These vegan Mini Pretzel Pizzas with Cider Cheese Sauce and caramelized onions are the perfect snack for parties (especially Oktoberfest-themed ones!). If you love pretzels, you have to try these!
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been thinking of making a pretzel pizza topped with a variation of my nooch cheese sauce with cider exactly, but it was a very long time. One day, I went a bit crazy in the kitchen and made pretzel-style things all day long, and then it finally happened: Mini Pretzel Pizzas with Cider Cheese Sauce and caramelized onions. And of course, the crust is sprinkled with coarse pretzel salt. Yassss!
These Mini Pizzas are the perfect snack for Oktoberfest-themed parties:
- pretzel-style – check!
- cider cheese – check!
- caramelized onions – check check check!
How to make a Pretzel Crust
To give the pizza crust a pretzel coating, I’ve cooked them in a baking soda bath before baking. (So it’s the easiest to make mini pizzas!) This adds not only the beautiful brown pretzel color (they’ll turn brown while baking) but also the typical pretzel taste! I’ve tried lots of different water to baking soda ratios and found that 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda to 3 cups water is ideal. If you use too much baking soda, the crust gets very bitter.
I’ve topped the Mini Pretzel Pizzas with a delicious and tangy Cider Cheese Sauce (it’s a variation of my Nooch Cheese Sauce, which you can use instead if you don’t have cider at home or don’t want to use it) and caramelized onions. Of course, you can play around with different toppings such as smoky tempeh bits or homemade seitan sausages.
Vegan Mini Pretzel Pizzas with Cider Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + more to dust the dough and surfaces
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil + more to coat the dough
- 1/3 cup water
Baking Soda Bath
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
Topping
- 1 white onion
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons pretzel salt
Cider Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil - melted (or vegan butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup cider
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the flour, instant yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and water. Mix and knead by hand until a soft dough forms or put all the ingredients in a kitchen machine and let the machine knead the dough for you. Finetune the dough: If it's too sticky, add more flour. If it's too crumbly, add more water.
- Coat the ball of dough in a drizzle of olive oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot until it doubles in size (about 2-3 hours - depending on the room temperature!).
- Meanwhile, prepare the Cider Cheese Sauce: Heat the coconut oil or butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the salt, turmeric powder, and curry powder. Add in the flour and whisk. Add nutritional yeast, whisk again until clumpy. Add the cider and maple syrup, whisk on low heat for a few minutes until creamy. Set aside. If it gets too thick you can add a little bit more water or cider and whisk again to make it smooth and creamy.
- Prepare the caramelized onions: Peel and cut the onion into rings. Heat a nonstick pan with the olive oil, add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Close the lid and let the onions cook on low heat while stirring occasionally until soft and translucent.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, press them flat in your hands to create mini pizza crusts.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- In a medium-sized pot, bring the water for the baking soda bath to a boil. Add the baking soda. Stir to combine.
- Cook each pizza crust in the baking soda bath for about one minute. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spread the Cider Cheese Sauce in the middle, top with the caramelized onions and sprinkle the crust with pretzel salt.
- Bake them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until golden. And enjoy!
lilly karter
Thursday 15th of November 2018
So much yummy dish. I have really impressed with this and I will definitely try it. we are providing set up related to MS office and net gear router.
Kathleen @ Produce On Parade
Wednesday 26th of September 2018
What on earth?! Bianca! This is probably the most amazing and unique thing I have ever heard of. Pizza and pretzels and cheese... cider cheese?! OMG yes, a thousand times.
Bianca
Friday 28th of September 2018
Hahaha, thank you so much, Kathleen! Sometimes the best recipes are just the ones where everything amazing is combined in one :D