and causing messy hands. Dinner party win!

If you think you have to choose between pizza and soft pretzels at the concession stand, you are wrong! Instead, combine the two and make a pizza pretzel at home inspired by the ever-popular Sam's Club Pizza Pretzel. To make a copycat pizza pretzel, douse it with a copious amount of shredded mozzarella cheese and line the actual pretzel with pepperoni before popping it in the oven. The cheese should melt and pool in the center of the pretzel while the pepperoni crisps up.

Add a side of marinara, and voilà — pizza pretzel. If you aren't sold by that technique, there are other ways to satisfy the pizza pretzel craving by making more of a pizza pull-apart bake/casserole dish. You can tear up the pretzel into pieces and put it into a small pan (some recipes even use a bundt pan), add your sauce, cheese, and any other fun toppings like pepperoni, and throw it in the oven. This version lets you keep your hands free so you can grab a fork and enjoy.

As a carbohydrate-based snack, soft pretzels aren't particularly high in the protein department compared to other snacks. If you are looking for more protein with your pretzel, there are plenty of options to make your snack more of a well-rounded dish. Leveraging your favorite game day dips is an easy and delicious way to add more protein to your pretzel.

Top your soft pretzel with store-bought or homemade Buffalo chicken dip with larger chunks of chicken to allow the dip to stick to the pretzel. Seafood fans may jump at the opportunity to have a pretzel topped with cheesy crab dip chock full of jumbo lump crab meat, cream cheese, sour cream, and seafood seasoning (among other ingredients). If you opt for either of these pretzels, be sure your dip is chilled so it scoops out easily onto the pretzel. Once you are done baking the loaded pretzels at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, you can cut the pretzels into bite-sized pieces or serve them whole on a platter. Either presentation is sure to impress your guests.

Many of us only think of soft pretzels as pretzels. But if you broaden your horizons and think of soft pretzels as bread instead of a snack, the culinary options are endless. For example, traditional stuffing is usually made with a bread base. Forgo the typical Thanksgiving stuffing by using small soft pretzel bites instead of cubed bread. You can prepare the soft pretzel stuffing as you regularly would with the vegetables and broth, but the trick is to toast the soft pretzel bites and leave them out to harden before adding them to the mixture.

Along the same vein of thought of using pretzels in lieu of bread, you can make homemade croutons. Instead of using stale bread, tear up your soft pretzels and bake them with olive oil and seasoning for pretzel croutons to liven up a boring salad. When you are done with the croutons, you can repurpose them by smashing them up into a finer texture to make breadcrumbs. From there, use your breadcrumbs to coat chicken tenders or make a crispy crust on macaroni and cheese.

We know that soft pretzels can be made sweet. But did you know pretzel dough can actually be a good dessert base? Soft pretzel bites can become bread pudding in recipes like pretzel bread pudding with caramel sauce. Pretzels can hold their shape a little more than standard bread, so this can be a big win if the super soft (sometimes overly mushy) bread pudding texture bothers you. Plus, the savory flavor of the pretzels combined with the super sweet custard in bread pudding can be the perfect salty/sweet combination.

If pie is more your style, you may have had a pretzel crust on a chilled pie or cheesecake. Make your own pretzel crust by crushing the soft pretzels and combining with melted butter before pressing into a pan. Crushed soft pretzels can also be used as a topping for ice cream sundaes or even in a chocolate pretzel bark. Make the bark by pouring melted chocolate into a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkling the crushed soft pretzels on top with any other toppings. Allow the bark to harden in the fridge for a few hours and break apart your bark to share (or don't!).