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The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2018.
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Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels, simply the best. Homemade soft pretzel dough, stuffed with a cheesy spinach and artichoke dip, and shaped into a pretzel. Baked until the pretzel is golden and the dip inside has melted and turned ooey, gooey, and all kinds of perfect. These pretzels are such a hit. Try serving them up as a fun appetizer for your next party.
Stopping in today to share a great New Year’s Ever appetizer with you guys. This is actually a recipe that I originally shared years and years ago. But it’s one I still love to make so I thought I’d bring it back from the archives and show it some love. I’ve updated it just a bit, to make it easier, and taken a fresh set of photos. I certainly wasn’t complaining about making these again. They’re truly one of my favorite recipes I’ve created. These pretzels are beyond good, and they’ll make the best New Years Eve appetizer. I certainly wasn’t complaining about making these again!
If you can make pizza dough, you can make these. They’re easier than you might think. And while they do take a little time to prepare, they’re actually pretty fun to make. Trust me, the results are worth all the effort.
The dough is a classic pretzel dough and very quick to make. While the dough rises you can make the spinach and artichoke dip, which is a simple mix of cheese, garlic, herbs, spinach, and marinated artichokes. Totally optional, but I like to add a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to give the dip a nice hit of spicy flavor.
When the dough is ready, just divide it into 8 equal balls and roll them out into rectangles. Fill the middle with some of the spinach and artichoke dip and roll them up into a long rope, sealing the dough at the seams.
Don’t worry if there are a few holes, or if your pretzels don’t look like the perfect pretzels. I promise, no matter what they look like, they’re going to taste good. They’ll look good in their own way, because they’re pretty no matter what.
Once you have the pretzels shaped, it’s time to boil and bake. Each pretzel is dropped into a little boiling water. Boiling the pretzels in water before baking gives the pretzels their signature chewy crust and their unique “pretzel” flavor. You’ll only be boiling the pretzels for a few seconds, then remove them from the water, brush with an egg wash, and generously sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake and DONE. You’ll have a salty soft pretzel that comes out with cheesy spinach and artichoke dip bursting from the seams.
Delicious.
Some notes…
These are going to be giant, so handle them carefully when dropping them into the water and taking them out. You do not want to tear the pretzel before it’s baked. But there will most likely be holes and they are going to ooze a little. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing. Sometimes the imperfections just work, so go with it.
These are best warm right out of the oven when the dip is hot and melty. If you’d like to prepare them ahead of time, just make and assemble the pretzels, fill with dip, shape them, and place them on a baking sheet. At this point, you should keep the un-baked pretzels in the fridge. When ready to serve, just boil and bake as directed.
I’m looking forward to making these as a New Year’s Eve appetizer. It’s tradition that we do Mexican on New Years, so I’ll be serving up some tacos and margaritas as well. Can’t wait!
What are your New Year’s Plans?
If you make these soft pretzels, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels.
Servings: 8 Giant Pretzels
Calories Per Serving: 518 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Soft Beer Pretzels
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup wheat beer, at room temperature
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups baking soda (for boiling the pretzels)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Coarse sea salt
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of excess water
- 1 (6.7 ounce) jar marinated artichokes, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Combine the water, brown sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.2. Add the beer, melted butter, salt, and flour to the mixture and mix on low-speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands. Coat a large bowl with oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour.3. Meanwhile, make the dip. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and a pinch of crushed red pepper and salt. Stir in the spinach and artichokes. 4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.5. Divide the pretzel dough into 8 equal balls and roll each out into a rectangle (about 11x3 inches). Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons spinach and artichoke dip along the length of each piece. Starting with the opposite side, roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the toppings inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling (see above photos).6. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or a spider. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper placing 4 pretzels on each. Brush the tops with the beaten egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.7. Remove pretzels from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! If needed, the pretzels can be reheated in a 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
Yummmmmmmm these are so good. Thank you!!
Hi Anne,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! xxTieghan
I forgot to ask… do you think these would freeze ok?
You bet!
What are the reheating instructions if you freeze them?
