Air Fryer Churro Pretzel Bites
Frozen soft pretzel sticks are air-fried until golden, then brushed with melted butter and rolled in a cinnamon-sugar blend for a quick churro-style treat. They’re crispy on the outside, soft inside, and ready in under 15 minutes. Serve warm with chocolate sauce for dipping.
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Parchment liner
- Shallow bowl
- Pastry brush
- Kitchen scissors
- Cooling rack
- Squeeze bottle (for chocolate sauce)
Ingredients
- 4 count soft pretzel sticks still frozen, do not thaw
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- to taste chocolate sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Place frozen pretzel sticks in the air fryer basket lined with a parchment liner.
- Air fry at 380°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and heated through.
- While pretzels cook, mix brown sugar, white sugar, and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Immediately after cooking, brush pretzels with melted butter while they’re still hot.
- Roll or shake pretzels in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat evenly.
- Cut pretzels into bite-size pieces using kitchen scissors.
- Place coated bites on a cooling rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Serve warm with chocolate sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Brush melted butter on while pretzels are hot so the cinnamon sugar sticks properly.
- Use soft pretzel sticks, not hard pretzels, for the churro-like texture.
- If your air fryer runs hot, start checking at 7–8 minutes to avoid over-browning.
- Line the basket with parchment to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Move coated bites to a cooling rack to keep bottoms from getting soggy.
- The cinnamon sugar mix can be made ahead and stored in a jar for quick batches.
- Variation: drizzle melted chocolate over the bites or swap in caramel sauce and a pinch of sea salt.
- Storage: up to 4 hours at room temp; refrigerate 2 days (coating softens). Reheat at 350°F for 3–4 minutes.