The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (2024)

ByLori MurphyUpdated on

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Way before Dot’s Pretzels came to be, my family made these super easy seasoned pretzels recipe. Whether you consider them a Dot’s Pretzel copycat recipe or not, I think you’ll agree that this Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe is the real OG and the ultimate game day party snack alongside a big bowl of savory cereal mix.

The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (1)

If you live in the Midwest, you probably are familiar with Dot’s Seasoned Pretzels. They are a butter braid pretzel that is seasoned with so many good flavors and are incredibly addicting.

Well…back in the 80’s, my family used to make seasoned pretzels before Dot’s came to be.

Obviously, we missed an opportunity but I’m here to tell you that our Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe will not only save you a little money but will also become a new favorite at graduation parties, game day gatherings and daily noshings!

These easy pretzels (or a bowl of my husband’s cereal mix recipe) and a tray of Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars and you’re set for game night!

This post contains links to affiliate websites including Amazon. I make a small commission for any purchases made using these links. Thank you!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

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Homemade seasoned pretzels. That reason enough? If not, there’s more:

  • Bold flavor. A little salty, a little spice and a little citrusy zing. These easy snacking pretzels have got flavor galore!
  • Easy to make. If you can open a few bags of pretzels, toss some herbs and spices together in a bowl and shimmy and shake, you can make this snack.
  • Inexpensive. Yep! The “famous” brand commands a premium price…you can make your own for faaaaar less and end up with a whole lot more!
  • Unlimited serving ideas. Your partner invited some friends over at the last minute for co*cktails? Meet the best bar snack! Got a group of teens hanging in the basem*nt watching a movie? Popcorn step aside…

Ingredients You’ll Need

Get ready for one of the easiest snack recipes ever! Here’s all you’ll need:

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  • Butter braid pretzels. If you have Meijer in your area, their brand (clicking my heels because they were $1 a bag!) works perfect.
    • Can’t find a butter braid pretzel? A butter snap pretzel (which is a little like a waffle) is a great substitute.
  • Seasoning blend. A surprising combo of ingredients come together to make the best seasoned pretzels…lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, ranch dressing mix and dill.

Beyond good.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED

2 brown paper bags from the grocery store

How to Make Seasoned Pretzels

Start with those 2 grocery bags (TIP: ask them to double bag your groceries the next time you go to the store use the outside ones for this recipe. Or buy a couple at Aldi.)

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Pour the pretzels into the clean double-lined grocery bag.

In a small bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients together [1]. Pour the ingredients right over the pretzels [2].

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Hint: You can also put the seasoning blend in the bag first, gently shake the pretzels before the next step [1].

  • Slowly drizzle the oil over the seasoned pretzels [2].
  • Fold the bag closed and gently shake the pretzels to evenly coat them with the seasoning and oil. Trust me….it works!
  • Set the bag on a counter with a little plastic wrap underneath to catch any residual oil.

From Our Original Recipe

Break up large salted sourdough pretzels into pieces to substitute for butter braids. Adds such great texture!

Seasoned pro pretzel tips

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  • Do start with a less oil at first, shake the bag and then add more oil to coat the pretzels.
  • Don’t substitute for the brown paper bags. They offer absorbency allowing the seasoning to coat the pretzels perfectly.

Serving & Storage

  • Store in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve and then transfer to a ziploc bag or sealed container.
  • Keeps for 5-7 days. We’ve been known to keep them longer 😊

Make ahead

This recipe is best made either the day before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it making it such an easy party snack recipe!

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5 from 24 votes

The Original Seasoned Pretzels Recipe (Dot’s Copycat)

Print RATE PIN SAVE

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Total Time:5 minutes mins

Servings 10

Equipment

  • 2 brown paper grocery bags

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Open the grocery bags and place one inside the other.

  • Pour the pretzels into the doubled up grocery bag

  • Mix all the herbs, seasoning and dressing pack in a small bowl and sprinkle over pretzels in bag.

  • Pour oil over top of pretzels in bag.

  • Shake bag to toss the seasonings over the pretzels.

  • Allow to sit for a couple of hours or overnight in the brown bag. Stir or shake gently so as to mix the seasoning from the bottom of the bag.

