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The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2018.
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If you love classic spinach-artichoke dip, this is the cozy, golden, pull-apart version—wrapped inside a soft, salty pretzel. Perfect for fall game days, movie nights, and any time you want something warm and a little nostalgic.
We’ll keep the dough simple, the filling creamy, and share tips for make-ahead and freezing so you can bake fresh pretzels whenever the craving hits.
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!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
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Prep ahead: Fill and shape; cover and refrigerate up to overnight. Bring to room temp while the oven preheats.
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Freeze (unbaked): Freeze shaped pretzels on a sheet until firm; transfer to bags. Boil from frozen a bit longer, then bake.
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Freeze (baked): Cool completely, wrap well.
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Reheat: Warm on a sheet until the centers feel hot and the tops re-crisp; brush with butter if desired.
FAQ:
Can I use fresh spinach?
Yes—sauté until wilted, cool, then squeeze very dry. Using fresh adds a bit more texture; just remove as much moisture as possible.
Do I have to boil the pretzels in baking soda?
Yes for that classic pretzel color and chew. A quick simmer gives the deep brown crust you can’t get from baking alone.
How do I keep the filling from leaking?
Roll seams firmly, don’t overfill, and start with very dry spinach and well-drained artichokes. Bake seam-side down.
Can I make these ahead for a party?
Absolutely. Shape the night before and chill, or freeze unbaked pretzels and boil/bake straight from frozen the day you serve.
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.
This post was originally published on December 27, 2018
Totally amazing! So excited to make these!
I love this recipe. I stuffed with sautéed spinach with olive oil, garlic and feta cheese. I also added pecorino Romano to the egg prior to brushing on pretzel. I wish I could post a picture. I can’t believe I made them. I was a little apprehensive about boiling the pretzels with stuffing but it was not a problem. Thank you 🙂
Hey, I just made these this morning (a bit late to the party, I know) and they were all you promised they would be. Everyone who’s tried them loved them, even my fussy two year old!
Ya! So happy you loved them! Thanks!
I love this receipe, I was surprise how easy the dough is to work.
So happy you loved this! Thanks!
I just made these and my husband and I certainly agree that these pretzels are incredibly yummy! I followed your recipe exactly (except for doubling the bacon!) but only had enough to stuff 6 of the pretzels so clearly I was a little generous with the filling! I stuffed the remaining two with extra mozz. I would recommend the use of parchment paper on the baking sheets – I stupidly ignored the red flag in my head and didn’t use it and I was chiseling them off the sheets as a result. Amazingly, it didn’t do too much damage to the pretzels but I’m not looking forward to washing the pans!
So happy you loved them, but super sorry about your pans! Hope it was not too bad of a clean up!
Hi Tieghan,
I wanted to see if it would be possible to feature this recipe on the CraftBeer.com recipe section? CraftBeer.com is a website produced by the Brewers Association (trade association on behalf of small and independent craft brewers) that is aimed at craft beer education–especially pairing and cooking with beer.
I would create a recipe similar to this one: http://www.craftbeer.com/recipes/sea-salted-peanut-butter-stout-brownie-bars and include your bio/photo and link to HalfBakedHarvest.com.
Please let me know if this would be ok. I can’t wait to try these myself!
Thanks!
Meghan
Hey Meghan,
I am flattered that you want to feature these, but I work really hard on all my recipes an photos and am no really sure how much I would benefit from this feature if you are using the full recipe. You are welcome to use a photo and provide a link back to my site for the recipe though.
Thanks so much and I hope you get to try these soon!
Hi Tieghan, I just recently found your website, and i love you’re recipes!! With the soft pretzel recipe, what substitute would you recommend if you don’t have beer? thanks!
Thank you so much, Cindy!! If you do not have any beer, just wasp in water. No big deal!
Hope you love these!
Happy New Year! 🙂
ok, thanks! should i add baking soda, baking powder, or anything like that instead of beer? or just plain water? happy new year to you too 🙂
Nope, just water!
I made these for my husband and they were amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe!
YAY!! So happy you loved these!
Oh my goodness these are so beautiful! & I’m going to try it!!
Thank you! Hope you love them!
Hi…I’m super excited to try this recipe. I want to have these when I go on a mini vacation. Do you have any suggestions as to make-ahead or freezer preparations?
Hey Malinda!
These are great to make ahead and freeze. Just prepare them as directed and let cool completely. To reheat (unfrozen) just place them in 400 degree oven for 10-20 minutes or until warmed through.
To freeze place the in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze. To rewarm them remove the pretzels from the freezer and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 20 -30 minutes or until warmed through.
Hope this helps and I hope you love these!
You have been on my to-bake bookmark list on my phone for some time now, finally had some time today to make these!! My husband and I would like to thank you so much for an amazing dinner!! These are going to be on our Sunday football menu every week now!! They were completely like you said “roll your eyes back, oh my gosh amazing” every single bite!!
Thanks again 🙂
Haha! YEES!! SO happy you guys loved these! Thanks for making me and reminding me I need to make them again!
Have you ever made these and then frozen them? I am making them for an event in a week and was considering freezing them so I could go ahead and make them now while I have more time.
Hey Lauren, I have never frozen these, but I do not see why you couldn’t! Let me know how it goes and I hope you love them! Thanks!
These look absolutely INSANE!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe!! Can you advise what kind of beer works best, please? THANKS!
Oops… I just read your previous answer related to my question. I’m going to use Killians as my beer. It’s actually a great beer to cook with. Lovely to cook a steak in so I’m sure it would work for these pretzels. Dying to try!
That should work perfect!!
Again, I really hope you love these!
Thanks so much, Lindsay! Really any beer that you enjoy will work great. I always just use what I have on hand, which I think was a pumpkin beer.
Hope you love these!
What does the whole wheat pastry flour do vs just a whole-wheat or AP flour??
The Whole wheat pastry flour is much less lighter and works much better in the dough than whole wheat flour, but if you do not have whole wheat pastry flour all-purpose works great!
Hope you love these!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made them today and my family loved them! Definitely will be sharing with my pinterest friends and trying more of your recipes.
Oh yay!! So happy you loved these!! Thanks so much, Susan!