Cinnamon Sugar Filled Soft Pretzels

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Cinnamon Sugar Filled Soft Pretzels. The perfect sweet treat for all your baking needs! Homemade sweet dough, filled with a cinnamon and sugar schmear, and shaped into the classic pretzel shape! From there, it’s brushed with a simple water and malt syrup mixture to ensure perfect browning. Topped with coarse sugar and baked until the pretzels are golden brown. Simply delicious! It’s kind of like the classic cinnamon sugar pretzel, but EVEN BETTER. Be sure to serve these pretzels all year long, during get-togethers, or just to have on hand as a delicious and sweet snack.

About The Recipe

Okay, I think we an all agree that cinnamon sugar soft pretzels are pretty much the best pretzel ever. They’re sweet, cinnamon-y, soft, and the perfect snack to enjoy any time of year. You see them in malls, amusement parks, etc. They’re a real crowd pleaser…but what if they could be more?

That was exactly my mom and I’s thought process! They’re a classic treat that almost everybody loves, so why not improve upon them a little bit?

Say, “hello!” to these oh so delicious FILLED pretzels.

Though, I will be honest, it was a bit of work trying to figure out exactly how the heck we were going to accomplish these. We spent about 3 days thinking, discussing, researching, writing/re-writing the recipe, and testing. Our thought was you really need a soft sweet dough that’s sturdy enough to hold the filling, while also being boiled and baked. Phew.

Another thing was…how the HECK are we going to get the filling to stay?

Our only thought was it’s either A) going to dissolve into the dough while baking or B) cook out of the pretzel entirely. So, we used our cinnamon roll filling and then ROLLED the filling up into dough, creating ropes with the cinnamon sugar filling in the middle. This sealed the filling inside the dough and allowed us to shape it without TOO much mess!

Then, it came to the boiling. When we tested it, our dough was just too fragile to boil. So, we opted to brush the pretzels after shaping and added a little bit of malt syrup to really help with the browning and give a little flavor to the dough. Which turned out to be JUST the right thing. It gives these pretzels a beautiful color while also have subtle malt undertones.

Honestly, you can’t ask for a better or more delicious pretzel! If you’ve been searching for a delicious pretzel to bake all summer (or just all year!), you NEED to bake these cinnamon sugar filled pretzels. SO GOOD!

Why You Will Love These Cinnamon Sugar Filled Pretzels

• Soft, chewy, and DELICIOUS!
• So much easier to make than a standard pretzel.
• You don’t need to boil the pretzels before baking.
• Filled with ooey-gooey cinnamon sugar.
• Tastes like a cinnamon roll, but even BETTER!

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer
• Glass Bowls
• Bread Proofing Box (optional)
• Hand Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Sheet Pans
• Parchment Paper
• Pastry Brush

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Dough:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Brown Sugar
• Instant Yeast
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Whole Milk
• Salted Butter

For The Filling:

• Salted Butter
• Brown Sugar
• All-Purpose Flour
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract

For The Water:

• Malt Syrup
• Boiling Water

How To Make Cinnamon Sugar Filled Soft Pretzels

Step 1: Make the dough and proof

Combine all ingredients for the dough in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and knead for an additional 8 minutes.

Turn dough into greased bowl and let rise at warm room temperature for 2 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Step 2: Make the filling

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Beat with an electric mixer until blended and creamy. Spoon into a piping bag and set aside.

Step 3: Make the malt water

In a small bowl, stir together water and malt syrup until malt is melted.

Step 4: Divide the dough and shape

Turn the proofed dough out onto an un-floured surface. Divide dough into 4 ounce portions, preforming into ovals, keeping them covered as you work.

Starting with the first piece of dough and working sequentially, roll into ropes that are 20 inches to 24 inches long.

Step 5: Fill and shape

Starting with the first rope and using a rolling pin, flatten the rope into a 28 inches to 30 inches long, about 2 inches to 3 inches wide. Pipe the filling down one side of the rectangle. Be sure to leave about ½ inch at top and bottom.

Roll dough around filling, folding over ends to seal. Continue to roll up jellyroll-style. Pinch ends and seams together.

Place dough in a u-shape on work surface. Lift ends and twist twice and place on bottom of the U shape. Press gently to seal.

Step 6: Brush and bake

Brush each pretzel down with the malt and water mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffy and browned.

– Filled Soft Pretzels FAQ’s –

How can I tell when my dough is kneaded properly?
A properly kneaded dough should be smooth and shiny. Refer to the pictures above if you need help!

My dough isn’t rising in the times stated in the recipe card!
The recipe card/post states the times it took our dough to rise. We live in Texas and often use a bread proofer. If you don’t own a bread proofer, we highly recommend one! This is also an enriched dough, which tends to take longer to rise. If you suspect something may be wrong, check your yeast!

Why won’t the dough stay sealed when I’m shaping?
This happened to us, too! It’s because the dough is starting to prove and, while it’s a little more difficult to work with, I promise nothing is wrong. They might not look perfect after baking, but they’ll still taste great.

I’m confused on how to shape a pretzel! HELP!
It can be a little bit weird shaping a pretzel for the first time. What really helped me learn is that you have to start in a U shape. From there, you are going to twist the two ends together and create a ring shape (think, wedding ring!), and then finally take the two ends and press them to the bottom of your ring/U shape. If you need some more help, refer to the photos above!

Why are these pretzels not boiled?
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…these pretzels aren’t really traditional. We made the dough based off our standard sweet dough. So, it’s easier to work with than pretzel dough, but it’s also a lot more gentle. So, boiling just isn’t needed/doesn’t work. Instead, you need to brush the pretzels with a malt and water glaze to help promote even browning!

Why did my pretzels close while baking?
The main reason this happens is because of proving! The longer it takes to get them in the oven, the more likely this will happen. It’s okay though! They’ll still taste great.

HELP! My filling is spilling out of my pretzels.
It’s okay! This happens all the time. Some pretzels may be a bit better sealed than others, but it’s pretty much bound to happen. There is still filling inside your pretzels, it just won’t be as much. This also happens very badly if the pretzels were OVER filling. You really only need a very small amount of filling in each pretzel.

How To Store

Once these pretzels have cooled you can store them in a zip top bag and keep on the counter for 3-5 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 9 days. Though, in our opinion, the best way to store these pretzels is by freezing them! You can store them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months. They reheat very well and taste almost as good as fresh baked!

Expert Tips

• Check your yeast and make sure it’s in-date.
• A properly kneaded dough should be smooth and clean the bowl. If you have an instant read thermometer, it will read about 70 degrees F.
• Once you start shaping, you will need to work quickly!
• Pinch the ends and seal tightly on the ropes after filling to help ensure little to no filling comes out while baking.
• If you need help with shaping, you can refer to the images in the post to help explain the shaping step-by-step!
• Do NOT over fill the pretzels.

When you make these Cinnamon Sugar Filled Soft Pretzels, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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