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Mini Ranch Pretzels with Buffalo Cheese Sauce, simply the best! Homemade soft pretzel dough made with pumpkin beer and baked up with a spicy homemade ranch seasoning. These pretzels are soft and chewy with a ranch seasoning that makes them extra special. Serve each salty pretzel with a spicy buffalo cheese sauce – a classic game-day combo – and so good.
Oh, these pretzels, yum! It’s obviously no secret that I love to make homemade soft pretzels. They’re honestly a really easy yeasted dough to make, and they always turn out so delicious.
Throughout the fall, I have a lot of fun making soft pretzels. They’re just a fun Sunday or Monday night football treat. Plus my family loves them. I don’t always switch up the flavor of the pretzel, usually just the sauce. Sometimes I like to do a chipotle queso, other times a creamy honey mustard.
But for these pretzels, I really switched things up. I made the pretzels with spicy ranch and served them up with a buffalo cheese sauce on the side.
Over the years I’ve created a good amount of fun pretzel recipes. My Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Soft Pretzels (over the top, but yum). Then came everyone’s favorite, Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels. And then my favorite, pumpkin beer pretzels with queso. Also, last year’s cider pretzels with honey mustard are a fall staple.
So many good ones, and very pleased to be adding these to the mix. They might just be the family’s favorite.
Here are details
Making soft pretzels is easy. First, you’ll need beer of any kind, I love to use pumpkin beer this time of year. Then just some yeast, honey, flour, butter, and salt. Super simple ingredients. Simply knead everything together in a mixer and let the dough rise.
The pretzel dough is very easy to work with, so don’t let anything intimidate you!
When the dough is ready, just divide it into 16 equal balls (we’re making these guys mini!). Then roll them out into long ropes, and twist each into a pretzel.
And remember, they don’t need to be perfect.
For the ranch seasoning mix, it’s simply dried parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Then add pretzel salt.
Once the pretzels are shaped, boil them in water mixed with baking soda. The baking soda in the water helps the pretzels achieve that soft, chewy texture we all love so much!
Then, brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with the ranch seasonings. I use this pretzel salt.
Next, while the pretzels bake make the cheese sauce. I warm together milk and cream cheese, then add in a mix of cheddar and Monterey cheeses. Finish with buffalo sauce and stir until everything is warm and melty.
Absolutely nothing fancy, but oh so good!
Looking forward to making these throughout the fall. Great for game nights, and dinner parties to come…the perfect laid-back appetizer or snack!
Looking for other fun fall appetizers? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Pumpkin Beer Pretzels with Chipotle Queso
Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Cheddar Flaky Pastries
Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix
Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Strombolis
Hard Cider Pretzels with Creamy Honey Mustard
Lastly, if you make these Mini Ranch Pretzels with Buffalo Cheese Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Mini Ranch Pretzels with Buffalo Cheese Sauce
Servings: 16 mini pretzels
Calories Per Serving: 390 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 (12 ounce) pumpkin beer
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 egg, beaten
Ranch Season
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/4 cup pretzel salt
Buffalo Cheese
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 10 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- season salt, use to taste
Instructions
- 1. Combine the water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly on top.2. Add the beer, butter, and flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.3. Meanwhile, mix the ranch seasoning. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. 4. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Roll each ball into a long rope. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up.6. Add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels, 1-2 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place the pretzel on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the pretzels with the egg and sprinkle liberally with ranch seasoning. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.7. Meanwhile, make the cheese. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, then add both cheeses, stirring until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the buffalo sauce and season with seasoned salt. 8. Serve the pretzels along with the warm cheese.
Can you make these ahead? Do they store well?
Hey Julene,
Totally, you can store in an airtight container for a few days and them warm on low in the oven. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can we use fresh herbs for the ranch seasoning?
Yes, you can use fresh herbs! xT
Does the beer need to be room temp?
I would recommend using room temp beer! xT
can we use your homemade buffalo sauce for the cheese sauce? or would store bought be preferable? thanks!
I think the homemade buffalo sauce should work great! xT
Any suggestions on what I could sub the pumpkin beer with??
Do the pretzels and cheese sauce freeze? I need to be able to make them a few days before serving.
Hi Evelyn,
You can certainly freeze the pretzels, but I wouldn’t freeze the cheese sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Many thanks:)
Great pretzels! Big hit on Super Bowl Sunday. I had a couple of them left over and I sliced them up and used them as the bread layer in homemade French onion soup for Valentine’s Day and it was AMAZING! It added some nice herby flavors and a little more complexity to the toppings. Highly recommend!
Hey Eva,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT
Mine definitely didn’t turn out as pretty lol I need more practice twisting the dough into a pretzel shape but otherwise these were really good and made a lot!
Hey Heather,
Glad you enjoyed these pretzels! Thanks so much for trying them out! xT
Ok my yeast mixture isn’t bubbling what can I do
Hi May,
Any chance your water is too hot? That can kill the yeast. Please let me know how I can help! xT
Just made this recipe! I did a practice run for Super Bowl Sunday with friends. They turned out great what a true to life recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.!
Hey Sabrina,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Just wondering if I can make this ahead of time. Do they have to be baked immediately after being boiled?
Hey Erin,
How far in advance do you want to boil these? If it’s just a few hours they will be fine:) I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Truly so delicious. The pretzels are easy to make & taste amazing even if the shapes look wonky like mine did 🙂 the cheese sauce has amazing flavor & tastes like a way better version of the nacho cheese sauce you can get at concession stands (which I consider a compliment). This recipe is a huge improvement to the nostalgic soft pretzel and cheese flavor that everyone loves! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Lindsey,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This is a great recipe. The dough is super easy to work with and the finished product is awesome.
The cheese sauce recipe does make a lot…but I am not sure why this is a problem, as it is difficult to stop eating with a spoon; it is that good.
With the leftovers, I made an absolutely amazing baked mac and cheese. I think it would also be great as the cheese sauce in a cauliflower cheese.
I come here every morning to check what’s new- thanks for all the great ideas, Teighan!
Hey Leslie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks so much for your kind message 🤍 Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Is there a substitution for the pumpkin beer? Can I use a regular beer? Definitely want to make this!!
Hey Kirsten,
Totally, any beer you like will work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I have made this recipe 3 times now and I love it. I saved the extra seasoning mix from the first time I made it and have just been able to continue using it. I was so in love with the cheese sauce, it definitely makes more than you need, but adding the buffalo sauce to it is so genius and gives it such a yummy bright flavor. Will definitely be making this more, my family loves it and its so fun to make. I’ll probably make it again today to be honest
Hey Mackenzie,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
Made these yesterday- pretzel dough was perfect and surprisingly easy to work with as a first timer!
For those who need to be more conscious of grocery prices…the amounts for seasoning and cheese sauce were way too much. The pretzel seasonings except salt could have all been halved, and 24oz of cheese for that amount of roux would have been concrete. I had to stop at about 6oz of shredded cheese after the cream cheese melted in and then I still added extra milk and hot sauce to thin it to a still very thick dip. And I still have a 1/3C seasoning and at least 2 cups of cheese sauce left I have to deal with now.
Taste wise everything was delicious quantities were just off.
Hi Meaghan,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the pretzels. So sorry to hear you had so much extra cheese sauce. Please let me know if I can do anything! xT
I just made these today. Everything tasted great! I do agree with Meaghan on the measurements of the pretzel seasonings and the cheese sauce ingredients. I made 8 large pretzels and have a ton of leftover ranch seasoning and a lot of cheese sauce. I didn’t use nearly the full amount of cheese and added extra milk because it was getting too thick. Flavor wise this recipe was spot on! My husband was happy with it.
Hey Ashli,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT