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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.
What a delicious and fun recipe. Made this just because and now wish I had 10 people over to share this. Fantastically matched with beer, of course! A definate repeat!!!
Hi Jodi,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have a great weekend! xx
I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count. This was my first pretzel recipe and it was LIFE changing. It brought me back to the Auntie Anne’s pretzels in the mall that I’d get to eat as a kid if I was good. While it’s not the easiest recipe given the stuffed element, if you’re a decent cook and have a bit of patience it’s not very hard! And the labor of love pays out in huge dividends. My friends and family absolutely raaave about this. It’s become my go to dinner party appetizer or weekend indulgence. Seriously do yourself a favor and make this!
Hey Jordan,
I appreciate you making this recipe so often and I’m thrilled to hear that it always turns out well for you! Have a great weekend! xx
I’m a baker who likes to weigh out my ingredients–especially flour. Do you know how many grams of flour that would be?
Hey Lisa,
1 cup of flour is equal to 120 grams. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I’ve never made pretzels before so I was a little intimated about this but they were sensational!! They were not as hard as I anticipated. We made them for the NFL Playoffs and they were such a hit! Our friends raved about them and how I could seriously sell them 😂 However, I missed the “slowly” in the adding of the baking soda to my boiling water and I felt like I was back in school doing a science experiment! White all down my range, the floor, the wall, even in between the two pieces of glass on my oven cuz it went into the vent behind the oven handle. So I’m a little nervous for doing them again but I’m going to give it another try for the Big Game this Sunday, I’ll add it MICH slower this time. Absolutely fantastic, as always!
Hey Brittany,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Sorry about the boiling water mess! Have a great weekend! 🏈
Hi,
I am hoping to make these, but I am wondering, can I make them smaller so I have more? Instead of 8, can I cut dough in half before rolling and make 16?
Or should I just double the recipe?
Thanks!
Hey Maggie,
Totally, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
They were delicious!
Thanks so much Maggie, love to hear this!! xT
Wow! I wasn’t sure about this one since I’ve never made dough. I ended up buying pizza dough from a local pizza restaurant. The pretzels were a pleasant surprise. Loved them and very easy once I had the dough. Will try to make the dough next time!!
Hey Julie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Excellent recipe! Made these for a dinner party appetizer and they were a hit! Easy and fun to make, and they even stayed soft enough to eat the next day with soup for lunch. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Karen,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I’ve made these twice now, my family loves them! They turn out great, and my kids love to help.
Hey Brittany,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
Can you freeze them to bake later?
Hey Lexi,
Sure, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Can this dough recipe be used for regular pretzels, without the artichoke dip? Or do you have a good pretzel and cheese dip recipe that I’m missing? I saw the pumpkin pretzels, but unfortunately my family won’t eat pumpkin 🙄. Thank you so much! Love all of your recipes, a hit every single time!!!
Hey Sara,
Yes, you can totally use this recipe!! Here are some other pretzels recipes you might enjoy!!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pumpkin-beer-pretzels-with-chipotle-queso/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-sea-salt-soft-pretzels-with-buffalo-cheddar-cheese-sauce/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/ranch-pretzels/
I hope this helps! xx
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Long time baker of HBH recipes- but first time posting. I make these every year – 10/10 recipe. Huge, fluffy, delicious….they don’t stick around my house long. I also add bacon to the filling too- highly recommend!
Hey Gwen,
Fantastic!! I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Hi! Made this yesterday and turned out great!
I read from another comment that you just leave in an airtight container instead of refrigerating. So I left to cool over night and then in morning I placed in a container, but then they ended up getting moist and salt kinda melted in the crust so didn’t look as appealing, but maybe that’s normal? And again, it’s ok to leave out, even with the creamcheese component?
And last question! The recipe says 8 “giant pretzels” and when I make they twist up pretty small like the photos you posted..but the video is huuuge! So wondering if that used more dough then the 8 divided!?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Teresa,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! I don’t love to leave these leftover, but yes airtight container and then you can always toast them in the oven. You should end up with 8 pretzels, did you dough not rise enough? xx
Hello again! Thanks for getting back!
I do make 8, but they don’t look giant. Dough rises fine. I always weigh my dough too to get perfect same size balls. And usually the dough itself weighs around 1050g. Maybe it’s just the temp in my house…maybe I’ll turn up a bit before resting the dough.
Thanks!
Recipe is amazing. We have left overs and can we freeze then bake at 350 for 15 minutes per your comments.
Hey Katie,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! You bet, that will work well for you!🍁 xxT
Is there a substitute for the beer?
Hey Brandi,
Sparkling cider will also work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can you refrigerate at the end of step 2 and boil and bake the next day?
Thanks!
Hey Joao,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx