A low carb, keto, gluten free version of soft pretzel bites using fathead dough. This easy, yeast free dough produces a great snack or appetizer that is perfect for game day!
With Super Bowl happening this weekend, I’ve been busy planning my menu. I’ve already bought a ton of chips and will also be making my keto cheese crackers and 2 ingredient soft pretzels. This then made me want to create a low carb keto version.
To make the soft pretzel bites, I started with fathead dough and my low carb keto bagels recipe.
WHAT IS FATHEAD DOUGH?
Fathead dough is a low carb/keto dough that is made out of cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs and a flour substitute like almond flour. It started out as a pizza crust recipe published by Tom Naughton while he was creating the movie Fat Head. The recipe became an internet viral sensation and has since been adapted and modified for recipes beyond pizza crust. So far I’ve used it to make keto eggrolls, breadsticks, bread rolls, bagels, and crackers.
TEXTURE OF THE PRETZEL BITES
These don’t taste exactly the same as traditional soft pretzel bites. Instead of a chewy texture, they are more soft and fluffy. However, the crispy salty crust does remind me of soft pretzels. They taste especially good dipped in cheese sauce.
Recipe now updated with video. You can view all my recipe videos on my youtube channel.
Looking for more keto-friendly recipes? I have a whole recipe category dedicated to keto recipes.
Low Carb Keto Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 3 cups part skim low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs one egg is reserved for egg wash
- 2 cups superfine almond flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover the cream cheese with mozzarella so that it is not exposed in the microwave. Melt cheeses in the microwave at full power in 30 second intervals. Stir after each 30 seconds and continue cooking until cheeses are completely melted and form a uniform cheese dough. (See photo in post for reference). This should take around 2-2 ½ minutes total. Do not try to microwave the full time at once because some of the cheese will overcook. You can also melt the cheese over the stove in a double boiler.
- Add cheese, 2 eggs (remember one of the eggs listed is for the egg wash finish at the end only), and almond flour mixture into a food processor with dough blade attachment. Pulse on high speed until the dough is uniform. The dough will be quite sticky, which is normal.
- Wrap your pastry board with plastic wrap until the plastic wrap is taut. You should have the plastic wrap running across the bottom of the board so that the weight of the board will help keep the plastic wrap in place. The plastic wrap should keep your dough from sticking to the board. Lightly coat your hands with oil and divide dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each dough into ropes about 1 inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, slice dough into 3/4 inch wide pieces. You should have enough dough for approximately 74 bites. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
- Add the final egg to a bowl and whisk. Brush surface of pretzel bites with egg wash. Sprinkle tops of pretzels with coarse salt.
- Bake pretzels for about 12 minutes in the middle rack of your oven, or until pretzels are a light golden brown. Set your oven to a low broil and cook for about 2 minutes. This will crisp up the exterior of the pretzel slightly, so that it resembles a soft pretzel crust. Watch your oven carefully during these 2 minutes as you don't want to burn or overcook your pretzels. If you don't care about crisping the exterior, you can skip the broiling and just bake for a few more minutes at 400F until the pretzels are dark golden brown.
Video
Notes
- I recommend using superfine almond flour and not regular almond flour. I used Bob's Red Mill brand which I bought on Amazon here.*
- Traditional soft pretzels are briefly boiled in baking soda water before baking to achieve a chewier crust. I did try that with this recipe but it did not have the same effect. The pretzels stayed the same so I do not do that additional step for these pretzels.
- I do not have a recipe for the cheese sauce. When I make these, I usually use melted Velveeta or buy premade cheese sauce.
- *Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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What are the net carbs per serving? Or did you put that in there and I just missed it?
nutrition is at the end of the recipe
Hi, what if I don’t have a dough hook? Any substitute?
You can mix everything by hand. It does take a little more effort and make sure to do it quickly while the cheese is still hot.
Can sesame seed or sunflower seed flour be substituted for almond?
I have not worked with sesame or sunflower seed flour before.
Can you use coconut flour?
Yes you can make a version with coconut flour but it would not be a direct substitute. I have not tested with coconut flour so I don’t know what the adjustments would be
For the prezle bits how may carbs are they
recipe has been updated with nutrition info
Kirbie, I don’t have a microwave is there another way I can melt the mozzarella cheese with the cream cheese for the Pretzel Bites?
Yes you can do it over the stove
These pretzel bites were so good. The only thing I would do different next time is not broil them. They got super eggy tasting.
I’m glad you enjoyed! I didn’t experience the eggy taste, but you can definitely skip the broiling. I did it to get them a little crisper. You also don’t need to use the entire full whisked egg for egg wash.
Any way to make these non dairy? Substituting the cheese/ cream cheese for something else? These seem delicious
I don’t have a nondairy option
This recipe was pretty simple and the pretzel bits taste super good. The only thing I would add is to add oil to your hands to remove the dough from the food processor because the dough is sticky. This makes alot of bites. I make them for a larger g as gathering tonight but my family is already asking to make them again. This would be alot for just our familyof 4, so my question is do these pretzel bites freeze well?
I used a silicone spatula to scoop out the dough to prevent any sticking, but you can definitely coat your hands in oil too if you’re using your hands. I have not yet tried to freeze these–they never last more than a few hours after I make them. I will have to test it out next time I make a batch.
I made a double batch of these guys tonight for the super bowl. My mom’s boyfriend who is diabetic along with the 3 of us that are keto scooped these right up. They’re SO GOOD. EVEN WHEN ROOM TEMP. Outstanding recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these!!
I know it says the amount of dough for the nutritional value but can you tell me approximately how many pretzel bites it equals? Thanks!
It makes about 74 pretzels. The amount is stated in the recipe instructions. I originally had the amount listed in the servings but that led to problems when giving nutritional information.
Is it really only 15 min prep time? Seems too good to be true! I adore your low carb recipes and secretly hope you’ll sell already-made products 🙂
It only takes a few minutes to prep. It’s only a few ingredients, all blended together
Hi, I’m attempting to make these but my dough is too super soft and sticky. It’s almost impossible to handle let alone roll out. I followed all ingredients carefully. Is it ok to refrigerate a bit to firm up the dough? Any advice would help, thanks 🙂
You can let the dough cool at room temperature for a little bit and you can add some more almond flour to help with the stickiness. I don’t recommend putting it in the fridge. Keep in mind the dough is made mainly out of cheese and you need to work with the dough while the cheese is still malleable and before it firms up. The dough should be very sticky and soft. It is not like a normal dough. If you coat your hands with oil, you should be able to roll the dough with your hands (which is all that is needed for this recipe, no need to roll out with rolling pin). Using plastic wrap at the bottom should also prevent sticking. Hope this helps!
What kind of cheese sauce did you use? These sound fantastic. I can not wait to try them.
I didn’t do anything special with the cheese sauce. I was in a time crunch so I just melted down velveeta with a little cream and added some chili powder.
These look awesome! Can I use regular flour? Not a Keto kind of gal!
I think melted Velveeta & add chopped jalapenos would be ahhhmazing!
This recipe is designed to be used with low carb flours. If you to use regular flour, try one of these recipes instead: https://kirbiecravings.com/no-yeast-2-ingredient-dough-soft-pretzels/
https://kirbiecravings.com/soft-pretzel-bites/
What kind of cheese sauce did you use?
it’s just melted velveeta mixed with some chili powder and heavy cream.
Hi, can I use only egg whites instead of whole eggs?
I have not tried using only egg whites
I was considering making this recipe. I was thinking of lightly spraying the bites with a baking soda & water solution. I want to see if “chew” texture is obtainable…thoughts?
I actually tested that because I use the baking soda water solution normally when I make soft pretzels. Unfortunately, it didn’t make any difference at all in the texture of these.
Could you add some xanthum gum to give it a more chewy texture like soft pretzels?
xanthan gum doesn’t make the pretzels chewy.
I don’t have a food processor or blender right now. What would you suggest? Just mix by hand?
Yes, I have had several people tell me they mixed by hand
I wonder if you could boil and bake like with real pretzels to get them chewy
I tried before and it doesn’t make any difference. I know that’s the method for traditional soft pretzels but it doesn’t seem to work for these.
is it best to use part-skim mozzarella ? this has lower protein and fat content, right ?