Notes

  • Store in ziploc bag for up to 5 days.
  • This recipe is best made either the day before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it making it such an easy party snack recipe!

Course: Appetizer, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Party Food

Author: Lori Murphy

Did you make this recipe? Tag @josieandnina or tag #josieandnina!

About Lori MurphyLori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.Read more

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  1. I made these the other night. The only changes I made were omitting the salt and using a little less cayenne. I will definitely make these again! They were the hit of our Super Bowl party. Thank you!

    1. So glad you all enjoyed them! Perfect game day snack, right? Thanks for taking the time to share!😊

      Reply

  2. Oh my, made these yesterday and they are so good!! Thank you!!The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (10)

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much Vanessa!! I love them so much and if they’re in my house, I literally have to hide them! Appreciate your taking the time to share!😊

      Reply

  3. We love…love…love these! Made them for family when my Son had something to celebrate and everyone was around. My test batch on all of them. Then around Christmas mailed to Germany, where my Son was stationed, I added a tad more cayenne pepper. We are a bunch of ‘hot heads’. The news of how they went over? ‘Mom, they didn’t last more than 10 minutes before they were all gone.’ The troops thank you and I both! Thanks so much for this recipe, I couldn’t afford Dot’s and postage.The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (11)

    Reply

    1. This might be the best comment I have ever received, Stacey! I am honored that your son and his fellow servicemen enjoyed these pretzels and that you made them for them! Please thank him and them for their service…we are forever grateful! And I’m with you…shipping costs are crazy right and recipes that save us a little at the grocery story are always welcome 😊 Thank you again, Stacey!

      Reply

  4. Very good! I subbed 1/2 tsp. Slap Yo Mama seasoning instead of cayenne and omitted the kosher salt until tasted.The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (12)

    Reply

    1. Glad you enjoyed the recipe Linda and thanks for trying it! I’ll have to check out Slap Yo Mama seasoning!

      Reply

  5. Lori ! You’re a genius, these are SO good, my family and friends like them better then dot’s pretzels. We liked butter version, (added less salt) any pretzel works, if you can find braided sticks the bestest, but just a small detail in this bowl of yumminess.
    Thank you Lori ❤

    Reply

  6. These sound delicious! When you say, “2 bags” of pretzels, what size bags are we talking? Pound each?

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Lorissa! They are so addictively good! Yes -just a normal size bag of pretzels – I found mine at Meijer (their store brand) in the Chicago area. These days they might be a little smaller (12-13 oz). Let me know how you like them!

      Reply

  7. My East Coast family misses Dot’s pretzels—and they flipped out about this fantastic homemade version! YUM.The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (13)

    Reply

    1. Oh the Midwest misses YOU!! so glad you all liked them! Kicking myself we didn’t market these back in the day!😊

      Reply

  8. I have all the ingredients and so excited to make these. I check other recipes and they say to bake them for 20-30 minutes?

    Reply

    1. Hi Stacey! Thanks for your question! Nope – no baking…that’s one of the best parts of the recipe 😊. If you try it, pop back on and let me know what you think!

      Reply

  9. I can’t wait to make these!!! We love Dot’s Pretzels but they are SO expensive!The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (14)

    Reply

    1. I hope love them as much as we do! And yes…this recipe makes the wallet much happier!🤗

      Reply

The Original Seasoned Pretzel Recipe (15)

HEY THERE!

So happy you’re here! I'm Lori and Josie + Nina was named in honor of my two Italian grandmothers who made putting food on the table look easy every day. Through this site, I hope to help you do the same thing but with a fresh, modern perspective, lots of Midwestern hospitality, and flexibility for where you are in your life.

Welcome to my table…there’s always room for more!

About Lori

What can I help you find?

GAME DAY FAVORITES

Beef Tenderloin Sliders

JP’s Chex Party Mix

Four Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Baked Reuben Dip Recipe with Everything Bagel Seasoning

Completely Steak Chili

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FAQs

What is the original seasoning on Dots pretzels? ›

Dot's Homestyle Pretzels have a unique flavor that is described as a combination of salty, spicy, and tangy. The pretzels are coated with a special seasoning blend that includes garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and other spices, which gives them a bold and savory flavor.

