These homemade pretzel dogs tastes just like the classic Food Court treat from Auntie Anne’s. Soft, buttery pretzel buns surround savory beef hot dogs in this spot on copycat recipe. Serve them for lunch, dinner, or as a snack and enjoy a bit of nostalgia in every delicious bite!

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As an 80’s kid, it’s fair to say I spent a lot of time at our local Mall growing up.

When I was younger it was being dragged their against my will to shop for school clothes, and later as a teen it was to wander around window shopping with friends. Whatever the occasion, no trip to the mall was ever complete without a stop at the food court.

One of my favorite stops was always Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Those suckers were downright magical. Soft, buttery, pretzely perfection in every bite.

By the time I was taking my own kids there twenty years later, the snack chain had introduced their now infamous pretzel dogs. I’m not sure who enjoyed them more, me or the kids. To this day they’re still one of our favorite treats.

I don’t go to the mall nearly as often as I used to, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying them. Instead, I learned how to make copycat Auntie Anne’s pretzel dogs at home- and you can too!

Buttery, toasted pretzel buns encase your favorite hot dogs in this perfect, portable comfort food recipe. Lunch, dinner, or even as a snack- they’re a family favorite everyone gets excited about.

Enjoy the nostalgia and get your craving by making this easy copycat recipe in the comfort of your own home whenever the mood strikes you.

Ingredients Needed

Making homemade pretzel dog’s doesn’t require any hard to find ingredients, and uses mostly pantry staples you probably already have on hand.

To make them you’ll need:

Water – Warm water, to activate the yeast. Make sure it’s warm water and not hot water, because water that’s too hot will kill the yeast. For best results use water between 105- 115F.
Sugar – Granulated
Salt – Both table salt, for the dough, and flake sea salt, for sprinkling overtop the finished pretzel dogs.
Yeast – Active dry yeast. Be sure your yeast is fresh, as old yeast can go inert. You can find this in the baking aisle of most grocers or online HERE.
Flour – All purpose
Butter
Oil – Canola oil
Baking Soda – Fresh is best, as baking soda is a key part of what gives pretzels their unique texture.
Hot Dogs – All beef hot dogs are high recommended, specifically Nathan’s brand hot dogs for a spot on copycat.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, you’re ready to begin!

How To Make

Making a spot on copycat of Auntie Anne’s famous pretzel dog’s isn’t hard, although it is a process that begins with making some homemade dough.

Start by adding the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk them all together until evenly combined.

Set the bowl aside and let it rest for 5 minutes, until it’s got a nice foam forming on top. That foamy film on top of the water is a key indicator the yeast’s actively reproducing properly.

Add the flour, butter, and salt to the yeast and mix everything together until a soft dough’s formed. The dough should be sticky, but not so much that it’s impossible to remove from your hands. Add more flour if it is, but only if necessary.

Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes until it’s soft and easily pliable.

Using a little canola oil lightly oil the inside of a large, clean mixing bowl. Add the dough ball to the prepared bowl then cover it and let the dough rise in a warm, dry place for an hour- or until it’s doubled in size.

Add the remaining water to a large pot along with the baking soda, then whisk them together until evenly combined. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

While you wait for the water to come to a boil, punch down the dough, then transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8-10 evenish pieces.

Roll each piece of dough out into a long rope that’s a little under 24 inches long. Wrap one dough rope around a single hot dog, starting at one end and winding it tightly around continuing all the way to the other end. Pinch the ends of the dough together to seal it closed.

Transfer the dough wrapped hot dog to a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve finished with all the hot dogs.

Working in batches of 2-3 at a time, transfer the pretzel dogs to the boiling water and let them cook for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the pan, then repeat until all the hot dogs have been boiled.

Brush the remaining melted butter evenly out overtop of all the pretzel dogs. Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt overtop of each one.

Bake them at 450F for 12-14 minutes, or until the dough’s a deep golden brown.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce!

The Best Dipping Options For Homemade Pretzel Dogs

A classic pretzel dog is absolutely delicious all on it’s own, but are also yummy when paired with a variety of dipping sauces.

Some of our favorite options include:

Ketchup (Duh!)
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Yellow Mustard
Whipped Cream Cheese – Don’t knock this one until you’ve tried it. This pairing comes straight from Auntie Anne herself!
Beer Cheese Sauce
Honey Mustard

While these are our favorites, feel free to mix and match them or even use any other sauce that strikes your fancy. The options are endless!

Storing

Whether you’ve made them ahead of time, or made too many and have leftovers, you can store completely cooled homemade pretzel dogs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Similarly they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Tips & Tricks

Be sure you’re use dry active yeast and that it’s fresh. Old yeast can be inert, which will prevent your dough from rising and the recipe won’t turn out.
Be sure you’re using warm, but NOT HOT, water. If the water is cold the yeast won’t wake up and activate. If the water’s too hot it will kill the yeast. It likes plain warm water that’s between 105-115F best. If you’re unsure, use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.
You can use any hot dog brand that you enjoy; however, the Auntie Anne’s food brand uses Nathan’s all beef hot dogs.
Don’t forget to stir the baking soda into the pot of water before you bring it to a boil, because it’s what gives a pretzel (dog) it’s unique flavor and it’s dark golden brown crust.
Only boil the pretzel dogs for 30 seconds. Any longer and the dough will quickly turn mushy and will not stay on the hot dogs.

Other Copycat Food Court Recipes

Enjoy a bit of retro Mall magic with a batch of our homemade pretzel dogs.

This Auntie Anne’s copycat recipes tastes just like the food court classic you remember, but made in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Looking for other classic food court recipes to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried these HOMEMADE PRETZEL DOGS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!