- October 1, 2026
- Appetizers
Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Biscuits
These flaky buttermilk biscuits have a layer of cheddar baked right through the center and a salty pretzel-style top from a simple baking soda wash. They’re buttery, tender, and full of classic pretzel flavor.
If you’re looking for a biscuit recipe that tastes like homemade soft pretzels but is easier to make, these cheese stuffed pretzel biscuits are for you. You get classic flaky buttermilk biscuit layers, a melted cheddar center (think grilled cheese vibes), and the classic pretzel flavor you love from salty pretzels, all without boiling a single thing.
Traditional soft pretzels or my homemade pretzel buns need a baking soda bath, a pot of boiling water, and a slotted spoon to fish each one out. That works great for a real pretzel, but a tender biscuit would fall apart in the water, and the cheese would leak out.
Inspired by the method used in the King Arthur flour version, instead, I brushed a simple baking soda wash over the tops. It gives you that pretzel-style finish and a golden-brown crust while keeping the cheese sealed inside. Serve these on game day, pack them for your next gathering, or bake a batch for cozy nights at home.
Why This Recipe Works
- Grated frozen butter spreads small pieces through the dough, which turn into flaky layers in the oven.
- Folding the dough a few times builds even more layers without a lot of extra work.
- Frozen cheddar slices are easy to place in a single layer and hold their shape until the biscuit sets around them.
- A brush-on baking soda wash gives you pretzel flavor and color with no boiling and no mess.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Biscuits
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough. No need for bread flour here.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These give the biscuits their lift.
- Kosher salt and sugar: Salt adds flavor, and a little sugar helps with browning.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it frozen so you can grate it. If you only have salted butter, cut back on the kosher salt a bit.
- Buttermilk: Use it cold. If you don’t have any, stir a little lemon juice or white vinegar into regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Cheddar cheese slices: Freeze them before you start. Pepper jack, Colby Jack, or smoked gouda slices also work.
For the Pretzel Topping
- Hot water and baking soda: This makes the pretzel wash. Use hot water so the baking soda dissolves all the way.
- Pretzel salt: Coarse salt works if you can’t find pretzel salt. Avoid fine table salt, since it melts into the top.
- Melted butter: Optional, but brushing it on right out of the oven adds a nice finish.
How to Make Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Biscuits
Step 1: Make the Dough
Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you’re out of parchment, a light coat of cooking spray will do.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter right into the bowl and toss it with the flour. Frozen butter here is essential to a flaky biscuit- don’t skip this step! Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. It should look messy. That’s what you want. If you’re not measuring the flour exactly, then you may need to add 1-2 tbsp more buttermilk until it comes together.
Step 2: Fold for Layers
Turn the shaggy dough out onto a floured counter. Pat it into a rectangle, then fold it over itself a few times. I find dividing it in half, pressing it out, and then folding it back over itself and repeating this at least three times is what gives you those pull-apart layers. For the final time, press out into a large rectangle, split the dough into two equal pieces, and pat one into a rectangle about ½ inch thick.
Step 3: Add the Cheese
Lay the frozen cheddar slices over one of the halves of dough (I did a double layer of cheese), leaving a small border around the edges. Place the second piece of dough on top and press the edges to seal. Pat it back out to about ¾ to 1 inch thick.
Step 4: Cut and Chill
Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut 8 large biscuit squares or 16 smaller biscuits using a sharp knife. Cut straight down without twisting so the layers stay clean. Move them to the prepared baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes by popping the whole tray into the freezer or fridge.
Step 5: Add the Pretzel Finish
In a small bowl, stir the baking soda into the hot water until it dissolves. Brush it generously over the tops of the biscuits only. Do not dunk or boil them. Sprinkle with pretzel salt right away so it sticks. No pretzel salt? Flaky salt works well here too!
Step 6: Bake
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the biscuits are puffed and deep golden brown. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out, if you like.
Tips and Variations
Keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold buttermilk, and frozen cheese are the best things you can do for flaky biscuits. If your kitchen is warm, pop the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before mixing.
Don’t overmix. Stir only until the buttermilk is mixed in. The folds do the rest.
Watch the color. The baking soda wash helps the tops brown faster, so you’ll get a deep golden color. If the tops brown before the centers are done, lay a loose sheet of aluminum foil over them.
Make biscuit pretzel bites. Cut the dough into small squares instead of full biscuits for easy soft pretzel bites. These homemade pretzel bites bake faster, so start checking them early. They make great party snacks and a fun after-school snack too.
Try a shortcut version. Short on time? Use canned biscuit dough. Brush the tops with the baking soda wash, add coarse salt, and bake according to the package directions. You won’t get the cheese center or as many layers, but you’ll still get easy pretzel bites with pretzel flavor.
Add some heat. Stir a pinch of cayenne pepper into the dry ingredients, or use pepper jack in place of cheddar.
Swap the topping. Use everything bagel seasoning instead of pretzel salt.
Make a sweet version. Skip the cheese and the salt. Brush the warm biscuits with melted butter and roll the tops in cinnamon sugar.
Skip the cheese. Leave out the cheddar and the cheese layer step for a simple pretzel-style buttermilk biscuit.
Storage. To store leftovers, let the biscuits cool, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven, or reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes until the cheese softens again.
What to Pair With Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Biscuits
- Smoked Beer cheese sauce or beer cheese soup: A warm cheese sauce makes these the perfect appetizer for game day.
- Honey Mustard Chicken Salad: A quick dip that brings out the classic pretzel flavor.
- Slow cooker pulled pork: Split them open and pile on the meat for mini sliders.
- Chili or roasted red pepper tomato soup: Great for dunking on cozy nights.
- Smoked Bratwurst or smoked Italian sausage: A natural match for anything pretzel-flavored.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Homemade pretzels usually go into a baking soda bath made with several cups of water. That would break down a biscuit and let the cheese escape. A baking soda wash brushed on top gives you the pretzel finish without any boiling water.
You can, but you’ll lose the pretzel flavor. An egg wash (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) gives a shiny top, but it tastes like a regular biscuit. The baking soda is what creates the pretzel taste.
Use plain hot water. Soda water, like club soda, is not the same as a baking soda solution. Hot water dissolves the baking soda better than warm water, so you get an even coat.
Not quite. Real pretzel dough gets its chewy crust from a baking soda soak and a sturdier dough. These biscuits stay soft and flaky inside, with a pretzel-style top and a salty bite.
Yes. Cut the biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover them in the fridge. Add the baking soda wash and salt right before baking.
More Recipes
Dutch Oven Chicken and Biscuits
Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter frozen
- 2 cups cold buttermilk
- 6 slices cheddar cheese frozen
Pretzel Topping
- ½ cup hot water
- 1½ tbsp baking soda
- Pretzel salt or coarse salt for topping
- 2 tbsp melted butter optional, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and sugar.
- Grate the frozen butter directly into the dry ingredients using a box grater. Toss until evenly distributed.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and mix gently just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, then fold it over itself several times to create layers.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Pat one portion into a rectangle about ½ inch thick.
- Place the frozen cheddar slices in a single layer over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Place the second portion of dough on top and press the edges to seal the cheese inside. Pat the dough out to about ¾ to 1 inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut straight down into 8 large or 16 small biscuits. Do not twist.
- Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir the hot water and baking soda until the baking soda fully dissolves.
- Brush the mixture generously over the tops only of the chilled biscuits. Do not dunk or boil them.
- Sprinkle the tops with pretzel salt or coarse salt right away.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until puffed and deep golden brown. Bake large biscuits toward 18 to 20 minutes and start checking small biscuits at 16 minutes.
- Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter right after baking, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
