This is the latest and, to sound a little cliché, quite possibly the greatest of all the seasoned pretzel recipes I have made. Parmesan and garlic is the ultimate Italian combo and when I saw this flavor of Dot’s pretzels at my local store, I knew I had to taste them.
I was gobsmacked. While the garlic parmesan pretzels have a similar “zing” to the original seasoned pretzels recipe, they have a subtle garlicky flavor that doesn’t overwhelm. And the cheese. So good but also took a minute to figure out how to DIY the flavor.
You’ll love these because...none of my pretzel snack recipes require baking, cooking or refrigeration!
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Recipe development of parmesan pretzels
The recipe development process for these pretzels went through 3 phases due to trying to best capture the cheese flavor while also making it economical.
Test #1: Fresh parmesan cheese
I started where you might expect: by using fresh grated parmesan cheese and melted butter. instead of oil.
The result. The flavor was good but the texture not so much as the cheese “grain” was a little too big for the seasoning making it hard to stick to the pretzels. Plus the butter caused unappealing clumping.
Test #2: Processed parmesan cheese
If you are a longtime J+N reader, you know that I am a big advocate for fresh grated parmesan cheese. However, for the next test, I turned to the famous green can Parmesan, my reasoning being that it has a finer, consistent texture making it more likely to mix with other seasoning to coat a small snack like a pretzel stick.
The result. It was better than #1 but overwhelmed the rest of the seasoning because the granules were still too big.
Test #3: Parmesan cheese seasoning blend
Since my other pretzel recipes like the honey mustard snack (also a challenge) and the Southwest pretzels had a base of salad dressing seasoning, I thought that a premixed parmesan cheese salad dressing mix might be the answer.
Hidden Valley makes one and in my travels to local grocery stores, I had a hard time tracking it down. Instead, I came across a garlic Parmesan seasoning mix from Kinders that ended up being the perfect solution.
Plus, the container is a great value which means many, many batches of garlic parmesan pretzels at my side on game day!
Ingredients rundown
I found most of the ingredients for the garlic pretzels already in my spice drawer. Here is what I use:
Special equipment needed
A double layer of new, clean brown grocery bags acts as the mixing bowl for this no-cook, no- bake snack mix.
Simple steps to make parmesan garlic pretzels
- Tuck one brown grocery bag inside the other.
- Open the pretzels and add the bottom of the bag.
- Whisk the dressing and seasoning together with a small bowl until blended.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the pretzels.
- Pour the oil evenly over the top of the pretzels.
- Fold the bag over and shake the pretzels several times to coat the pretzels with the seasoning. Check for any excess seasoning on the bottom of the bag and close and shake again.
Top make ahead and storage tips
Make ahead. One of the advantages of using a parmesan cheese seasoning blend is the fact that it allows for the pretzel snack to be made ahead and not require refrigeration. Garlic parm pretzels can be made up to 3 days ahead leaving plenty of time for holiday and party prep.
Storage tips. If I am serving the parmesan pretzels within 1-2 days, I store them in the same brown bag they are mixed in. Beyond that, I store them in a resealable plastic bag for up to 7 days (sometimes even longer).
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DIY Parmesan Garlic Pretzel Snack
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Equipment
- 2 brown paper grocery bags unused, brand new
Ingredients
- 1 oz package buttermilk ranch dressing mix, or 2 Tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons Kinder Garlic Parmesan Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspooon cayenne pepper
- 2 bags butter braid pretzels, each bag 10 oz
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Open the grocery bags and place one inside the other.
- Pour the pretzels into the grocery bags.2 bags butter braid pretzels
- Mix all the dressing, seasoning and herbs in a small bowl and sprinkle over pretzels in bag.1 oz package buttermilk ranch dressing mix, 2 teaspoons Kinder Garlic Parmesan Seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspooon cayenne pepper
- Pour oil over top of pretzels in bag.⅓ cup canola oil
- Shake bag to toss the seasonings over the pretzels.
- Allow to sit for a couple of hours or overnight in the brown bag. Stir or shake gently so as to mix the seasoning from the bottom of the bag. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over before serving and mix/shake.2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Notes
- I have used one brown bag (as long as it’s as thick as a standard grocery bag. Just make sure that after mixing you place a couple of layers of paper towel or a cloth below the bag to absorb any extra oil.
- Store in ziploc bag for up to 5 days.
- This recipe is best made either the day before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it making it such an easy party snack recipe!
/abou
