Authentic Bavarian Pretzels in Under 5 Minutes.
Your pretzels arrive flash-frozen from our Cincinnati oven, ready to bake at home. Five minutes of prep, no skill required — and you'll taste exactly what we tasted the moment they came out of our oven. Here's how.
The Standard Method — Oven Bake.
This is how we recommend preparing your pretzels. The oven bake gives you the crisp crust and tender interior that defines an authentic Bavarian pretzel — the way you'd be served one at a Munich bakery.
- Thaw the pretzels. Remove from the freezer and let them come to room temperature for 20–30 minutes on the counter, or thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Skip this step and your pretzel won't bake evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Convection or conventional both work.
- Brush lightly with water. Use a pastry brush or just damp fingers. This refreshes the crust and helps the salt stick.
- Sprinkle with the pretzel salt included. Generously. Bavarian pretzels are meant to be salty — that's the whole point. If you prefer less, use less.
- Bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Brezels need closer to 3. Nobel Bavarians need closer to 5. The crust should turn glossy and the pretzel should be warm all the way through.
- Eat immediately. A fresh-baked Bavarian pretzel doesn't keep — that's part of why we ship them frozen and let you bake them when you want them.
Quick Method — Microwave.
For when you don't have time for the oven. The microwave won't give you the same crust, but it'll give you a warm, soft pretzel in under a minute.
- Take the pretzel directly from the freezer (no thaw needed).
- Microwave on high in 15 to 20 second bursts until warm in the middle — usually 30 to 45 seconds total for a Brezel, 60 to 75 seconds for a Nobel.
- Don't overdo it. The pretzel goes from soft to rubbery fast.
Air Fryer Method.
An air fryer is a good middle ground — faster than the oven, crispier than the microwave.
- Thaw the pretzel for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Brush with water, sprinkle with salt.
- Air fry at 325°F for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Check at 3 minutes — air fryers vary, and you don't want to dry the pretzel out.
Storage & Freezer Life.
Frozen, in original packaging: Up to 6 months in the freezer at 0°F. Flavor and texture stay essentially identical from day one to day 180.
Thawed but not baked: Use within 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to bake.
Baked: Eat the same day. A baked pretzel is meant to be eaten warm.
Can I refreeze? Yes, once. If you thaw a pretzel and don't bake it, you can refreeze it within 24 hours without losing quality. The crust and chew stay excellent through one freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle. After that, the texture starts to suffer. (We don't recommend refreezing a baked pretzel.)
Common Questions.
Why do my pretzels need to be thawed before baking? The dough needs to come up to room temperature so the bake goes evenly. Baking a frozen pretzel straight from the freezer gives you a hot exterior and a cold middle.
Can I bake multiple pretzels at once? Yes. Add about 30 seconds to the bake time if your oven is full, and rotate halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
My pretzel came out dry. What happened? You overbaked. Bavarian pretzels are done when the crust turns glossy and the pretzel is warm through — usually 3 to 5 minutes. If you went 8 to 10, you cooked the moisture out. Next time, set a timer.
Can I add toppings before baking? Absolutely. Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything-bagel seasoning, or cinnamon sugar all work great. Brush with butter or egg wash first to help them stick.
Are the pretzels vegan? The pretzels contain no animal products — five ingredients: wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, oil. The Dusseldorf mustard included with some packs contains no animal products either. (Always check the label of any additional dips.)
Do they contain gluten? Yes. Bavarian pretzels are made from wheat flour. We don't offer a gluten-free version.