Hey Marisa,
If you are freezing them fully cooked, I would cover with foil and heat on low until fully warmed through. xTieghan
These pretzels were fabulous! I made them for New Year’s Eve and cut them into quarters. Huge hit! I would definitely make these again with our without the filling. The dough was super easy to work with (I was skeptical but the earlier reviews convinced me otherwise and they were right!) The only adjustment I made was I added sesame seeds in addition to the salt on top. They did take a total of 2 1/2 hours and totally worth it!
Hey there,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
I made these tonight for New Year’s Eve. They were a huge hit. Most of the night my family kept giving me a hard time for how long they took and overall seemed very uninterested, but then they tasted them and said they were SO good. We were all pleasantly surprised.
Only adjustment was that for me, it took less time to bake. Closer to 10-12 minutes.
Hey Liz,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Hello, this recipe looks fabulous! I’m planning to make these for my book club next week and am curious, can I boil and then hold them till later to bake? Or is it best to fully cook them and just reheat? I’d like to be able to pop them in the oven with no fuss, and for them to be super fresh.
Can’t wait to try them out!!
Hey Beth,
You could boil them and then pop in the fridge or freezer to bake later. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
THESE ARE AMAZING. Making these forever. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Madi,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Is there another way to do this without a food processor? Mine new one is defective but I already have the ingredients ready to go! Please let me know. Thanks.
Hey Jessica,
I do not use a food processor in this recipe:) Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Could I use whole wheat flour
Hi Karl,
Sure, that should work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you live it! xTieghan
Would there need to be changes if I used fresh spinach?
Hi Rene,
I would just cook it down first. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Thank you for getting back to me so soon. I cooked up some spinach and that worked just fine. Only mistake I had was I used a new roll of parchment paper on the second sheet, and they stuck to it. Lesson learned to not buy the cheapo brand. Other sheet came out fine. Great recipe!
Hi Rene,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Love these pretzels! Great recipe!
We take the leftovers the next day, slice in half like a bagel, and make breakfast sandwiches on them (yum!)!!
Hi Andria,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays!?? xTieghan
I made the dough for this last night, let it rise for an hour and then we had a last minute change of plans so I kept it covered and put it in the fridge. Can I still use it? If so, how? And how long can it keep in the fridge? Thank you!
Hey Heather,
I would just allow the dough to come to room temp and then follow the recipe as is. Please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Thank you for your super quick response, Tieghan! Will try it this weekend.
Forgot to rate recipe when I posted comment
Thanks again Sherry! xTieghan
I’ve just finished making these. Since my friend told me about this website I’ve been a little obsessed with it but this is the first thing I’ve tried. Although I cook a lot I have very little baking experience and the little I have with dough has not gone well. This dough however worked perfectly. I got 1/2 through and ran out of stuffing so had to make another batch-obviously I was overstuffing. That said even after doubling the stuffing I still had lots of dough remaining. After a ridiculously large first attempt with the pretzel I got the hang of it. They ended up looking like your picture! I baked 2 up and am freezing the rest. They are every bit as good as they look. I look eagerly forward to working my way through the many recipes I’ve saved to my recipe box. PS. The first large pretzel came apart in the water. When I took it out I reshaped it and baked. It was fine. Also I did use carefully placed tinfoil to protect the outside from over browning in certain spots. Well worth the effort! I will make again.
Hey Sherry,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi, I’d like to make these, however, I don’t drink or use beer in cooking. Can I make the pretzels without it? Thanks,
Cheryl
Hey Cheryl,
I would use a sparkling cider in place of the beer. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you make them smaller? For a larger party gathering?
Hey Rachel,
Sure, that would be a fun idea, just keep an eye on them while baking! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was also contemplating just making them in little sticks this time around. The pretzels were so fun (and delicious) the first time yet did add time to the whole thing. And I thought sticks might be an easier way to make them go further too!
Hey Mikayla,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!❄️ xTieghan
These are absolutely delicious. Takes some time but well worth it.
Hey Elaine,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks to much for giving it a try!! xTieghan
Make these, they were absolutely amazing. It was a little difficult to roll the dough and stuff the pretzels and THEN twist them as many times as she did. However, I still was able to fold them and they were so tasty. Don’t skip the baking soda bath. Making them again for the holidays.
Hey Katie,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan