Spinach artichoke stuffed pretzels are extra fluffy soft pretzels stuffed with a cheesy spinach artichoke filling! This recipe makes 6 warm and buttery pretzels that make the best appetizer or snack idea for any occasion.
If you can't tell, I'm obsessed with all things stuffed, especially stuffed with spinach dip! After making these stuffed pretzels, I made spinach-stuffed croissants and they're both friend and family favorites.
They are homemade soft pretzels stuffed with a cheesy spinach artichoke filling and topped with flaky sea salt and melted butter.
Stuffing pretzels sounds like a difficult task but I promise it's very straightforward and so worth the effort!
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why you'll love this recipe
- Warm, buttery soft pretzels: Nothing beats homemade pretzels! The best part of making them from scratch is you get to eat them straight from the oven when they're perfectly warm and buttery.
- They're stuffed: These pretzels are loaded with tons of melty cheese, cream cheese, spinach, and chopped artichokes. It's basically like you're eating spinach artichoke dip but in pretzel form!
- Extra fluffy: If you love soft and fluffy pretzels you are going to love this recipe!
ingredient notes
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Instant yeast: This recipe calls for instant yeast, which makes this recipe less time-consuming as they only need one rise instead of two. You can substitute active dry yeast instead.
- Water: The water needs to be around 110 F before pouring it into the mixing bowl. This usually feels warm to the touch, but not hot.
- Mozzarella: Both fresh and block mozzarella work well in this recipe.
- Artichokes: I recommend artichoke hearts that come in a jar with oil. Make sure to chop them pretty small otherwise they may poke through the dough when rolling.
- Spinach: Leave the frozen spinach in the fridge or on the counter to defrost it. Then once it's measured, squeeze all of the water out of it in a few paper towels.
recipe instructions
Here's how to make these stuffed pretzels! You will need a stand mixing bowl to knead the dough, a ruler, and two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
STEP ONE: Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the frozen spinach, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, softened cream cheese, garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped artichokes. Set aside until ready to use.
STEP TWO: Combine the dry ingredients. In a stand mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, salt, and instant yeast together.
STEP THREE: Add the water and knead. Warm the water to 110 F/43 and pour it into the mixing bowl. Knead with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes until the dough forms a single ball that cleans the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Portion the dough. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into six equal pieces. This is best done with a kitchen scale to be the most accurate!
STEP FIVE: Roll and fill the dough. It's easiest to roll and fill them one at a time. Roll and stretch the dough into a 12-inch rope. Then use a rolling pin to roll it out width-wise so it is now 4 inches wide. Fill the very center length-wise with 4 tablespoons of the spinach artichoke filling, leaving at least a ½ inch border clean on top and bottom.
STEP SIX: Seal in the filling. Fold the bottom half of the dough up and over the filling. Firmly press the edge into the dough to seal it.
STEP SEVEN: Seal in the filling. Then fold the top half down so that the edge sits in the center of the rope. Firmly pinch the edge into the dough to seal it. Try to keep your hands clean after adding the filling because the moisture from the filling can keep the dough from sealing together.
STEP EIGHT: Shape the pretzels. Gently roll and stretch the rope so that it is now 24 inches long. Make a U-shape with the rope. Then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other twice and press onto the bottom of the U to form the shape of a pretzel. Place the finished pretzel on the prepared baking pans (3 pretzels per pan). Continue with the next dough ball and follow steps 4-6 again.
Cover each tray loosely with plastic wrap and set them aside to rise for 30 minutes. Then preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C. When there are about 5 minutes left in the rise time, bring 4 cups of water in a small pot to a boil.
STEP NINE: Boil the pretzels. When the water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the water and stir to dissolve it. Drop the pretzels into the water one at a time and boil for 30 seconds. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer it back onto the baking tray.
STEP TEN: Bake! Lightly brush the tops of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle them with flaky sea salt. Bake the trays one at a time for 12-15 minutes, or until the pretzels are deep golden brown on top. Immediately out of the oven, brush the tops with some melted butter, and serve warm!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Don't use extra flour. This dough should feel dense and soft but not sticky. Dusting the dough with extra flour or sprinkling it on your surface will make the dough too dry and make it difficult to roll them out.
- Don't overfill them. I know it can be tempting to add more filling to the pretzels than indicated but the dough will burst entirely if over-stuffed.
- Keep your hands clean. When filling the pretzels, keep a damp paper towel nearby to wipe your hands after filling the center. If you spread the cream cheese on the dough when sealing it, the dough won't seal properly!
