I have had a soft pretzel a total of one time in my entire life. I was at a baseball game (the only one I’ve ever been to). I believe our team won, but I can’t remember. The soft pretzel is what I remember.
I never was a pretzel-lover, but that soft pretzel was something else. Chewy, bready, slightly sweet, with a crisp, salty crust. It was perfection. I’ve always wanted to eat another soft pretzel.
When I got another shipment of cassava flour from Otto’s Naturals, I decided it was time for some closure in my soft pretzel desire. Enter this recipe; delightfully chewy with a crisp outside, lots of course salt, and a hint of yeasty goodness. Perfection.
If I ever go to another baseball game, I will make these and bring them. But until then, I will just have to think of excuses to whip up a batch.
Speaking of which, why are you still reading this?? Go make some pretzels!
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*UPDATE* I have added an AIP and yeast-free variation to this recipe; AIP Pretzel Bites. I made them into bites because the dough is not quite as moldable as the dough with the egg and yeast. The pretzel bites are delicious, too! Here’s a picture of them:
Easy variation to make this recipe AIP and yeast-free!
Shared at Fat Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party, Tasty Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday
- water – 1/3 cup, warm
- pure maple syrup – 2 tablespoons
- extra virgin olive oil – 3 tablespoons
- egg – 1
- active dry yeast – 2-1/2 teaspoons
- cassava flour – 1 cup
- salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- water – 1 to 1-1/2 quarts
- baking soda – 3 tablespoons
- egg yolk – 1
- water – 1 tablespoon
- course salt – for sprinkling
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking sheet with a bit of coconut or olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the water with the maple syrup, olive oil, egg, and yeast. Whisk together and let sit a minute.
- Stir in the cassava flour and salt to make a smooth dough.
- Form the dough into 6 balls. Using wet hands, roll one of the dough balls out into a 1/3″ thick rope. Carefully tie it into a knotted pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Bring the water and baking soda to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan. Drop in one of the pretzel twists and let simmer for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzel twists.
- Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the pretzel twists with this mixture and sprinkle with course salt.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- pure maple syrup – 2 tablespoons
- extra virgin olive oil – 3 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- cassava flour – 1 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- water – 1 to 1-1/2 quarts
- baking soda – 3 tablespoons
- course salt – for sprinkling
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking sheet with a bit of coconut or olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, coconut milk, and pumpkin. Whisk together.
- Stir in the cassava flour, baking soda, coconut flour, and salt to make a smooth dough.
- Form the dough a 3/4 inch log and cut into little pretzel bites.
- Bring the water and baking soda to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan. Drop in a few pretzel bites and let simmer for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining.
- Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool a bit before enjoying.
These are amazing! They taste just like “regular” soft pretzels. My husband and I have been searching for a recipe the past couple years to suit our dietary needs, and this did just that! Wow! Thank you for sharing.
I just popped mine in the oven, they are looking and smelling amazing I can’t wait to see how they turn out! I let mine prove as a ball of dough then when I rolled them I let them prove again. Also, made 3 big ones instead of 6 small ones
These make great pretzel buns!
These sound amazing! However my daughter and I are allergic to yeast. I would love to hear from anyone that has a grain free, yeast free recipe.
Thank you,
Looks amazing! How well do these keep? Will they keep over night?
They are best eaten the day of but should keep overnight.
I live in the Caribben and we grow cassava here. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have a 5 lbs bag to experiment with. But what is AIP>
AIP means Autoimmune Protocol; it’s for people with autoimmune conditions. You can read more here: http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol
Omg this is the best substitute bread product I have tried in my 4 years of baking paleo. You are amazing!
So glad you enjoyed it Beth!
Do you know if any other Paleo flours would work in place of cassava? My celiac reacts to tapioca the same as wheat. I was told not to even attempt cassava. i am hoping you might have an idea for me to try…
I am really not sure; cassava is so unique. My advice would be to make recipes that call for tapioca starch and sub arrowroot instead. Cassava flour is hard to sub.
I found the AIP version really confusing! It would have been easier if you left exact directions again instead of trying to explain what to leave out and add in it’s place! There are 3 times when water is called for. I
eliminated all of them but was unsure if that was right. My dough was a little too liquidy. When I put it in the oven it spread out a lot. The dough tasted delicious though. It is currently baking. I am excited to see what the end result is! Thanks!
Hi, is there any way these can be made with a gelatine egg? So many recipes require eggs and I can’t have them (or flax/chia seeds) Thanks!
Hi there, if you scroll down to the bottom of the recipe there is an AIP version 🙂
Was interested in the top recipe because it is AIP except for that egg, but I can’t have coconut. Do you know if anyone has tried a gelatin egg?
I am not sure; I personally haven’t but it might work.
Is Cassava flour the same as tapioca flour?
They both come from the same plant but tapioca flour is the isolated cassava starch and cassava flour is the whole root minus the peel, ground finely. They are not interchangeable.
Your pretzels look amazing! I have yet to try making gluten-free pretzels, but it’s something that’s always in the back of my mind.
Thanks for sharing at Waste Not Want Not Wednesday!
Just made these and they turned out perfectly. Great recipe. Delicious!
That’s awesome Mandy!
Oh my gosh these look amazing! I’d love it if you’d consider sharing them on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, the link party I co-host for GF recipes and frugal, eco-friendly tips 🙂
Thanks for sharing them! I’m featuring this week 🙂
Yay! Thanks Danielle!
Before going gluten free, I loved soft pretzels. It was one of the last gluten filled foods I ate. So these look delicious to me. I haven’t tried using casava flour yet, but these might get me to give it a try. Thanks for sharing at Gluten-Free Wednesdays. I’ll be highlighting your entry this week.
These look awesome! I’m featuring them this week at Gluten Free Wednesdays 🙂
Before being gf I used to make traditional soft pretzels for my family. Part of using yeast is to allow the dough to rise. Is there a reason you don’t let the dough rest or rise?
Because I’m impatient 😉 🙂 😛
Actually I use the yeast more for the yeasty flavor than anything.
Cannot wait to try this recipe! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Hello gorgeous! I love seeing your masterpieces.Thank you for bringing such great things to our party. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm.. Lou Lou Girls
Looks interesting. Will have to give it a try.
oh my land…yes please! I have GOT to get my hands on this cassava flour to try…it is in my may subscribe and save order!! Can’t wait!
ps, featuring your recipe this week on Allergy Free Wednesday, thank you!
These turned out great! I loved the texture…so similar! I had to add more flour, at one cup, it was still a batter. I added almost another 1/2 cup to make it handable/rollable. I got the Moon Rabbit brand cassava flour off Amazon, maybe that is why. So good, this will be a repeater in our house! thank you!
So glad you liked it! Yeah, I do think the Otto’s Naturals flour is finer than other brands.