Pretzel Hot Dog Bites
German pretzel outside, delicious hot dog inside, these Pretzel Hot Dog Bites are surprisingly easy to make. You can use your homemade pretzel dough, or frozen bread dough.
It’s National Hot Dog Day! Did y’all know that? Oh, I look forward to this day every year. Because I LOVE hotdogs!! They’re so delicious. And you can pretty much top then with anything you want. Hot dogs are essential summer food like hamburgers.
So, true story. When Mom was pregos with me, she craved hot dogs. She ate SO many hot dogs. I think that’s why I love them so much. Though that doesn’t explain why I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches so much. Hmm…
I could honestly eat hot dogs every week and never get tired of them. When we have hot dogs it’s nothing spectacular. We either boil or grill them. We make a hot dog sauce out of yellow mustard, relish, and diced onions. Then I top with ketchup and grab some chips. We have that for lunch often on Sundays.
In fact we just had hot dogs on Sunday and I had to buy some on Monday for this recipe. I’m sure the hubs thought I was losing my mind because we just have hot dogs with no buns. Typically, it’s the other way around. I’m sure I’ve told you the story about the bread shelf in the pantry and the number of hot dog buns we had at one point.
I’ve since either used or disposed of most of those buns. Just so ya know.
I was lucky enough to have leftover pretzel dough from another post that you’ll just have to see on Friday. So, I killed two birds with one stone on this one. I made that recipe, then once I was finished I made this recipe. I don’t think my kitchen has ever been so efficient before!
I set out to make a few recipes in the day and spend a good part of it doing something other than what I had hoped accomplish. No, I’m not procrastinating. It’s just that something would pop up preventing me to doing one thing or another. So I’d have to stop progress and clean something or find something. Just not quite organized sometimes.
I love the color! That’s from the rye flour in the dough. Not because I over cooked them. It’s also from the baking soda bath, too. Some people do an egg wash. Authentic pretzels are dipped in food grade lye. Yeah, I’m not that comfortable with that either.
But someday…
We used food grade lye making pickles with Mom in summer. That’s what makes them so crisp and delicious. The more you soak them the crispier they get. I can only assume that it would do the same to pretzel dough. But the baking soda bath is sufficient for me.
I hope you don’t do what I did and wrap them too tightly. Because, if you get the hot dogs that expand when they cook, your pretzels will all bust open. I just happened to hide it well since they busted open at the seams. But, the hubs was quick to point that out and that he needed to rescue me from the not pretty bites.
They sort of look like corn dog bites to me. Don’t they do you? And it’s state fair season which means corn dogs. Love me some corn dogs. When I said I loved all hot dogs, I wasn’t kidding. I even like those veggie corn dogs in the freezer? Have you tried those? They really do hit the craving mark for a corn dog without all that fat and filler. Just letting you know.
This recipe is two of my faves rolled into one. I can’t talk about how much I love pretzels in this post because, well, I still that over one to write. And I don’t want to repeat myself in the same week. I’ll just say, if you really want to know, then stop by Friday.
I’m a purist when it comes to corn dogs or pretzel dogs. I just want ketchup and/or mustard. None of those fancy dippings for me. Just ketchup and mustard. And not even fancy ketchup and mustard. Just plain Jane, American ketchup and mustard. Yes, I know neither originated here, but you get my point. Stop being a smart ass!
I only made a small batch of these. They’re super easy to make so you can do that if you want. I just took 3 hotdogs out of the package and used a quarter of the dough. I have half of it left in the fridge for whenever I want to bake some up.
Just as an FYI, you could get all the way to the boiling in baking soda water part and flash freeze these puppies. After you boil them, place them on a baking sheet and freezer for about 30 minutes. They should be cold enough to not stick together by then. Then, place them in an airtight container to keep frozen and bake a few here and there as needed. For those with kids, this is a genius idea!
I only have the one big kid. And he would prefer regular hot dogs than pretzel ones. He doesn’t like pretzels as much as I do. Poor guy. Such a lonely life without pretzels. I don’t know how he does it!
As with all food holidays, make sure you scroll down and see what the rest of the bloggers cooked up for #HotDogDay!

Pretzel Hot Dog Bites
German pretzel outside, delicious hot dog inside, these Pretzel Hot Dog Bites are surprisingly easy to make. You can use your homemade pretzel dough, or frozen bread dough.
Ingredients
- 8 hot dogs cut into three pieces
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 batch pretzel dough (or 13.5 refrigerator pizza dough)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450.
Place a large pot of water on high heat to boil
While the water heats, cut the dough into 2 inch pieces. Press the dough into roughly a 2 inch circle and wrap each hot dog bite. Don't wrap too tightly as the hot dogs will expand as they cook. Pinch the seems to close and allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes.
Once the water begins to boil, slowly add the baking soda a couple of tablespoons at a time to prevent the water from boiling over.
Place the bites into the boiling water for 30 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat. (You could stop at this point and flash freezer them on the baking sheet for 30 minutes and then place a zip top, air tight bag to bake as needed.)
Bake at 450 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving with honey mustard and ketchup.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
Here’s some more #HotDogDay recipes!
- Beer Braised Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- New England Hot Dog Buns by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pretzel Dog Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Sloppy Joe Dogs by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Southwestern Hot Dogs by The Freshman Cook
I had no idea you could freeze them after boiling them. That’s awesome. I’ve frozen them after baking, but it’s never quite the same. These look delicious Christy!
Freezing after baking isn’t the same. They just don’t have the same texture. I’ve tried freezing before baking and it’s been pretty good. I hope you try them.
Thanks for hosting Christie. I have made full size pretzel dogs before so I know that these little bites are perfectly delicious.
Thank you!
How fun, Christie! Thanks for hosting. I don’t eat hot dogs every often, but this was a hoot.
I love them! And it’s fun to see all the different toppings and buns!