- Baking times may vary: All ovens are different, and your pretzels may bake quicker or take longer than the indicated baking time.
storage, freezing, & reheating
Reheating: If needed, reheat the pretzels in a 350 F/180 C oven for 15 minutes.
Fridge: Store any leftovers in the fridge for 1 day. You can reheat them from the fridge as instructed above.
Freezer: Store any leftovers in a freezer bag or airtight container. To reheat from frozen, bake them at 350 F/180 C for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
faqs
Absolutely! You can knead the dough by hand if you don't have a mixer. It will take longer and some serious elbow grease but it can be done!
Yes! If you prefer to make regular pretzels, you can skip steps 5-7. Once the dough is portioned roll them into a 24-inch rope and continue at step 8.
Yes! Once completely cool, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 1 month.
more savory recipes to try
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Recipe 📖
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Pretzels
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- â…” cup mozzarella cheese diced into small cubes
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- â…“ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed *measure first, then squeeze the water out of it*
- 1 cup marinated artichokes chopped
For the Dough
- 3 ½ cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon light brown sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup water about 110 F
For the Boil & Bake
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoon baking soda
- lightly beaten egg for washing
- flaky sea salt
- melted butter for brushing after they are baked
Instructions
Make the Spinach Artichoke Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, spinach, and artichokes together until creamy. Set aside.3 ounces cream cheese, ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, 1 cup marinated artichokes
Make the Soft Pretzel Dough
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a stand mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast together. Then pour in the warm water.3 ½ cups + 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 2 ¼ teaspoon light brown sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ cup water
- Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 5 minutes until a ball of dough forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. It should feel soft and tacky but not sticky. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Rest for 10 minutes
- Portion the dough into 6 equal pieces. This is best done with a kitchen scale. Each portion should weigh 127 g each.
- Working to complete one portion of dough at a time, roll each dough ball into a 12-inch rope. Keep the other portions of dough loosely covered with plastic wrap or a towel to keep them from drying out.
- Then use a rolling pin to roll the rope width-wise, so that it is now at least 4 inches wide.
- Spoon 4 tablespoon of the artichoke filling along the length of the center of the dough, leaving at least a ½ inch border clean on top and bottom. *see process shots in the post for a visual*
- Stretch the bottom length of the dough up and over the filling. Press your fingers to seal the edge. Then fold the top of the dough down to the center of the rope and pinch the edge into the dough to completely seal in the filling.
- Gently roll and stretch the rope out to make it longer so that it is now 24 inches long.
- Make a U-shape with the rope then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other twice and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.
- Place the formed pretzel on a lined tray. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Each tray should have 3 pretzels on them. Once all of them are shaped, let them rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C.
- When you have about 5 minutes left in the rise, start boiling 4 cups of water. When the water is boiling, mix in the baking soda and mix to dissolve.4 cups water, 2 tablespoon baking soda
- Carefully drop one pretzel at a time and boil for 30 seconds. Splash some of the water onto the center of the pretzel. Then use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer it back to the baking tray.
- Lightly brush the pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. Bake one tray at a time for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are a dark golden brown.lightly beaten egg, flaky sea salt
- Right after baking, brush the tops with melted butter and serve warm!melted butter
Video
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Don't use extra flour. This dough should feel dense and soft but not sticky. Dusting the dough with extra flour or sprinkling it on your surface will make the dough too dry and make it difficult to roll them out.
- Let the dough rest. If you notice your dough is shrinking and resisting being rolled or stretched, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
- Don't overfill them. I know it can be tempting to add more filling to the pretzels than indicated but the dough will burst entirely if over-stuffed.
- Keep your hands clean. When filling the pretzels, keep a damp paper towel nearby to wipe your hands after filling the center. If you spread the cream cheese on the dough when sealing it, the dough won't seal properly!
- Baking times may vary: All ovens are different, and your pretzels may bake quicker or take longer than the indicated baking time. I recommend always checking on them occasionally and looking for a brown color to know when they are done baking.
- Reheating: If needed, reheat the pretzels in a 350 F/180 C oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Fridge: Due to the cream cheese filling, any leftovers are best stored in the fridge for 1 day. You can reheat them from the fridge as instructed above.
- Freezer: Store any leftovers in a freezer bag or airtight container. To reheat from frozen, bake them at 325 F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Kristina says
The recipe was super easy to follow and they turned out great! Would highly recommend making this recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Looking forward to making these again.
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! So happy to hear that Kristina! Thank you for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Karly says
I have never made homemade pretzels before but your post and recipe was so well-written it made it soo easy to follow! They turned out perfect and were so delicious, we all couldn't stop eating them! Thank you for making your recipes so easy to follow and for sharing all of the tips and tricks for successful pretzels.