Is it now safe for us to say that I have a bit of a thing for pretzels? I’ve done them savory with avocado (<- link in previous sentence), somewhere ambiguously in-between with a pumpkin version, and now we’re going into dessert territory, with peanut butter banana soft pretzels from scratch.
Originally, this was going to be a top secret recipe that I hoarded away until Valentine’s Day. See how they are haphazardly shaped into little hearts? Kinda cute, right? Well (not pictured) I made some pomegranate juice-infused sea salt that was a gorgeous bright pink color, and that was what these were supposed to be topped with, to really take the cuteness over the top and be super Valentine’s Day-appropriate. Trust me, if you knew my partner J, you would know that not many gifts would be more romantic to him than some kind of homemade baked good. He loves anything involving bread. Or salt.
Unfortunately, when I started brushing the pomegranate salt (which was inspired by these fabulous-looking, but non-vegan cookies by Top with Cinnamon), onto the dough, it experienced some kind of reaction with the baking soda. The surface of the pretzels turned a lovely brownish-purple color. So yeah. The first tray that went into the oven, while delicious, was a little unsightly. Luckily I still had half of them to top with regular salt as well as a maple-almond milk wash for a ridiculous salty-sweet combo.
If you’re like me and don’t have a big sweet tooth, then these banana soft pretzels are a great dessert choice – there’s a bit of natural sweetness, but no added sugar in the dough, so it comes nowhere near the cloyingly sweet cinnamon sugar pretzels of my past.
Peanut Butter Banana Soft Pretzels from Scratch
Fluffy homemade peanut butter banana pretzels. Both PB and banana are infused in to the pretzel dough before topping with a hint of cinnamon and baking to crispy perfection.
Ingredients
For the proof:
- 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 and 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
For the dough:
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 medium bananas ripe but not overripe; mashed well
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (more for kneading if needed)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
For boiling and baking:
- 5 tbsp baking soda
- 5 cups water
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- coarse salt for topping
Instructions
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Warm all of the nondairy milk to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It should feel warm or even hot if you stick your finger in it, but not so hot that you need to take your finger out. Stir the first 1/4 c. of milk gently together with the yeast and maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes, or until foamy.
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Add the mashed banana along with the rest of the 3/4 cup of warm milk and the peanut butter; mix together well, until the peanut butter is incorporated into the liquid. Add the yeast mixture, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir together with wooden spoon until a lumpy dough starts to form. Use your hands to press the mixture together, and transfer it onto a surface.
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Knead for 5-10 minutes, adding as little additional flour as possible, until the dough is smooth and has visible gluten strands when you pull on it.
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Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp towel, then let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size. Alternately, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then a towel, and rise overnight in the refrigerator; bring back to room temperature before continuing with the next step.
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Set the baking soda and water in a saucepan to boil.
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Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grab golf ball-sized pieces of dough and roll them between your hands to make long ropes; shape into pretzels (there will be about 12 of them).
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Boil each pretzel in the baking soda mixture for about 15 seconds, or until it floats back to the top. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all pretzels are boiled.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, milk, cinnamon, and coarse salt. Use a pastry brush or gently use your fingers to brush the mixture on the tops of all of the pretzels.
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Bake the pretzels for about 12 minutes or until the crust is crisp and brown. Let cool for a few minutes before eating.
Recipe Notes
AP FLOUR: To use only all-purpose flour, reduce the milk by 1/4 cup to start, adding some back in if needed.
DESSERT: Use up to 1/4 cup of maple syrup in the dough for a sweeter and more dessert-like pretzel; add a bit more flour if needed to bring the dough together.
STORAGE: Best eaten within 48 hours of baking, sooner if possible. Try not to store in an airtight container because the salt will make them soggy. Instead, wrap loosely in a towel or keep in a break basket. Reheat in the toaster or oven for best texture.
OIL-FREE: To make these oil-free, just omit the oil in the crust wash.
(Shared on Yeastspotting.) Happy Friday!
-Shannon
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Julia says
Hey Shannon, can I use agave syrup instead of maple syrup?
Julia W Demoss says
Is there a way to have just plain pretzels? My boss has celiac desease and has not been able to have a hot pretzel in years, I wanna make her some!!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Julia, unfortunately this recipe won’t work for people with Celiac disease since it is made largely from gluten-based flour.
Jennifer says
Another recipe going on my must-bake list. Thanks for the inspiration!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy =]
cj says
Nice – Would love to share with all my foodie friends – If you’re interested then head over to FoodFotoGallery dot com and submit one of your food photos (without watermarks, please).
Michelle says
I’m stuck at home today because it’s so bitterly cold in Wisconsin, so I decided to make these for my pregnant soft pretzel craving. They are delicious! And perfect a perfect treat on this cold, cold day. Thanks!
Shannon @ Y-i-v says
Oh my gosh, Michelle! I’m thrilled to hear they turned out well – thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad they could fulfill your craving 🙂 Hope you are staying warm… it’s pretty painfully cold in Baltimore, too, but I heard that the Midwest is even worse.
Yulie says
You have to make an instagram account so I can follow you…Please!
Shannon @ Y-i-v says
Oh my gosh, you’re too sweet! I told myself that as soon as I finally understand Twitter I will make an Instagram account next… I will leave a reply here when I do 🙂
Yulie says
Instagram is way better than twitter…it’s communicating through pictures which I believe will give better impact than twitter.
I’ll be waiting then 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Yulie! It took me a while to remember what post this was on, hehe. But I finally made an Instagram! Still getting the hang of it but having fun so far 🙂 http://instagram.com/yupitsvegan
Yulie says
Finally!
Followed. Hope the picture quality will get better hehe.
Richa says
i love the shape of the pretzies.. who needs v day to celebrate some heart shaped goodies. the holidays have been too busy so this is the perfect time to sit together and share some:)
Shannon @ Y-i-v says
Thank you, Richa! I agree wholeheartedly 🙂
Laura @ This is Thirty says
These sound so delicious! Love the heart shapes too!
Shannon @ Y-i-v says
Thanks, Laura! They’re actually easier to make than traditional pretzel shapes, too =P