Keto Soft Pretzels
Twisted, chewy pretzels with a burnished crust and crunchy salt, made from mozzarella dough. A quick baking-soda wash adds a hint of that classic pretzel flavor.
Nutrition per serving
1 pretzel- Net carbs
- 3.8g
- Calories
- 307kcal
- Protein
- 15g
- Fat
- 26g
- Total carbs
- 6.1 g
- Fiber
- 2.3 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Cinnamon "sugar": Brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sweetener after baking, like the mall-pretzel classic.
- Skip the salt. As soon as the pretzels come out of the oven, brush them all over with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon and sweetener mixed together.
Nut-free (coconut flour): Coconut flour replaces the almond flour. The pretzels are a little firmer and less stretchy, but just as golden.
- Let the dough rest 2–3 minutes after kneading so the coconut flour can absorb moisture.
- Coconut flour dough cracks more easily, so roll slightly thicker, shorter ropes — about 14 inches (35 cm) long — and keep the dough warm.
Garlic parmesan: Finished with garlic butter and a snowfall of parmesan instead of coarse salt — perfect with marinara for dipping.
- Skip the coarse salt. Stir the garlic into the melted butter, brush it over the hot pretzels and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve with no-sugar marinara.
- Dough
- Pretzel wash & topping
- Dough
- Pretzel wash & topping
-
½ tsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky saltleave out - Also add
- Dough
- Pretzel wash & topping
- Dough
- Pretzel wash & topping
-
½ tsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky saltleave out - Also add
Estimated cost $6.50 for 6 servings ($1.08 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the almond flour and baking powder together.
-
Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave-safe bowl: 1 minute, stir, then 20–30 second bursts until completely smooth.
-
Add the almond flour mixture and the egg, stir, then knead with oiled hands until the dough is smooth and uniform. Microwave it for 10 seconds if it stiffens before you finish.
-
Divide into 6 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 18 inches (45 cm) long and ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Shape a U, cross the ends over each other twice to make a twist, then fold the twist down and press the ends onto the bottom of the U. Set the pretzels on the sheet.
-
Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and brush it over each pretzel. Let it dry for a minute, then brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the coarse salt.
-
Bake 12–15 minutes, until deep, glossy golden-brown. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes to firm up.
Tips for success
-
Keep the dough warm while you roll the ropes; once it cools it cracks. Rewarm it in 10-second bursts as needed. - Do not skip the soda wash — it is what gives the crust its darker color and faint pretzel tang. Never use lye at home without proper safety gear.
- Dip them in yellow mustard or warm cheese sauce. For pretzel bites, cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces and bake 8–10 minutes.
Nice to have, not needed
- Coarse pretzel salt gives the classic look — flaky sea salt is a fine stand-in.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Re-warm at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes; the microwave makes them chewy.
Prep tip: Freeze baked pretzels in a single layer before bagging so they don't stick together; reheat from frozen for 8–10 minutes.
Best on the day they are baked. Refrigerate up to 4 days and re-warm at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes; freeze up to 2 months.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCinnamon "sugar"
FlavorBrushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sweetener after baking, like the mall-pretzel classic.
- + 2 tbsp butter
- + 3 tbsp granulated erythritol
- + 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- no coarse pretzel salt or flaky salt
4 g net · 344 kcal · 15 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$1.27 per serving (+0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Nut-free (coconut flour)
DietCoconut flour replaces the almond flour. The pretzels are a little firmer and less stretchy, but just as golden.
- blanched almond flour → coconut flour
3.3 g net · 199 kcal · 12 g protein · 15 g fat · ≈$0.70 per serving (−0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Garlic parmesan
FlavorFinished with garlic butter and a snowfall of parmesan instead of coarse salt — perfect with marinara for dipping.
- + 2 tbsp butter
- + 2 cloves garlic
- + ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
- no coarse pretzel salt or flaky salt
4.2 g net · 355 kcal · 17 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$1.25 per serving (+0.4 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
