Amazing Keto Pretzels - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›

According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.

Pretzels are not keto-friendly due to their high net carb content. Consumption of pretzels can disrupt ketosis and lead to fluctuations in energy levels. There are various keto-compatible alternatives to pretzels, like almond flour crackers, roasted nuts, cheese crisps, and vegetable chips.

Pretzels are high in carbs and low in fat and protein, and they contain some other nutrients as well. The table below provides nutrition information for soft and hard pretzels ( 4 , 5 ). Both soft and hard pretzels are made from wheat flour, which is composed mostly of carbs.

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

Bread flour is best used for, you guessed it, breads. This is fine for pretzels, but if you don't plan to make that much bread, buying bread flour for just one thing can seem like a waste. All-purpose flour can be used for a wide variety of baked goods, including cookies, muffins, pie crusts, and breads.

Total carbs versus keto net carbs

On the keto diet, you are allowed to have no more than 50 grams of net carbs per day – and the fewer, the better! But by focusing on “net” rather than “total” carbs, you won't be denying your body the essential fiber it needs for proper function.

Keto fruits by definition are low in carbohydrates. You still need to exercise portion control with most keto-friendly fruits to be within the limits of a keto diet. Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries.

Yet, consuming too many high-calorie ketogenic snacks like nuts, nut butter, fat bombs, cheese and jerky may cause your weight loss to plateau. Though these snacks are healthy in moderation, it's best to choose lower-calorie options if you're having more than one snack session per day.

Net carbs are calculated by taking the total grams of carbohydrate in a food and subtracting the amount of fiber. In this case, popcorn contains 6 grams of carbs per 1 cup serving and 1.2 grams of fiber, bringing the net carbs per serving to 4.8 grams. Yes friends, popcorn is indeed a keto food.

To make pretzels healthier, try low-salt brands made with whole grains. You can also opt for gluten-free pretzels and those made with flour alternatives, such as potato, cassava or cauliflower flours.

Are there healthy pretzels? ›

Best: 365 Whole Foods Pretzels

Whole Foods 365 brand offers a wide selection of healthier snacking options, and their pretzels are no exception. Each serving of these pretzels provides 2g of fiber and 3g of protein with very little fat composition and no added sugar.

The Winner: Popcorn!

Popcorn triumphed over pretzels for a number of reasons, as Joyce Hendley originally reported for EatingWell. Whole Grain: First, popcorn is 100-percent whole grain. Most Americans don't get enough whole grains, and they provide a healthy boost of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

A lot of our recipe was based off intuition and common knowledge of a pretzel recipe, but there were some parts that were taken directly from Auntie Anne's method. Take, for example, their "secret ingredient," which Auxer describes as something that was accidentally added to the recipe — we guessed sugar.

Malt Syrup (the kind used for beer) and dipping them in a hot alkaline solution (baking soda or food grade lye and hot water) after baking for about 20–30 seconds gives a pretzel its characteristic flavor and distinctive brown coloring. The alkaline solution is a big contributor to the pretzel flavor.

What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.