Vegan Soft Pretzels Recipe (Gluten Free, Paleo)

This healthy vegan soft pretzels recipe is gluten free, yeast free and paleo friendly.  These homemade soft pretzels are made with almond flour, tapioca flour and ground flax and contain cauliflower for extra nutrition.  They are easy to make, unsweetened, soft and kid approved!

I can't remember the last time I had a soft baked pretzel!  (Prior to testing this recipe, of course.)

However, I do remember being a kid and absolutely LOVING the soft baked pretzels at the mall. 

In fact, one time my sister and I received a free pretzel (shaped to the first letter of our names) because we had sat at the pretzel stand for over an hour, just watching...mesmerized by the workers kneading and shaping the dough.  Hahah!  

Anyway, I recently had a craving for soft baked pretzels after seeing them in my feed on Instagram.  And I knew that I needed to make my own healthy, paleo soft baked pretzels.

Thus this paleo and vegan soft pretzels recipe was born! 

And oddly enough, they were nearly perfect on the first try (which rarely happens when I'm baking a paleo vegan bread).  Of course, I did test them multiple times for quality control and to make sure I could photograph the step by step instructions for you all.

These cauliflower soft pretzels are SO good! 

Think: crisp on the outside with a soft, doughy center.  They are unsweetened (no sugar added) but perfectly salty with a hint of rosemary flavor.

And better yet, the dough is super easy to make and roll out.  It is pliable, easy to roll and shape.

Vegan Soft Pretzels Recipe Highlights

These delicious, vegan homemade pretzels are an absolute must-try!  They are:

• paleo and vegan friendly
• egg free, dairy free, grain free
• easy to make
• yeast free
• made with cauliflower
• kid approved
• healthy but taste great

In addition, this yeast free pretzels recipe does not require a baking soda bath.  My method only requires making and baking the dough.  I mean, this is an easy soft baked pretzels recipe after all.  And the baking soda bath just seemed like another step to complicate things 😉

Ingredients

All you need to make these cauliflower soft pretzels are a few simple paleo and vegan friendly ingredients.  Yep, no eggs, butter, sugar or wheat flour! 

Here's what you need:

• cauliflower (steamed, cooled then mashed)
• blanched almond flour
• tapioca flour
• ground flax
• rosemary
• baking soda
• salt
• avocado oil

That's it!  Only 8 ingredients are needed to make these grain free pretzels.

Cauliflower

Why make cauliflower soft pretzels?  Well, none other than the fact that I've been wanting to include more hidden veggies in my recipes.  But I promise, you cannot taste the cauliflower!  (My kids couldn't tell either.)

I recommend prepping the cauliflower the night before you plan to make these pretzels.  Simply, cut the cauliflower into small florets and steam in a steamer pot until tender.  Cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge until you're ready to use.

Grain Free Flours

Almond flour, tapioca flour and ground flax are needed for this particular recipe.  The only substitution would be to substitute the tapioca flour with arrowroot flour/starch.

For the ground flax, I usually make my own by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder.  Ground flax is such a great ingredient for Vegan/egg free baking.  It acts as a binder and often gives the dough more elasticity.

Spices

Rosemary and salt are used to flavor these pretzels.  The rosemary isn't required, but I love the taste it gives these pretzels.  My husband isn't fond of rosemary, but even he loved this recipe.

Avocado Oil

Some sort of liquid oil is needed in this recipe.  My top choice is avocado oil, but olive oil is a great alternative.  The oil is both in the pretzel and used to brush the tops prior to baking.

How to Make Vegan Soft Pretzels

Here are the step by step instructions for how to make gluten free vegan soft baked pretzels.

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Next, make the dough in a food processor.  A food processor or high powered blender is necessary for blending the cauliflower into the dough.

Once the dough is ready, separate the batter into four equal pieces.  Then, roll each piece into a thin rope, just over 10 inches long.  I recommend rolling the dough on a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with tapioca flour.

Shape the rope into a pretzel by grabbing the two ends, twisting them together and then pulling them over the middle (see step 4-5).

Once you've shaped each pretzel, brush them with a little avocado oil and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

Transfer the pretzels (and the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet and place them in the middle rack of your oven.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.

After baking, they should be slightly browned, firm on the outside but tender on the inside.

Storage

These vegan almond flour pretzels are best eaten right after baking, while still warm and tender.  You can store any leftovers in a sealed, air-tight container at room temperature for a couple days, or in the fridge up to one week.

More Paleo Vegan Recipes

For more simple, Paleo and Vegan friendly recipes, take a look at these reader favorites:

• Strawberry Scones
• Zucchini Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Cookies
• Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Crackers

Enjoy!

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