Crack Pretzels are the perfect no-bake homemade salty snack. This crispy, buttery, ranch-flavored treat is addictive!
The best recipes are the ones that are shared. And, if they’ve been shared a lot, you know they’re good. Such is the case with these Crack Pretzels. Heather came home from work one day with a recipe for seasoned pretzels that she “just had to make” for me. She’d been talking about these things for weeks.
Apparently her friend Aimee was pretty well known for these babies at the hospital. So, when she shared the recipe with Heather, she stopped by the store on her way home to grab the ingredients that very day. For good reason. These things are ridiculous.
There are TONS of recipes for seasoned pretzels out there – despite the fact that I hadn’t even ever heard of them. The prep methods vary too. But this one is cheap, easy, and incredibly delicious. So I just knew I had to share it with y’all… and Aimee graciously obliged.
Now, she calls them Seasoned Pretzels, but “seasoned” just doesn’t quite convey the deliciousness in my opinion. So, we started calling them Crack Pretzels because they’re so addictive. It’s seriously a case of “bet you can’t eat just one.”
These are a great snack, a delicious appetizer, and a GREAT gift to share with your neighbors.
What can I put on my pretzels?
The sky truly is the limit when it comes to what you can put on your seasoned pretzels. For these particular Crack Pretzels, I listed the ingredients below, but the main stars of the show are garlic salt, dried dill weed, and ranch dressing mix. I also recommend trying grated Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper for a kick of heat, or cinnamon, sugar, or Everything But the Bagel seasoning for a sweet and/or savory take on these addictive snack pretzels.
How to Make Seasoned Pretzels
There is really not a specific step-by-step recipe for making seasoned pretzels, or at least not my version, Crack Pretzels. You just grab your pretzels, seasonings, and vegetable oil. Then, you mix it all up, and leave them in an airtight container overnight for marinating.
If you don’t have time to let your pretzels marinate overnight, you can simply follow the instructions on how to bake them in the section below.
Do I have to bake these pretzels?
No, you definitely do not have to bake these pretzels. As a matter of fact, I don’t bake them at all. As long as you give yourself time for the pretzels to marinate overnight, the pretzels absorb the oil without having to be baked.
If you do need to speed up the process, simply place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 250°F for about 20-30 minutes. You will want to check on your pretzels and stir them every 10 minutes or so.
How to Store Seasoned Pretzels
Storing seasoned pretzels doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is an airtight container. This could be something as simple as a sealed Ziploc plastic bag. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make sure you are storing your pretzels for optimal freshness:
- Airtight Container – Keep your pretzels in an airtight container as soon as they are mixed up, or after they have cooled if you do bake them. You want to make sure the container is airtight so the pretzels stay crunchy.
- Avoid Humidity – You don’t want to store your pretzels in humid areas, like near the stove or in the refrigerator. Humidity can make your pretzels lose their crunch. And, no one wants a soggy pretzel.
Recipe Card
Crack Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 (1-pound) bag small pretzels
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt ((or garlic powder if you're watching your sodium intake))
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 (1-ounce) package ranch dressing mix
Instructions
- Pour the pretzels into a gallon-size zip top bag. In a small bowl stir together the oil, garlic salt, dill, and ranch dressing mix. Pour the mixture over the pretzels and seal the top. Shake to cover the pretzels in the seasoning. Allow the pretzels to marinate overnight, turning the bag 3 to 4 times to get everything coated.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Layla
Hi! Just made these and now they are marinating…should I put them in fridge to marinate? Thanks!
No, you’ll want to keep them right on the counter and room temp.
Karla Franklin
Any thoughts about using gluten free pretzels?
I think they should work just fine. Enjoy!
George
I accidentally made this the first time with a full 12oz bag of pretzels. They were pretty salty and spicy but they were still a good treat. When I made a second batch using a 16oz bag of pretzels the flavors mellowed considerably and I can’t seem to keep them in stock with our snack loving family.
