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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.
These were incredible! I made them for friends and everyone loved them. I ended up rolling them into balls instead of twisting them bc of time and kitchen space but they still turned out great!
Hey Rebekah,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT
I made this tonight for some friends and it was devoured! It was not too hard to make and delicious!
Hi Maggie,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner:)
I would love to make this for my book club. Can they be made in advance and frozen? Btw, I just found out that one of my kids follows you and also loves your recipes!
Hi Carol,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Wait so why did you give this 3 stars if you didn’t make it? That unfairly brings the rating down
I made the pretzels & took them to a bar where I hang out & they were a huge hit. The bar cook said it was the best bar food she ever had. They were amazing. Also, I have taken the dough recipe & made pretzel bites stuffed with a taco filling. I also made an avacado/ranch dipping sauce as well as a chipotle pepper sauce to dip the taco pretzel bites in. So super good. Really amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ll definitely be experimenting with different fillings & dipping sauces.
Hey Jill,
Happy Friday! Thanks for sharing your feedback and what worked well for you! Thanks for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was a winner! ? xx
Hello! Am I able to use fresh spinach or does it need to be frozen?
Hey Alyssa,
You can use fresh, but you will want to cook it down and drain any liquid from it first. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can I use a non wheat beer?
Hi Lola,
You can use any beer you like:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xx
I made a rolled version of this recipe (shaped like cinnamon rolls) because I couldn’t make the pretzel shape work and used a pizza dough. They’re a hit! Tried again this week but added a bit more baking soda and a really good egg wash; I finally got that waxy, bagel texture on the outside.
Best regards, Leo from https://paperhelp.nyc/ website.
Hi Leo,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Great and fun recipe. Very yummy! Followed recipe but also did some pretzels with just loads of mozzarella and pepperoni for my picker eaters. Nice you can fill with whatever you have on hand. Sundried tomatoes, mozzarella and basil would be good too! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Kara,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and trying this recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xxTieghan
Hi! I’m a high school foods teacher and would love to make this recipe with my students in Baking & Pastry Arts. Would it be possible, do you think, to adapt this recipe to work across two days? To perhaps make the dough and allow it to rise in the fridge overnight rather than for just a couple hours out at room temperature? Finding something to sub for the beer that’s more high school friendly will be my next hurdle, of course!
Hi Amy,
How fun!! Yes, that will definitely work well for you!! For the beer, try sparkling cider, that should work well! Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
These were delicious, but they needed a bit longer cooking in the oven as they were slightly underdone inside.
Hi Lorna,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
Love these!
Question- parts of the dough remained undercooked even after baking them longer than recommended. Any thoughts on why For next time? Thanks!
Hey Angelina,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Hmmm was there anything you may have adjusted? Trying boiling them just a minute longer next time. xTieghan
Thanks for the tip! I think that I was not consistent with boiling time so I will make sure I do that next time. Love love love your recipes!
Thanks so much:)
These look great. Can I use store bought pizza dough instead of making my own dough?
Hey Suzie,
You bet! I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I had the kids home for Easter weekend and made these as an app. They were sooo good. Everyone loved them. We reheated the left over pretzels in the air fryer and they came out great just like right out of the oven. I didn’t have a wheat beer so I used a brown ale and it worked. Yum! A new favorite!
Hey Kathleen,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
Can’t wait to make these!! Can I substitute feta for mozzarella for my lactose intolerant grandson?
Hi Col,
Sure, any cheese you like will work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
YUMMY!!! I have had so much success with your recipes it was no surprise when these turned out as well as they did, even with a couple novice yeast bread making mistakes. (I haven’t used yeast since the 70’s!) I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting feta for the mozzarella. Got a HUGE thumbs up! These are very big and flavorful. Half of one was enough and when I sliced into it I could see that 1/2 inch-or-so slices would look fabulous on an appetizer/finger food platter, like a stuffed baguette. I’m very glad I made these!
Hey Col,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hmmm what could I sub out for the beer?
Hi Laura,
You could use sparkling cider in place of the beer. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
Hi Tieghan
I’m trying to figure out how to make these gluten free. Can you use a gluten free beer? Or would you suggest a sparkling cider like you suggested above?
Thanks,
K
Hi Kathleen,
I would use an equal amount of gluten free flour and a sparkling cider or a gluten free beer, either one will work. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan