Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Soft Pretzels

Buttery Soft Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese pretzels, homemade with an easy pretzel dough recipe, pantry-staple ingredients and addictive Mall Pretzel flavor. So amazingly delicious with flavor of cheese and jalapeno, these will become your favorite family-fun snack recipe. 

Nothing makes me happier than enjoying a soft baked pretzel for snack. By-far my favorite whenever we are roaming around in a mall, a street fair or stadium. Specially, if pretzel is Jalapeno and Cheddar Pretzel, it is like cherry-on-top. Don't you think? I mean, what can beat combination of salty soft pretzel, zing of pickled jalapeno, and sharp cheddar cheese! 

Oh, you know what?! The jalapeno gets covered in blank of cheddar cheese,  cheese gets crackling crisp at the edges as pretzels bake in oven. Addictive, for sure. Plus a complete snack. No dips required.

Often in mall, you will often come across Auntie Anne's pretzel shops baking fresh soft pretzels with their signature pretzel dough. Moment I come across the aroma, a Jalapeno Pretzel is calling my name. Mustard dip on side or nothing at all, this warm, soft buttery pretzel always make my mall shopping experience even more delightful. 

Today, I used my Salted Soft Pretzel Recipe to give you this mall-favorite snack. Not only a great on-the-go snack, I find these  great for casual entertaining such as football game day, Friday movie night, or just family-munching time on the weekend. Honestly, I didn't even need a reason to enjoy few pretzels.

Self-Sufficient Snack - No Dips Needed:

I often serve Plain Soft Pretzels with homemade Beer Cheese Dip. 

But these pretzels are self-sufficient with layer of cheddar cheese and pickled jalapenos. You don't even need Pretzel Salt for this recipe. Just brush pretzels (hot, just out of oven) with coat of melted butter (salted butter). That's it. For the record,  "No dip necessary". Just serve stone ground mustard for some extra-kick.

To make Pretzels Dough, I start with always-available-at-home pantry ingredients. All-purpose flour, milk, water, yeast, salt and butter. Butter makes dough buttery, milk keeps it soft. Pretzel dough only needs one round of dough-rise. After mixing above ingredients and 5 minutes of kneading, I let dough rise for 1-2 hours or until it is more than double in size. 

After first rise, I shape the dough to make signature Pretzel Knots (see details in Recipe Directions).

Instead of second rise, pretzel dough gets dip in Hot Soda Bath. The aroma of pretzel originates from special technique used to make pretzels. i.e. Hot Soda Water Bath 

This soda both helps get two signature qualities of pretzels:

1. Golden Brown Color
2. Chewy Texture.

Note:Hard pretzels are often dipped in caustic soda for that darker-brown colored pretzels. I, however, have always loved the authentic mall-style soft pretzels which are light golden brown in color. This can be easily achieved with Baking Soda. No need to hunt for caustic soda in grocery stores. Just use evergreen, always available at home, baking soda bath. It gives light golden brown color to pretzels and the same, addictive, pretzel aroma.

After 20 seconds of dip in hot water, I place pretzels on baking sheet. Next, top each pretzel with few slices of jalapeno and handful of extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Pretzels bake very quickly in oven. Only 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees and pretzels are ready to serve. In this time, pretzel dough is fluffy, soft, cheese melts coating pretzels in nice cheese-y crust. Jalapenos are roasted and covered in cheese adding zing to every bite.

Note:Don't forget to brush fresh baked, out-of-oven pretzels with melted butter for that signature mall pretzel taste!

I'm certain this easy bake oven pretzels will make special space in your family's favorite snacks. Game Day or Movie Night, these are everyone's favorite. Bring home some cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos and bake these amazing, soft cheese pretzels! 

Enjoy! -Savita