What is a traditional pretzel? ›

The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined and then twisted back onto itself in a particular way (a pretzel loop or pretzel bow). Today, pretzels come in a wide range of shapes.

Are Dot's pretzels baked or fried? ›

These are straight-line twists about three inches long, pre-coated with a butter flavoring. And then Dot's dots them with its own seasoning and re-bakes them, in a process familiar to anyone who has ever “made” Chex Mix out of cereal and nuts and a coating of spices.

Why are Dot's pretzels so good? ›

Created by Dorothy "Dot" Henke, these aren't your run-of-the-mill pretzels. They're seasoned with a unique blend of spices that make them irresistibly tasty, with a blend of salty and savory flavors that deliver hints of vinegar, garlic, onion, and a satisfying crunch.

What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains. It can even dissolve glass.

What happened to Dot's pretzels? ›

The pretzel company was acquired by Hershey in 2021 alongside Pretzels Inc. in a deal worth $1.2bn. Credit: The Image Party / Shutterstock. Hershey is set to shut down a US facility that produces Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

On the one hand, lye gives pretzels their distinctive flavor, kind of a sharp flatness, if that makes sense. It's what keeps a pretzel from tasting like pretzel-shaped bread. On the other hand, lye is ridiculously dangerous. It will burn you if it gets on your skin and blind you if it gets in your eyes.

What is the difference between a Bavarian pretzel and a regular pretzel? ›

Unlike their American counterpart, Bavarian pretzels pack a denser, chewier inside and a darker, crispier outside. And there's a certain "tang" to the Bavarian-style pretzel that sets it apart from other soft pretzels. But best of all, it doesn't need to be dipped in cheese or drenched in butter to taste delicious!

What do Germans put on pretzels? ›

Ways to Enjoy Your Homemade German Pretzels

While salt's usually the go-to topping, a typical pretzel will see a side of cheese sauce or mustard to dip. Other toppings for pretzels have expanded to include cinnamon, powdered white/brown sugar, glazes (typically sweet ones), seeds, and nuts.

Why did Hershey buy Dot's pretzels? ›

Dot's Pretzels are a perfect complement to Hershey's growing salty snacking portfolio and would create an opportunity to reach new consumers in new occasions, advancing Hershey's snacking powerhouse vision.

Are Dots pretzels healthier than chips? ›

When it comes to nutrition, pretzels are generally lower in sodium, fat, and calories compared to potato chips. This is because chips tend to be processed a lot more in oil compared to pretzels which makes it more calories dense, and have its distinct flavor.

Is Dot's pretzels owned by Hershey? ›

Before growing into a beloved, national brand, Dot's pretzels were first created as a special family snack in a home kitchen in Velva, North Dakota. They became part of the Hershey Company family in 2021.

What did Hershey pay for Dot's pretzels? ›

Purchases Dot's Pretzels LLC For $1.2 Billion. HERSHEY (AP) - Hershey is expanding its salty snack portfolio with the purchase of Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.

What is the shelf life of DOT's pretzels? ›

Our pretzels have a 180-day shelf life.

Who owns Dot's pretzels? ›

In December 2021, The Hershey Co. acquired Dot's Pretzels for $1.2 billion.

What do dots original taste like? ›

One reviewer describes Original Dot's as "braided pretzels, about two inches in length, coated in a deliciously rich butter flavor, and dusted with an addictive seasoning blend of tangy buttermilk, garlic, onion and some secret spices." As it turns out, these crunchy pretzels are pretty versatile, too.

What flavor is dots? ›

Flavors. Current flavors for "Original Dots" include cherry (red), lemon (yellow), lime (green), orange (orange), and strawberry (pink). Sour Dots have five flavors, and are created with citric acid: cherry, lemon, orange, grape, and green apple.

What is the white salt on pretzels? ›

An intensely white and clean salt that provides visual and textural appeal to soft pretzels, breadsticks and other topical applications as well as seasonings and rubs.

What is the salt on top of pretzels? ›

Do you have to use salt on pretzels? Pretzels are best with some salt, but you can reduce the amount you use. For instance, our reduced sodium pretzels do no use salt in the dough and reduces the amount used on top. That way, you can still get the delicious pretzel flavor without taking in too much sodium.

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