Simple Zesty Italian Mini Pretzels

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Simple Zesty Italian Mini Pretzels are seriously delicious. These addictive, crunchy little nibbles are full of subtle, zesty Italian flavor with a little hint of spicy zing.

Make a big batch of these yummy Italian Pretzels and serve them like popcorn. Make them the spicy part of your gift baskets at holiday time, or hide them in the pantry and have them all to yourself.

PRETZEL SNACK SERVING OPTIONS

This seasoned pretzel recipe is a fast, easy do-ahead snack that can take the place of croutons for soups and salads. Try mixing with other easy, do-ahead snacks like these Simple Everything Snack Crackers or Spicy Feisty Cheddar Snacks.

Always have these on hand around holiday time for last-minute snacking joy or include them in friend’s holiday gifts.

EASY BUDGET FRIENDLY INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz unsalted mini pretzels
• Italian Salad Dressing Mix, 2 packages
• red chili pepper flakes
• garlic powder
• dried oregano
• canola, vegetable, or olive oil

QUICK HOW TO STEPS

• STEP ONE – mix seasonings and oil together, make sure all the seasonings are mixed and not clumpy
• STEP TWO – place pretzels in a mixing bowl and pour mixed seasonings over pretzels, gently stir
• STEP THREE – transfer pretzels to a gallon-sized plastic bag and gently turn/flip every hour or so

• STEP FOUR – “marinate” the Italian pretzels overnight
• STEP SIX – after “marinate” time is over, place on a sheet pan with a cut-up brown paper bag liner
• STEP SEVEN – “airdry” mini pretzels for at least an hour, if paper is oil saturated then replace with other half of the bag
• STEP EIGHT – Cook for 30 minutes at 275° gently stirring crackers after 10 minutes and then again at 20 minutes – ENJOY!!

MINI PRETZEL VARIATIONS

There are so many delicious spice variations that would be fun to try. Below are a few on my list:

• Feisty Cheddar Snack Crackers
• Mustard-Horseradish
• Italian cheese
• Spicy Everything Mini Snack Crackers👇

PRETZEL SUBSTITUTES

If you’re not into mini pretzels you could also use:

• regular size saltine crackers, 4 sleeves fit perfectly in the gallon ziplock bag
• oyster crackers
• mini wheat crackers
• chickpeas…these two recipes are super good Airfryer or oven methods…Crunchy Curry Chickpeas and Spicy Jalapeno Chickpeas
• gluten-free crackers or pretzels

HELPFUL HINTS & GADGETS

Instead of baking, try air frying for a couple of minutes. All Air Fryers are different but I found 250-275 degrees for about 4 minutes was the perfect setting for an individual serving.

You can easily skip mixing these pretzels in a bowl and go directly to the plastic zip-lock gallon bag step.

Store these savory goodies in an airtight container. Before serving, gently shake the storage container before serving.

MORE DELICIOUS APPETIZERS

The appetizers listed below are easy and fast to put together and super yummy, budget-friendly, and perfect for smaller gatherings!!

Spicy “Krab” wontons with Sweet Mustard Sauce…easy baked goodness!

Easy Do Everything Pinwheels with Lox…low carb and yummy!

Homemade Tomato Brushetta…easy, yummy, low carb, and healthy!

Mexirolls…Weight Watcher friendly and perfect for the Airfryer!

Print Pin

Simple Zesty Italian Mini Pretzels

Simple Zesty Italian Spiced Pretzels are seriously delicious. These addictive, crunchy little nibbles are full of subtle, zesty Italian flavor with a little hint of spicy zing. Great for holiday gift bags and endless snacking!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword barbecue, budget friendly, holidays, snacks, spicy

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 100kcal

Author Elise

Ingredients

• 1 bag unsalted mini pretzels 12 oz bag
• 2 packages Italian Salad Dressing Seasoning
• 1 tbsp red chili pepper flakes more or less to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup canola oil, vegetable, or olive oil

Instructions

• STEP ONE – mix seasonings and oil together, make sure all the seasonings are mixed and not clumpy
• STEP TWO – place pretzels in a bowl and pour oil-seasoning over pretzels, gently stir until pretzels are evenly covered
• STEP THREE – place pretzel/oil mixture in a gallon size zip lock bag, gently shake and flip every hour or so
• STEP FIVE – "marinate" pretzels for at least 6 hours or overnight
• STEP SIX – place on a sheet pan with brown paper bag sheet, let "airdry" for about 30 minutes
• STEP SEVEN – replace brown paper liner if it becomes to oil saturated, cook for 30 minutes at 275° gently stirring crackers after 10 minutes and then again at 20 minutes.
• STEP EIGHT – cool for about 10 minutes, serve them up and ENJOY!

Notes

Instead of baking them in the oven try using your Air Fryer for a single-serve portion!!! Fill the bottom of the basket with the feisty crackers and “air fry” for 3-4 minutes at 275-300 degrees. So Good!!

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