brownie batter stuffed pretzels;
You know, every once in a while I have to drop a recipe that reminds you guys that everything is, in fact, best with chocolate. And these brownie batter stuffed pretzels really are amazing with chocolate. Take a delicious, chewy, freshly baked with crusty salt, pretzel and add a chocolate center, gooey and sweet! Of course if you’re looking for just the fresh pretzel, I got you covered!
Chocolate and pretzels is a classic combo. There’s just something about that salty sweet thing that hits the perfect dessert spot for me. For better or worse, I can’t stop taking bites! For extra sweetness, served drizzled with chocolate, hot fudge, or caramel sauce for extra yum.
These delicious babies take a while to make, I’m not gonna lie to you. Although the time investment comes pretty much solely from the soft pretzels themselves. If you’re not feeling all the work, then just make the brownie batter cookie dough and go to town with storebought pretzels–soft or crunchy! Either will still be delicious, I assure you.
But this recipe for brownie batter stuffed pretzels builds on my original perfectly poppable pretzel bites recipe. Making the pretzel dough from scratch and then boiling and baking it is time consuming. But to have a freshly baked, chewy pretzel…well there’s really nothing like it! You have to try it for yourself some time.
As for the brownie batter in the brownie batter stuffed pretzels, I prefer using alternative flours. The recipe calls for coconut flour, as it’s my personal favorite. As someone who doesn’t like coconut in general, I find it odd that I love coconut flour so much. But I feel like it adds extra nuttiness and just a hint of coconut without being overwhelming. And that extra nuttiness adds that subtle but just a little bit extra oomph when you’re eating brownie batter.
But if coconut is not your thing, or you have allergies to be concerned about, don’t worry! Almond flour works just as well, and will still add that extra complexity to the brownie batter. Coconut flour is a touch more absorbent than almond flour, so start by making a 1:1 swap. You can always add more later if you want a thicker dough.
With either coconut flour or almond flour, you’ll want to mix the recipe according to instructions, and then give the batter a little bit of time to absorb the liquid. When you start mixing, you might think the batter is too thin, too runny. It might be at the moment, but pause before you start trying to compensate. Give it 2-5 minutes and check back. If at that point you want a thicker dough, go for it! Add another sprinkle of flour of your choice. Or to thin it out, add another splash of almond milk. The brownie batter is pretty forgiving.
That said, for brownie batter stuffed pretzels–you want a slightly thicker brownie batter, because it has to hold up to baking and you don’t want your pretzels to leak and run. Usually I’ll mix together the brownie batter and set it aside while tending to the pretzel dough. I’ll check it again right before I’m ready to start stuffing the brownie batter stuffed pretzels, and make any last minute adjustments.
secrets to success;
- Start by following the recipe for the brownie batter. You might think this is too runny… at first, but coconut flour is absorbent and may need a minute or two to come to it’s final consistency. I recommend waiting 2-5 minutes, or mixing the batter and setting it aside while rolling out your pretzels. Then check it right before you’re ready to stuff those pretzels and make any last minute adjustments!
- To thicken the brownie batter, add an extra sprinkle of coconut flour. To thin out the brownie batter, add an extra splash of almond milk or maple syrup for extra sweetness. Keep in mind you want a slightly thicker texture for this recipe so that it doesn’t leak out of your brownie batter stuffed pretzels!
- If you have access to pretzel salt, use that to top your brownie batter stuffed pretzels! If not, I like using big flaky maldon salt, as I find more uses for it in other recipes!
Looking for other recipes?
- Try serving these brownie batter stuffed pretzels with a homemade salted caramel sauce, another great use for maldon salt!
- For another salty sweet combo small batch brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies are always a hit.
- Love peanut butter? Buckeye pretzel bites combine chocolate, pretzels, and peanut butter. Cookie dough pretzel bites are another take on these.
brownie batter stuffed soft pretzels;
Ingredients
brownie batter filling;
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ⅛ cup sugar (double this to ¼ cup if you prefer a sweeter filling. I like using ⅛ though.)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp milk (I use almond milk, but can use milk of choice)
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for topping, optional
soft pretzels;
- 1½ cups warm milk
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt (with maldon salt or additional sea salt for topping)
- 2¼ tsp yeast (1 ¼ oz packet)
- 4½ cups flour plus additional for rolling or if dough is too tacky
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 9 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 large egg whisked
Instructions
soft pretzels;
- Whisk together the warm milk, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow 5 minutes to activate. Yeast should be saturated and smell yeasty.
- Add flour and melted butter. Mix until combined, using hands as needed. Knead the dough 4 minutes until smooth, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. A dough hook can be used in a stand mixer.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and rest 20-30 minutes until doubled in size.
brownie batter;
- In a medium bowl, add the ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ cup coconut flour, ⅛ cup sugar, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca flour).
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter until melted. Try 15-30 second increments, stirring in between to prevent uneven heating that can sometimes cause butter to pop or splatter.
- Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients, then add 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and 2 Tbsp milk (almond or regular). Add ¼ tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Mix together until combined evenly. Note that coconut flour is absorbent, so the mixture might look a little thin at first. Give it 5-10 minutes to thicken up before adjusting to add any more liquid or flour. The mixture should be thick enough to very gently roll into balls and not stick to your hands.
- Fold in sprinkles or chocolate chips if using. Set aside.
brownie batter stuffed pretzels;
- Add water to a large 4QT stockpot and bring to boil.
- While the water is boiling, roll out the dough and divide into 6-8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into ¾-1” diameter ropes.
- Take a rope and using a rolling pin, flatten the pretzel dough lengthwise. You're looking for the dough to be approximately 1½ foot long, and roughly 1½" to no more than 2" wide, flattened.
- Take a spoonful of the brownie batter and roll into a log. I used approximately ⅓" thick diameter logs. The batter is soft and pliable so you'll probably need to do multiple small logs to build the brownie batter center. Take care not to add too much. Lay the brownie batter logs in the center of the rolled pretzel dough.
- Use your finger dipped in water and trace one long side of the dough. Gently fold the dough around the brownie batter log center, pinching the dough together firmly around the chocolate center. The water should help with the seal. Pinch together and roll out to an even rope again.
- Twist into a pretzel shape by tying a knot, and then arrange the ends neatly. You can also give the two ends an extra twist together, but I find that these are chunky boys with the filling, so I mostly skip the twist. You can also make any other shape you prefer. Set aside the pretzel under a damp towel or cloth.
- Repeat the previous 4 steps with the remaining pretzel dough. You may have some brownie batter left over, I had about 3 Tbsp leftover. You can simply store it and snack on it later!
- Once your pretzels are rolled and folded, ready your baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the baking soda to the boiling water (note that this will bubble and froth violently when first added.) Using a slotted spoon, lower the pretzels into the boiling water in batches.
- The pretzels will sink when they are first added to the water, but after 1-2 minutes should float to the top. Once they are floating, use a slotted spoon to transfer to your parchment paper lined baking sheet. Try to drain as much of the liquid as possible, but it's ok to be a little messy on the sheetpan.
- Brush each pretzel generously with egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt or maldon salt on top to taste. Bake 12-14 minutes (they make take longer depending on their thickness). You're looking for a nice golden brown color. Serve warm with caramel or chocolate dipping sauce, or enjoy plain!b
1 Comments
cheesy buffalo chicken dip; | Best With Chocolate
August 4, 2023 at 7:05 am
[…] a sweet and salty fix, make these brownie batter stuffed pretzels. Festive, deliciously chewy and stuffed full of chocolatey goodness, these pretzels are sure to […]