Cheesy Spinach And Artichoke Stuffed Pretzels Recipe

Spinach and artichoke dip is the ultimate party appetizer — when it's stuffed inside of a homemade pretzel? Forget about it ... you'll be in heaven. Recipe developer Leah Maroney knows pretzels, and she starts with a yeast dough that's rolled out into long, thin ropes. A nimarinara dipping saucece, thick, blended filling of spinach and artichoke is stuffed inside the homemade pretzel dough. When it's baked, the cheesy filling oozes out of some of the edges and forms a crispy crust. The pretzels are brushed with a baking soda wash and an egg wash for extra crunchy, golden goodness. 

Maroney recommends serving these hot pretzels with a little marinara dipping sauce or any kind of cheesy dip, such as queso. Anything that ups the cheesy content will be delicious. If you're looking for a shortcut with this recipe, Maroney recommends using a store-bought pizza dough to build the pretzels. Just make sure to let the dough come to room temperature before you're ready to roll it out.

Homemade pretzels are easier to make than you think and are 100% worth it. They start with simple ingredients: flour, salt, water, yeast, butter, and brown sugar. The sugar adds just a touch of sweetness, but these pretzels themselves are not overly sweet. Since we kicked these pretzels up a notch with spinach and artichoke filling, you're also going to need frozen spinach (so much easier to work with than fresh!), marinated artichoke hearts, onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. This filling mixes up quickly and easily in a food processor, and it is PACKED with flavor. Before baking, the pretzels are brushed with a baking soda mixture that helps give them the distinct pretzel flavor and color, so don't skip this step! Then, they're brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with pretzel salt and Parmesan cheese for extra golden crunchiness. 

Add the flour, butter, yeast, salt, and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer with 2 cups of warm water. Mix by hand until just combined.

With the dough hook attachment, mix the dough in the stand mixer for 5 minutes, until an elastic dough forms.

Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, drain the spinach and artichoke hearts, pressing out any excess liquid.

Add the spinach and artichoke to a food processor with ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and yellow onion. Blend until combined.

Add the spinach mixture to a pastry bag and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

After rising, deflate the dough and turn onto a floured surface.

Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls.

Roll each ball into a long rope, about 20 inches long.

Flatten each rope until 1 ½ inches thick.

Whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon of water.

Cut the end off of the piping bag and pipe a strip of filling along the center of the flattened rope.

Brush some of the egg wash along one edge of the dough.

Roll the dough over the filling and seal.

Twist the dough rope into a pretzel shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ropes.

Whisk together the baking soda with ¼ cup of water.

Brush some of the baking soda mixture over each pretzel and let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, until risen and just slightly golden, then brush each pretzel equally with the egg wash and sprinkle equally with remaining Parmesan cheese and pretzel salt.

Bake for another 5–7 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Spinach and artichoke stuffed pretzels are best served the same day that they are baked, and who are we kidding — you're going to want to gobble them all up immediately. The filling and crust will be the freshest and will have the best flavor and texture on the day they are baked, so invite some friends over to enjoy! However, you can store these pretzels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They reheat nicely in the oven. Just preheat the oven to 350 F and bake them until hot and crispy, about 5 minutes. We love freezing these pretzels right after they have cooled. Pop the pretzels in a plastic storage bag and freeze them for up to 6 months. Then, you can reheat the pretzels using the same method as above; they will just take a few minutes longer to bake. 

There are so many amazing possibilities for filling these pretzels! The basic pretzel dough can be filled with a wide variety of meats and cheeses. Try a buffalo chicken filling by combining rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumbles, and cream cheese. Leftover barbecue chicken shredded up with cheddar cheese also makes for a delicious filling. Mix together a blend of cheeses like gouda, Gruyère, and cheddar in a food processor with a little cream cheese and pipe that into the pretzels for an extra cheesy pretzel. You can use any thick, cheesy dip; as long as it's not too runny, it will hold up well in the baking process. Try a fun, Mexican-inspired twist on a stuffed pretzel by combining refried beans and Mexican-blend cheese. Sprinkle some taco seasoning over the tops of the pretzels during the second bake for extra flavor.