Growing up, my trips to the mall with my girlfriends were never complete without a stop to Mrs. Fields cookies. Oh you could not leave without a small bag of those delicious little cookies. Then a new era started....enter Auntie Anne's and those amazing pretzels. The second we got a whiff floating through the food court, it was over. No matter what we were there for—new shoes, a gift, or just some good old-fashioned hanging out—those pretzels were a non-negotiable. They were the ultimate snack. At first it was the basics but THEN they got fancy! Adding pretzel bites, different dipping sauces, pretzel wrapped hotdogs and the ultimate sweet treat... cinnamon sugar-coated bites. But then, as life happens, malls started fading from our routines , and so did those beloved bites.
Then, Auntie Anne’s popped up in the most unexpected place (or these days not so unexpected) airports. Suddenly, a new tradition was born with my niece and I! Anytime we travelled together, we had to find the closest Auntie Anne’s, grab the hot dog if its lunch, or the breakfast sandwich if it was early and no matter what time, a cup of the cinnamon bites. Nothing beat boarding a plane with a cup full of those bites. It was like a little comfort from my mall-hopping past, but now with an added side of TSA security lines. I mean, let’s be real, if there’s anything to look forward to in an airport besides your destination, it’s definitely warm pretzels.
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Then during a visit to the grocery store, I stumbled across pre-made Hawaiian pretzel bites. A lightbulb went off, and I thought, "Why not try making my own version of Auntie Anne's at home?" With a little cinnamon, a sprinkle of sugar, and my trusty air fryer, I had myself the perfect copycat cinnamon pretzel bites—minus the food court or boarding gate. And honestly, they’re dangerously good. So now, whenever I’m craving that nostalgic bite, I just whip them up at home, and it feels like I’ve hacked my way back to those mall and airport moments, but with the luxury of not leaving the house. Bonus? No judgment if I eat the entire batch in one sitting. If you are feeling frisky, whip up a batch of the sweet cream cheese dipping sauce to go with it, trust me you won't be disappointed!
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INGREDIENTS
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8 King's Hawaiian pretzel bites
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon cinnamon
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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INSTRUCTIONS​
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Preheat Air Fryer to 350°F (175°C).
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In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
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Melt the butter in a separate bowl.
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Dip each pretzel bite into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mix to fully coat.
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Place the pretzel bites in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
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Carefully remove and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix again to coat
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Enjoy!​​