We made some this weekend, too! So glad everyone enjoyed them!
Toni H
I have been making these since i found this recipe years ago looking for an easy snack to bring camping. We are now addicted and I have to bring a batch of these on every camping trip. I didn’t realize how popular they were until I didn’t have time to make them. Our friends husband immediately upon parking their camper ran up and exclaimed “pretzels!?” He was devastated and I had to quickly remedy the situation by finding a grocery store nearby! Now I make at least three batches prior to every camping trip, between the 6 of us they are gone in a weekend. Thank you for sharing the recipe for what is now a camping tradition!
Love hearing this! Thanks, Toni!
A. J.
so easy and oh so good!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Marcia Seibel
My family and I are “addicted!” The pretzels are amazing. I added a tablespoon of Everything Bagel and used spicy ranch dressing mix. Perfection!!
Ha! Love that, Marcia!
Michelle
These are awesome. My mom made them same thing but with oyster crackers. I used 2 bags of the itty bitty pretzels because they are 12oz bags, 1 cup of avocado oil and 1 pack of hidden valley ranch mix, 1 heaping tablespoon of garlic powder and 1 heaping tablespoon of dill weed and they turned out perfect, not at all oilly. Thank you so much for this recipe, it brought back a wonderful childhood memory.
So glad they turned out great for you! And thanks for the tip about the oyster crackers! I’m going to try those, too!
Sheila Weaver
This recipe wants me to eat pretzels….love it!….I shared the recipe with my two sisters….
Hope y’all enjoy them!!
Dot Diambra
Hello, again. Just a thought, since I’m trying to get rid of a ” few ” pounds, could I put the pretzels on wax paper and spray them with Pam, flip em over, repeat, then follow up with the rest of it?
Hey, Dot! I’ve not tested that, so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out.
M J
Would that be about 4 cups of pretzels? I already have a big bag on hand. Don’t want to get out to find a 1 lb. bag.
I honestly don’t know since we’re talking a weight measurement versus a volume measurement. I tried to look at the packaging online, but even the serving size is based on weight. I do think it’s certainly more than 4 cups, however.
Chrissy W
I make this twice a year. Only changes I do are:
Orville Reddenbacher popping corn oil instead of vegetable oil
I cook in my nesco (4 lbs of pretzels at a time) at 300 for an hour stirring really well every 10 min.
Pretzels are crispy and I think the mix sticks better.
This is an Excellant recipe.
Thanks, Chrissy! I really need to try it with the popcorn oil!
Becky
Made the crack pretzels this week. Easy, quick and yummy! Really great for a get together.
So glad you enjoyed them!
Gillian
I love these so much The name says it all! Addictive and a great party snack. Using broken sourdough pretzels helps the seasoning stick and marinate. I have to agree with some other folks and cut out the garlic salt and just use plain garlic powder. The ranch seasoning already has a good amount of salt and you can always add more to your liking.
Glad you enjoyed them!
Jennifer
We were suspicious with the lack of baking, but my oh my these are good!!!
I know it’s weird, but it just works. I actually tested baking these and MUCH prefer the flavor of them unbaked. Glad you enjoyed them, too!!
Devin
No baking? Are the soggy?? Could I use olive oil? Or any kind?
Nope – no baking. And not soggy at all – not even a little. I would imagine you could certainly use olive oil, just keep in mind the taste will be a little different.
Lorie
Although I am not watching my sodium content, the pretzels were extremely salty. I tried adding a cereal to them but ended up not serving them. Please adjust your recipe.
The recipe is fine. We just made 8 batches to give as gifts. You could have ended up with a particularly salty batch of pretzels to start. Different brands of pretzels have varying amounts of salt. Next time, you could also use garlic powder rather than garlic salt.
Bobbie Flores
I want to ensure that I’m not missing something.
You simply put the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and let them marinate overnight? No baking is required?
Thank you!!
That is correct. No baking. Enjoy!
