Sweet Pretzels Sticks with Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip

These Sweet Pretzels Sticks with Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip are a fun-to-make, fun-to-eat snack that’s perfect for after school or even dessert. The smell of these pretzels baking is sure to make anyone’s day brighter. 

Today’s posted is sponsored by Red Star Yeast.

Have you tried the Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzels at Disneyland? They’re a giant Mickey Mouse shaped soft pretzel with a cream cheese filling on the inside. A girl friend introduced me to them on our girls trip to Disneyland. It was love at first bite and I decided I wanted to re-create them at home.

However, making pretzels with the cream cheese filling inside was time consuming and messy. So I decided to simplify the process and make sweet pretzel sticks served with a cream cheese dip. Not only are they easier to make, you get more cream cheese in every bite. 

For this recipe, I used Red Star Platinum Yeast, so these pretzel sticks would rising quickly and be extra puffy and delicious! But you could also use Red Star Quick Rise Yeast, or Active Dry Yeast, your rise time may need to be a little longer.

The Pretzel dough is simple and easy to make with very few ingredients. Mixing the dough in a stand mixer is nice because it does all the work for you. However, if you don’t have a stand mixer, just mix it in an bowl and knead the dough by hand.

Once the dough is mixed divide it into eight pieces. Start by dividing the dough in half; divide each half in half and then each quarter in half. Then you’ll have eight pieces. It doesn’t matter if they’re perfectly even.

Roll each piece into a long rope and cut each rope in half so you have 16 pretzel sticks. Kids love to help roll / stretch the dough into ropes. Again, don’t worry if they don’t look perfect when you roll them out. They’ll puff up and turn golden brown and delicious once they’re baked.

After you’ve shaped the dough you need to boil the pretzels briefly in water mixed with baking soda so they get that chewy pretzel texture.

Disneyland sprinkles their cream cheese pretzels with something similar to graham cracker crumbs; sort of a nod to cheesecake. It adds a crunch, but not much sweetness. So I decided to add coarse turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) instead.

Since the Disney pretzels are an homage to cheesecake, it got me thinking about my favorite cheesecake topping, strawberries. Strawberries are a great addition to the cream cheese dip.

If strawberries aren’t your favorite cheesecake topping, you can eliminate it or substitute your favorite jam. Either way, you’re going to love these easy-to-make Sweet Pretzels Sticks with Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip.

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Sweet Pretzels Sticks with Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Additional Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Breads

Servings: 16 pretzel sticks

Author: Barbara Schieving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 package Red Star Quick Rise or Platinum Yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons coarse sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons strawberry or other berry jam

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
• In saucepan or microwave safe dish, heat water and oil until warm (120° – 130°).
• Add liquids to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 4 minutes at medium speed.
• Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining flour a little at a time, to make a soft dough, add more or less flour as needed. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double about 30 minutes.
• While dough is rising, make cream cheese dip. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in strawberry jam and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Preheat oven to 450°. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 8 cups water and ⅓ cup baking soda to a simmer.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 20 inch long rope. Cut each rope in half to make 16 pretzel sticks. Place on greased or Silpat lined cookie sheet.
• Add pretzels four at a time to the simmering water and cook 10 seconds on each side. Remove with slotted spoon. Place on greased or Silpat line cookie sheet.
• Beat egg in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon water. Brush egg wash on one side of the pretzel sticks. Sprinkle a thin layer of coarse sugar on top.
• Bake for 10 minutes until deep golden brown. Serve warm with strawberry cream cheese dip.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast, but all opinions expressed are always my own.  You can also find Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

More pretzel recipes you might like:

Pretzel Recipes, Red Star Yeast
Cinnamon Pretzel Twists, Barbara Bakes
Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pretzel Knots, Barbara Bakes
Almond Crunch Soft Pretzels, Crazy for Crust
100% Whole Wheat Pretzels, Fifteen Spatulas

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