Hard pretzels are fine. I don’t like to eat them, but occasionally they are the only (arguably) edible snack around. The average pretzel is a dry, flavorless knot of missed opportunity, save a few stray clumps of salt. Seasoned pretzels, on the other hand, are a completely different story. They’re a joy to eat, and every bag of pretzels should be converted into such. Luckily it’s easy. Here’s the best way to do it.
Part of what makes this pretzel trick so delicious is the 1-2-punch of oil and powerful seasonings. The oil provides a coating the dry seasonings can cling to, and obviously the seasonings supply a world of flavor that is otherwise missing. The light coating of oil heats up in the oven and the pretzel gets a second bake which leads to a crispier, slightly toasted pretzel. It’s another layer of flavor, albeit subtle.
In a large bowl, simply mix pretzels with two tablespoons of neutral cooking oil and three tablespoons of finely ground spices, then bake. It is truly that simple. But the difference between OK seasoned pretzels and ones that truly sing lies in the texture of the seasoning mix. If you use the ground garlic and onion powder straight from your spice jar, it’ll work, but the granules are slightly too large. They don’t cling as well to the oil and they’re more likely to scorch, and feel dusty when you eat them. A finer consistency is better.
The trick to better seasoned pretzels
Instead, use the pre-mixed seasoning packets for dressings, dips, or popcorn—they’re already ground down into a fine powder. I used a ranch dressing packet, but onion dip powder mix would be a savory phenomenon, or even the powdered cheese from Kraft mac and cheese would work for cheesy pretzels. If you prefer to make your own mix, I recommend tossing the combination of spices into a mortar and pestle and grinding them down to a fine powder like you would for making popcorn seasoning.
Once my oil and ranch seasoning was thoroughly mixed together, I tossed in a few cups of boring-ass pretzels. It was about six ounces of Snyder’s mini pretzels. I dumped the coated pretzels onto a baking sheet and spread them out so they didn't overlap too much. You’re going for a mostly single layer. If there isn’t enough space, use a second baking sheet. I baked them for just about 20 minutes in a 275°F oven and they were ready for snacking.
With this simple treatment, the punishingly dry and flavorless pretzels that fell out of the bag will be transformed into a highly desirable snack. It’s an evolution akin to raw peanuts to honey roasted, or Charmander to Charizard. You’ll be glad you did it.
Ranch-seasoned Pretzels Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons neutral oil
3 tablespoons Ranch seasoning (or a one-ounce packet)
6-8 ounces hard pretzels
1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2. Mix the oil and ranch seasoning together until well combined. Stir in the pretzels until well coated.
3. Spread the coated pretzels out onto an unlined sheet tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until dry, but not visibly browning. Cool briefly and enjoy.