Vanilla Bean Pretzels with Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce

Slightly sweet with a great flavor from vanilla beans, these pretzels are perfect treat for home or as a DIY gift for your foodie friends!

  • Medium
  • 140 mins
  • 12 servings
top view of six vanilla bean pretzels surrounding a cream cheese dip with vanilla beans sticking out of dip. The pretzels and dip lay on top of a round dish with white parchment paper. Surrounding the pretzels is a wooden spatula, a clear pink bowl with Rodelle's Vanilla Paste, a silver whisk, blue towel, and spent beans with sugar mixed in with them.
Vertical side profile photo of a hand dipping a vanilla bean pretzel into a large clear glass of cream cheese dip with vanilla beans sticking out on side. Surrounding the dip are more pretzels on a wooden plate with white parchment paper. top photo of a clear bowl containing a cream cheese dip laying on top of a bold blue towel. In a smaller clear bowl to the upper right is vanilla bean paste. To the upper left is a pile of vanilla bean pretzels laying on top of white parchment paper and Rodelle's vanilla paste laying on top of
Ingredients

Pretzels:

  • 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (110F)
  • 5 cups AP Flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons Rodelle Vanilla Paste
  • ½ cup baking soda
  • 4 cups hot water
  • ¼ cup vanilla sugar (see note)

Cheesecake Dip:

  • 1 8oz block cream cheese, room temp
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Rodelle Vanilla Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
Uses
Occasions
Directions

Vanilla Sugar

  1. Pour 1 cup of preferred sugar into a pint size mason jar.
  2. Split a Rodelle Vanilla Bean, leaving seeds intact.
  3. Bury the bean in the sugar and shake the jar occasionally.
  4. Add the split and scraped beans to the jar from other recipes.
  5. Refill the jar with sugar as needed.
  6. Use the sugar in coffee or tea - there are lots of uses for vanilla sugar so get creative!

Pretzels:

  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in the 1 1/4 cups warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and salt.
  3. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, Rodelle Vanilla Paste, and oil. Mix and form into a dough.
  4. If the mixture is too dry, add one or two tablespoons of water.
  5. Knead the dough with a hook attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes, or by hand, about 7-8 minutes.
  6. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn to coat the dough with the oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
  7. While dough is rising, make the cheesecake dip and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
  8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and grease.
  9. In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 4 cups of hot water, set aside.
  10. When dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface.
  11. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 12-14 inches and twist into a pretzel shape.
  12. Once all of the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda water solution and place on the baking sheets.
  13. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
  14. Bake in oven until browned, about 8 minutes.
  15. Serve with cheesecake dip

Cheesecake Dip:

  1. Beat heavy cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form
  2. Transfer into another bowl (large enough to have space at the top of the bowl), and tightly wrap the top with plastic wrap and place in the fridge
  3. in the same bowl as the heavy cream, add cream cheese and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth
  4. add remaining ingredients and beat until homogenous, stopping to scrape the sides 2-3 times
  5. fold in 1/2 of the whipped cream until combined, and fold in the remaining whipped cream, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream as much as possible
  6. If not serving immediately, cover with saran wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days

Photos were taken for Rodelle by @kniftykat.