I have made fathead dough “things” with both and don’t see any difference, but I am more concerned about getting enough fat in my day….
I specify using part skim low moisture mozzarella because some of the other mozzarellas, especially full fat ones have a high moisture content which can cause issues with the dough not turning out right.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never had soft pretzel bites! This recipe looks great though so hopefully that will change! Thanks for posting it, Kirbie!
I hope you like the recipe!
Absolutely love your creative idea with soft pretzel bites! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx, Kirbie for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I bet if you do egg wash and sprinkle with keto sugar substitute with cinnamon and bake, it’s got to taste good. Any one try this idea. What could be bad?
i think that should work!
I love these pretzel bites! They really satisfy my craving! FYI: I used my silicone pastry mat to roll out the dough and it worked perfectly without having to cover anything with plastic wrap.
So happy you enjoyed these!
Yum! Just made and ate some. Should I store the left over pretzel bites in the fridge or are they ok at room temp?
They should be stored in the fridge or freezer
These are delicious! I have found that mixing the dough by hand actually incorporates the ingredients better for me. I don’t have a food processor, and the Kitchen Aid didn’t quite do it. I added Everything Bagel seasoning and dipped them in cream cheese when they were cool enough to handle. This recipe would make a great bagel, too!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
I was hoping to make this for my dad. Is the salt to help the dough rise or just for flavor? He is on a low sodium/low carb diet but used to love the super pretzels. Thanks for your Answer!!
the pretzel salt on top is just there to make them look and taste more like pretzels. you can leave it off for low sodium
Do you have air fryer instructions? I’m hoping to make them this weekend.
I don’t, sorry. I have not tried making them in the air fryer yet
I have made them recently and they are so delicious! ? closest I have been in a while to something that tasted this close to bread. I decided to be creative and sprinkle the top with parmesan, italien seasoning, pepper and salt. Loved each different topping! They all tasted so great! Thank you for the best recipe so far!
I love your topping variations! So glad you liked them!
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never had low carb, keto, gluten-free soft pretzel bites! This recipe looks great though so hopefully that will change, Kirbie!
hope you enjoy!
I am dairy free so I substituted Daiya cream cheese and shreds and they turned out great. Had to microwave a little longer and they wouldn’t roll (too sticky) so I just scooped them onto the pan with a spoon. Even my non-keto hubby and father-in-law gobbled them up!
I’m happy to hear it worked with Daiya!
etsy.com/listing/761649903/
Someone is using your photo on Etsy.
thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Can I make a head of time?
If so should I warm them ?
Yes and yes
I just made a full batch and would love to share some with my neighbors. I will store them in the fridge but how do you recommend reheating them for the best results? Obviously I am thinking no microwave but I am wondering approximately how long you reheat them in your oven? Do you use a warm temp or a full baking temperature to reheat?
I usually reheat in toaster oven, full baking temp.
I used a stand mixer, added xanthan gum, and just sprayed my hands and working surface with butter flavored non stick spray and these came out fantastic and easy to make!!!!
I’m glad they worked out for you!
This looks interesting. I’m allergic to almonds. Can I replace that with other gluten free flour?
I have not tested this with other gluten free flours
I’m excited to try this recipe but I only have regular almond flour, not the super fine almond flour. How will that effect the texture? Did you test this at all?
Thanks!
I have not tested with regular almond flour. If you are using regular almond flour, the amount will not be the same. You can do some internet research to see how much you should use.
How do we store these? Can they be refrigerated and frozen?
yes either one
I was skeptical about trying these, but I’m trying to eat very low-carb right now. They turned out great! I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, and I must say I’ll be making these again. So far I dipped them in mustard, but I also will be trying them dipped in cream cheese and possibly a cheese sauce as well. They do taste a little different than soft pretzels, but that’s fine with me. They still taste delicious! Question – do you use the same exact recipe (minus the egg wash and salt on top) to make pizza crust? Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! The pizza crust is not the exact same recipe. It uses mostly the same ingredients, but different amounts.