I Tried the Viral Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites Hack and They’re Food-Court Bliss
An authentic suburban mall food court is like the pantheon of all delicious fast-casual foods. But of all of the options available (at even the most varied food courts!), there’s one chain that truly stands out among the rest. Yes, we’re talking about Auntie Anne’s, the well-known maker of sweet and savory pretzel delights.
If you’re familiar with Auntie Anne’s, then you know one of their most prized offerings is the cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites, which are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. Luckily, though, you don’t have to run to your nearest mall to get some of your own — you can make a hack-friendly version at home with an air fryer!
Thanks to this popular TikTok from sarahkraffty, we can now recreate this nostalgic treat in a matter of minutes.
How to Make Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites with Canned Cinnamon Roll
In the video, Sarah recreates a treat oddly similar to the Auntie Anne’s snack. First, she cuts the refrigerated cinnamon roll dough into bite-size pieces then dunks them into a baking soda and water solution. Next, she brushes them with melted butter and cooks them in an air fryer for about 6 minutes. Finally, she tosses them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
My Honest Review of the Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bite Hack
As a fan of Auntie Anne’s and really anything with cinnamon and sugar, I had to try out this hack for myself. I follow Sarah’s directions, including the common pretzel-making technique of dipping the pieces of dough in a mix of cold water and baking soda for about 15 seconds before brushing them with the melted butter. This is believed to help the dough crisp nicely while cooking.
I simply cut up each round of cinnamon roll dough into quarters, dipped them in the baking soda and water mixture, brushed them with butter, and cooked them at 330°F for about 6 minutes. The overall method was super simple and quick, and didn’t require a lot of prep or precision which is always a plus!
After the pieces were done cooking in the air fryer, I tossed them in a plastic bag with cinnamon and sugar, and served them on a plate with the softened icing while they were still warm. The end result was truly magical! They were soft and chewy (and not dry like I had feared) and the butter made all the difference in the richness of the dish. This is a super simple hack that would be a great weekend project for breakfast or brunch.