Pumpkin-Shaped Soft Pretzels

Oh boy, I love it when allergen friendly eating comes in the form of pumpkin-shaped soft pretzels, don’t you? What a great Halloween treat for the kids, for your spouse, or even for you. It is Oktoberfest after all, so you will need a cold glass of beer to accompany your pretzel (and no, that beer in the photo isn’t gluten free so do as I say not as I do). Just don’t forget the mustard eyes, nose and mouth cutout! 

They might be a little more time-consuming to make but just keep your wits about you and everything will be fine! And in all honesty, the only part of the pretzel making that requires more of your patience is transferring the dough from the baking sheet into the water and vice versa. Please hear me on this: Make sure you have a spatula large enough to support the entire pretzel. This way, you can ensure that you will have a pumpkin-shaped soft pretzel that in completely in tact as you bake them in the oven. 

And if you do have troubles with the dough when rolling it out, just know that it simply needs more kneading. You can pinch the dough back together if it’s too scrappy and fix whatever impurities occur with the dough-making process simply with your fingers. No worries!

Pumpkin-Shaped Soft Pretzels

• Author: Fork & Beans
• Prep Time: 50 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
• Yield: 6 Pumpkin Pretzels 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 c. warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp. active yeast
• 1/2 tsp. coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp. pysllium husk powder + 3 Tbsp. warm water
• 3 c. Cara’s All-Purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

For the boiling water

• 6–8 c. water
• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Allow the yeast and sugar to froth in the warm water for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well-combined. Take out about 1/2 c. of the flour and keep nearby in a measuring cup. Add the yeast mix, oil, maple syrup, and thickened psyllium into the bowl with flour and stir until dough becomes scrappy. Start adding the other portion of the flour, 1/4 c. at a time until mixed in and a dough starts to form. Start kneading the dough with your hands for a couple of minutes in the bowl at this time to get it smooth. The dough should be moist but not sticky. If it is still still, add 1 Tbsp. of flour at a time until it is.
3. Divide the dough into six, even and smooth balls. Roll each ball out with your hands on a lined flat surface until you have a long 12″ snake-like dough piece. Follow the pictures for the pumpkin shape. For regular pretzels shapes, see the photos here.
4. Place on a baking sheet, cover and allow to gently rise for 30 minutes in a non-drafty spot in your kitchen.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
6. Bring your water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda (slowly, it will start to cause your water to rise) and maple syrup.
7. Gently place each pretzel in one-by-one with the guidance of a large spatula that will guide each one into the water. Allow to boil for 1 minute on each side, very gently turning over on the other side. Be careful, if done too quickly your pretzels can fall apart.
8. Place on a baking sheet (with your spatula), lightly coating the tops with olive oil and sprinkling with coarse sea salt immediately. Repeat for each one.
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes, turning the baking sheet around after the half-way point of cooking. Bake until a beautiful brown exterior forms. Allow to cool briefly on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

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Nutrition

• Calories: 302
• Sugar: 2.5g
• Sodium: 160mg
• Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Fiber: 2.2g
• Protein: 7.6g

With a little love and patience, these pumpkin-shaped soft pretzels can be yours in a matter of an hour (rise time included!)

Recipe Notes:

Do you need help with what are good gluten free flours to sub out and use? Read this post and you can be a mad scientist in your very own kitchen to figure out what flours will best work out. 

Don’t have psyllium husk powder or are allergic to it? Swap out ground up chia or flax seed. P.S. I highly suggest buying the powder though if you can have it. This stuff is magic in gluten and egg free baking! I buy mine from Trader Joe’s in the supplement section. 

Please do keep in mind that any change made to the recipe might change the final outcome (look, taste, and texture) so don’t yell at me if you alter the recipe and it doesn’t work out.