Nutella Stuffed Almond Pretzel Bites

Is it just me or are desserts more fun to eat when they're bite-sized? Maybe it's because they're easier to eat or maybe it's because it gives me an excuse to eat more than one. Either way, I love mini-sized treats. In keeping with that theme, I decided to make a bite-sized version of my favorite sweet pretzel. Take an almond crusted pretzel served with chocolate dip and put it all in one bite. What do you get? These delicious Nutella stuffed almond pretzel bites! They're almost too hard to stop eating...

Recipe

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Nutella Stuffed Almond Pretzel Bites

about 30 pretzel bites

Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Pretzel dough

• 1 cup warm water, 100-110 degrees F (250 ml)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (4 grams)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups bread flour (370 grams)
• 2 tablespoon softened butter (28 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients

• ⅓ cup nutella (99 grams)
• 2 cups boiling water (500 ml)
• ¼ cup baking soda (57 grams)
• ⅓ cup finely chopped almonds raw (40 grams)
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar (25 grams)
• 2 tablespoon butter melted (28 grams)

Instructions

• Combine warm water with yeast and sugar, stirring gently. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and the yeast has been activated.
• Add bread flour, butter, and salt to the yeast and water mixture. Mix until a dough forms and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine boiling water with baking soda and stir until the baking soda has dissolved.
• Separate the dough into two portions. Lightly dust a clean work counter with flour. Work with one portion at a time, keeping the other covered with a clean kitchen towel. Roll the first portion into a log and cut the log into 2-inch pieces. Flatten each piece until it's 1/16--inch thick and place ½ teaspoon of nutella in the center. Gather the edges together to seal in the filling and shape into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Dip each pretzel bite into the baking soda and water solution for 30 seconds, flipping the dough over halfway through. Use a slotted spoon to take out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Combine the finely chopped almonds with the brown sugar and butter. Sprinkle the almond topping on top of the pretzel bites and bake for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

The first time I made everything spice pretzel bites, I quickly became obsessed. My husband and I were standing in the middle of the kitchen eating the little bites straight from the sheet pan. Yes, they were that good. Since I already had a solid pretzel recipe, I wanted to take that base and create a sweet version. Stuff the dough with Nutella and cover it with a brown sugar almond topping and you have a sweet version that's just as good as the original!

To make these Nutella stuffed almond pretzel bites, first, combine the yeast with warm water and sugar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, allowing the yeast to activate.

Combine the yeast mixture with flour, salt, and softened butter and knead until the dough is smooth. You can mix the dough either by hand or with a stand mixer.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let it rise until it's doubled in size. If your kitchen is warm, this can take less than an hour.

When the dough is ready, divide it into two portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough into a log and cut it into about 2-inch pieces. Use the palm of your hands to flatten each portion into a rectangle and fill the center with Nutella. Gather the edges of the dough to seal the filling, then reshape it back into a rectangle. Don't worry if the shapes are perfect - that's the whole appeal!

I like to work the dough in batches since it's easier for me. However, if you prefer, you can just roll out the entire dough into a log, cut it into pieces, and fill them. Just make sure that you keep the dough loosely covered to prevent it from drying out.

Next, dip the shaped pretzel bites into the baking soda and water solution. This solution is what gives the pretzel that beautiful brown color.

I have had instances when the pretzels stick to the parchment paper and it was an absolute nightmare. So, to avoid this, I like to remove the pretzels from the baking soda solution with a slotted spoon and place them on parchment paper. When all of the pretzels have been soaked, I transfer them to a clean parchment paper.

Finish the pretzels with a generous sprinkling of the butter almond sugar topping and bake them until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

As tempting as it is to immediately eat the Nutella stuffed almond pretzel bites, wait a couple of minutes.

Serve the pretzel bites warm so that the Nutella oozes out with every bite.

I already knew before I even tasted these Nutella stuffed almond pretzel bites that they were going to be delicious. I mean, Nutella, almonds, and soft dough - you can't go wrong with that combination, right? And since they're bite-sized, I can just shove these right into my mouth!

For more sweet snack inspiration check out these Matcha twix bars!