Pretzels aren’t just for snacking. Your favorite DOT'S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS can become the star of your meal by turning them into a crust for your favorite dinner or dessert.
How to Make a Pretzel Crust
Making a pretzel crust is easy and adds just the right salty, crunchy element to your recipes. Just crush your pretzels and use them as a base for sweet treats, a coating for meat or fish, or a crumble on top of your favorite recipe!
How to Crush Your Pretzels
The easiest way to crush pretzels is with a food processor. Break your DOT’S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS in half, add them to your food processor, and process until finely crushed.
No food processor? No problem! Put your pretzels in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin or mallet to crush them to the right consistency.
Using a Binding Agent
When you hear “binding” in cooking or baking, it means combining multiple ingredients with the help of an ingredient, or “binding agent,” like egg, butter, or oil. Here are some easy ways to bind your crushed pretzels to make a crust:
- For the perfect crispy pretzel-crusted chicken tenders, dip your strips in flour, followed by an egg wash (beaten eggs and a little water or milk), before adding your crushed pretzels. The flour and egg wash will help your crushed pretzels stick to the meat, giving you a crunchy coating.
- You can also use condiments like flavored mayo or tangy mustard to help bind your pretzels to your protein.
- If you’re using your crushed pretzels as a savory topping, you can use olive oil to bind them with herbs or cheese for an extra salty crunch.
- For sweet treats like pie crusts, use butter to bind your pretzels with sugar. You’ll get a moist, crumbly mixture that can be pressed into the bottom of a pie dish and baked to perfection.
Getting the Perfect Crunch
Once your dish is ready to cook, you have three options for getting the crunchy bite you’re looking for.
Baking: All the crunch without the mess of frying. The trick to getting a crispy exterior in the oven is high heat, not overcrowding your pan, and elevating your food on a wire rack so all sides can get an even amount of heat.
Frying: Frying can be a process, but that first crispy bite makes it oh-so worth it. Make sure you use a large enough pot (like a Dutch oven) and a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil. After you’ve finished frying, put your food on a wire rack to cool. This helps the air circulate and keeps everything crispy instead of soggy.
Air frying: Less oil, less splatters, all the crispiness. Just be ready to fry in batches if necessary. Overcrowding your basket can lead to soft or undercooked food. Make sure food isn’t piled on top of each other if you want to achieve maximum crunch.
Savory Pretzel-Crusted Recipes
These savory pretzel-crusted recipes make the perfect weeknight dinner or side dish.
DOT’S Pretzel Crusted Chicken
Give your weeknight staple an extra oomph. Just coat your chicken with crushed DOT'S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS Original Seasoned Pretzel Twists for a crunchy chicken tender your family will love. Compliment the meal with a side of roasted broccoli, a JOLLY RANCHER Lemonade, and, of course, a Cheesecake Bar with DOT’S Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Crust for dessert!
DOT'S Pretzel Crusted Mac & Cheese
Add a little crunch to your creamy mac and cheese. Top your cheesy dish with crushed DOT'S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS Parmesan Garlic Seasoned Pretzel Twists and bake until golden brown for a gooey, salty take on a classic comfort meal. This mac and cheese makes a great side for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving or as the main event for a weeknight dinner. It pairs great with a side Caesar salad, a Strawberry Pink Lemonade to balance the salty pretzel topping, and a REESE’S Rocky Road Brownie for a sweet finish!
DOT’S Buffalo Mozzarella Sticks with Blue Cheese Dip
Gooey mozzarella cheese sticks coated in DOT’S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS Buffalo Seasoned Pretzel Twists make the perfect after-school snack or game day appetizer. Want something sweet to compliment your mozzarella sticks? Our Game Day Party Snack Mix and HERSHEY’S Gridiron Cake will help make game day a success, whether or not your team wins!
