Really, is there anything as satisfying as a fresh-from-the-oven Bavarian pretzel? Wait, of course there is — a fresh-from-the-oven Bavarian pretzel dunked in homemade beer cheese. And while you may be thinking this little DIY snack sounds like a lot of work, don’t. It’s surprisingly easy to whip up a batch of both these delightfully twisted carbs and the creamy, dreamy cheese sauce to dip them in.
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There’s no better time of year to master the fine art of pretzel-dough-wielding than fall, either. You can really lean into the German vibe by picking up an Oktoberfest beer six-pack (or more, no judgment — bier ist saulekker, aka extra tasty). Plus, fall is all about comfort, and there’s no better comfort food than a salty, crunchy, ever-so-slightly chewy pretzel.
Now that we’re all salivating, let’s start with a list of things you’ll need to whip up your own Bavarian pretzels and homemade beer cheese. For the pretzels, you’ll need:
- Flour
- Salt
- Sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 egg yolk
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- Seasoning of choice (sea salt, Everything Bagel Seasoning, poppyseeds)
For the cheese sauce, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Flour
- Beer
- Whole milk
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Mustard powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese
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Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, get ready to mix, twist, bake and — our favorite part — eat. You’re practically guaranteed to have a guten morgen, mittag, and nacht (or good morning, afternoon, and night if you don’t sprechen sie deutsch) when your day includes warm and chewy Bavarian pretzels.
If nothing else, the satisfaction of knowing you made them yourself should fill you up. Check out the full recipe in our video below.