Here’s the Best Recipe for These Viral Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels From Auntie Anne.

Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to baking. I’m not talking about cakes that look like suitcases or cheeseburgers or anything else; I’m talking about bagels, pretzels, and other breads that people try to “hack” by making something that looks like a bagel or pretzel, but doesn’t taste or feel like a bagel or pretzel. These two-ingredient bagel imposters come to mind, and now I’m adding Auntie Anne’s TikTok hack to the list.

This viral video is especially upsetting because its creator was on the right track. She starts by cutting store-bought cinnamon roll dough into small pieces, then dipping them in a solution of baking soda and room temperature water for 15 seconds, then brushing with oil and air frying. “She should have boiled them in water and baking soda,” I muttered to myself when I first watched the video, but decided to try it my way before making any changes because it’s the polite thing to do and that’s what always happens. It helps to have a foundation.

I followed the instructions exactly, and while the sweet treats that came out of my air fryer tasted good (like cinnamon rolls), they didn’t taste like pretzels. They weren’t chewy at all and didn’t have that slightly bitter, alkaline taste that pretzels usually have. They darkened quite nicely, but buttered dough tends to do that.

You need to develop that gluten.

Before we get to baking soda, let’s talk about its texture. Pretzels, even the softest ones, are chewier and tougher than soft cinnamon rolls. How to make the dough elastic? You contribute to the formation of gluten. How do you do it? You are kneading the dough. So we already have one way to make this trick a little better: cut the cinnamon rolls into pieces as shown in the video, but knead them a few times before rolling them into balls. They will be chewy, just like pretzels should be.

You need to boil the baking soda solution.

I don’t know where the author of this trick got the idea that a quick dip in a room temperature alkaline solution would be enough to turn the cinnamon roll dough into a pretzel. This is not the case, at least not with this amount of baking soda or this amount of time.

For a chewy pretzel, cook the dough in the solution, ideally for 30 seconds. (Traditionally, lye is used rather than baking soda, but you shouldn’t try to work with lye in your home kitchen.) Boiling makes the baking soda more effective, helping it penetrate the outer layer of the dough and gelatinize it, creating a chewy crust that browns like… dream. Without this step, your pretzel bites will be airy with a slightly chewy crust, which is not what I look for in a pretzel. It will also give your pretzel a slightly salty and deliciously bitter flavor. Without this piece, all you have is pretzel-shaped bread.

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels That Taste Like Pretzels

Fortunately, the adjustments needed here are easy to make. Knead the dough, boil it and, one more thing, brush it with egg instead of butter to make it nice and shiny. Save the oil for the end; Brush the baked pieces just before sprinkling them with the cinnamon sugar.

Auntie Anne’s Best Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Ingredients:

• 1 tube store-bought cinnamon rolls
• 1 liter of water
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Remove the rolls from the packaging and cut each into four pieces. Set the frosting tube aside. Knead each piece four to five times, folding the dough inward, then roll into a ball. Set aside on a plate.

Add water and baking soda to a medium saucepan. Boil. Working in batches of four, cook the dough balls for 30 seconds, then transfer them to a wire rack set over a plate. (They will be soft and slippery. That’s the nature of alkaline solutions.)

Once all the balls are cooked, set the air fryer to 330 degrees, beat the egg and brush each ball with the egg wash. Roast the pieces in the air fryer for 8 minutes, turning once, until they are dark brown and glossy. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush the pieces with melted butter, then place them in a paper bag with the cinnamon and sugar and shake to coat. Microwave the frosting for 10 seconds and serve for dipping.