Copycat Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Dogs

Copycat Auntie Anne’s pretzel dogs with Mustard pretzel dip are easy to make! If you love homemade soft pretzels and hot dogs for lunch this is going to become your go to recipe.

How to Make Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Dogs

If you’re looking for an almost identical Auntie Annes pretzel dog you’ve gotta’ make with homemade pretzel dough. We’ll use this one from our easy soft pretzel recipe shown below.

with biscuit dough

There’s something about a soft pretzel that just gets my mouth watering! You can do this. It would be much faster. If that’s more your style follow our air fryer pigs in a blanket recipe. It won’t taste quite the same though I tell you. Give this a try and taste the difference, then decide which you prefer.

I mean who doesn’t love those big soft salted pretzels at the mall? They are a savory treat you can walk and snack on or bring home as something special. If you have never tried making those at home, this is how. We used it to wrap wieners but you could twirl into a normal shape too and bake.

Ingredients

1. Hot dogs should be thawed, if not this is How to Cook Frozen Hot Dogs. Then cool and continue below
2. All purpose flour is the base to your dry ingredient to form your dough
3. Water is the liquid used to bind
4. Egg yolks separated should be added at room temperature
5. Active dry yeast will bloom with the sugar and warm water in a warm spot allowing the dough to rise
6. Sugar, white granulated “feeds” the yeast
7. Kosher salt is best for the outside
8. Butter brushed on the top or just use an egg wash

How to prepare dough

Always cover dough with plastic wrap when done and put your bowl into a warm place so it can rise and double in size for about an hour. Or proof dough in Instant Pot quickly.

• This will allow you to wrap your hot dogs and get ready for boiling.
• Why do you boil pretzels? Because that will give you that golden brown color on the outside with a crispier texture.
• A short dunk in your boiling baking soda water bath is all you need, then it is time for a trip into the oven.

How do you know if active dry yeast is working?

Just proof your yeast to find out if it’s still active by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar, one envelope full of yeast, to 1/4 cup of warm water. Then, wait 10 minutes. If the mixture bubbles and develops a yeasty aroma, it is still good.

What is 1 packet of active dry yeast equivalent to?

It equals 7 grams, 1/4 ounce, or 2 1/4 teaspoons full. Alternatively you could use sourdough starter instead. Once your water, sugar and salt is combined and you’ve sprinkled this on you’ll need to let it bloom for a good five minutes. Then add your flour and with a dough hook mix it for another five minutes or so until it pulls away from the sides and looks like this.

Tips

You could make a double batch of dough to make homemade soft pretzels and really make both. OR make them to serve separately and follow our how long to boil hot dogs to serve side by side.

I have not used wheat flour, bake times may vary if you use that for sure. You’ll want to preheat oven to 450 degrees before adding them, not before. I prefer parchment to a nonstick spray coated tray but that is up to you.

If you are making a very large batch place the first round on a microwave safe plate so and put them in on warm until they’re all done.

• If you want to make pretzel dough wrapped mini pretzel dogs with smokies or cocktail weiners you could certainly do that too.
• You’ll just need to cut the strips of dough smaller and cut the cook time by probably half. You’d need to experiment with that as I haven’t done it myself.
• You could also push a stick in the end before baking to make a sort of corn dog of sorts. That would be really fun for kids too.
• The egg wash is optional before baking but it will give you a shiny look and allow the sea salt to stick nicely too.

in Air Fryer

You will follow the same instructions as far as prepping these below. Instead of using a baking sheet though you will use your air fryer basket. You’ll want to spray the inside with olive oil so they don’t stick or use a piece of parchment paper. Air fry wrapped dogs for about 7 minutes turning over halfway thru at 390 degrees F.

How do you reheat pretzel dogs?

Warm toaster oven hot dogs in your small oven at 400 degrees for a few minutes. Firs allow them to thaw to room temperature out of the fridge. Then wrap each one in foil and bake for 3 minutes. In your microwave, allow them to thaw first and microwave for approximately 10–15 seconds on medium setting.

They’re really easier than you think. But what if you want to make the dough ahead of time here is a few tips so they still turn out great. Another favorite, bite sized, is our pull apart pigs in a blanket recipe too.

You can make our air fryer hot dogs, or chili dogs you see here. They’re amazing as the buns and cheese are crisped inside your hot air machine. Lose the bun and try air fryer frozen corn dogs or homemade corndogs in air fryer.

• Instant Pot hot dogs are done in a split second and great to make in bulk if you have a large crowd coming over.
• Of course you can add them cut up and make hot dog burnt ends with them too!