Sharon Watkins
These are seriously addictive! They are a Christmas staple at our house. This year I’m making a few batches as gifts for my coworkers. I’m so glad my friend suggested this recipe❤️
I love hearing that, Sharon! We sure love them at our house. In fact, I did the food for my cousin’s wedding a few weeks back and she insisted that we have these pretzels. And they’re GREAT for gift-giving!
Mel
These are very good and the fact I don’t have to bake, is excellent.
I followed the recipe, but with garlic powder and then added, a 1/2 tsp of Cayenne pepper and finished everything off with about 1/2 tsp of Everything but the bagel, seasoning!
For us, it is a delightful, delish pretzel!
Thanks so much!
So glad to hear the pretzels turned out great for you!
Donna
Stacey I made this exactly per your recipe and they were delicious! Reminded me of Dot’s pretzels.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Thank you so much!
So glad you loved them!
Liz
The best snack. Easy recipe. My favorite snack. I make a double batch. They go quickly!
These go quickly at our house too!
Meg
I made these for a large gathering a couple weeks ago. So many people were asking me how I made them. My friend even asked if I’d make them for a party today. I’m taking something else, but I’ll be making some just for her.
That is so sweet! Not sure I could make them and give them away so easily, lol!
Mira
Hey guys, I made these at six in the morning yesterday on a whim because I came across this recipe and happened to have everything in stock and couldn’t sleep. I just now tasted them, they are pretty good just heavily salty, & I used plain garlic powder. Maybe my Aldi ranch packet was saltier than HV, or I had less pretzels than the recipe calls for (I didn’t measure) so I will try it again next time with HV and the right amount of pretzels. It’s important to note that I only used about a third a cup of oil, it was more than enough, and it did fully absorb into the pretzels. I can’t see a real reason to use a full cup of oil, TBH. This is more than enough! Otherwise recipe was delicious. Thanks for this!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe, Mira!
Kathy
These are wonderful!! I did add a little over a tsp of Lemon pepper for a variation ….. Yummy!!! I’m thinking next time a little bit of smoked Paprika!!
Interesting twist! I’ll have to try that! Glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Jenny
I do a similar thing with pretzels which includes the vegetable oil with dry powder cheddar cheese (Hoosier Hill Farm Premium Cheddar Cheese Powder off Amazon) , ranch mix and kosher salt. I mix everything and put in 200 degree oven for 40 minutes, tossing them occasionally (I set my timer to toss them every 10 minutes). Also like to add cayenne for a little kick. When I take out of oven, I sprinkle with extra kosher salt so that it sticks. These come out non-greasy.
Sounds good to me! Thanks for the info on the cheese powder!
Deb Beck
I have made these amazing snacks for years!! I didn’t make them for a while and lost my recipe, thank you so much for posting!! A couple things I have done to make it a tad easier and take it up a notch… I use a 2 gallon zip lock bag, (I double bag just in case of a break. save the outer bag for next time) to give the pretzels a little more room to toss and turn. Then transfer to a gallon bag after they are ready. Another great addition, if you have friends or family in or visiting Hawaii, have them grab you a bag or two of Maui Onion and Garlic Macadamia nuts toss them in after the pretzels are ready, it just adds another level of amazingness to this awesome snack! You can get the Mac nuts on Amazon as well, just twice the price… I find it worth it on occasion! 😉 Thanks again for the great post!!!!
This sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Deb!
Karen
*Update: They were AWESOME! I used slightly less oil (3/4 cup) than your recipe calls for, after reading some comments, but feel as though a whole cup would have been fine. My guy loved loved loved them, & keeps asking for more! So I’m making them as a surprise for Super Bowl Sunday. I REALLY want to add some Parmigiano Reggiano to it, but I’m worried that the oil & cheese might become enemies during the marinating process, haha? Maybe add it at the very end, or try a small batch as an experiment? Anyway, thank you so much for offering this easy recipe that tastes like a million bucks!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them! I think the addition of parm sounds amazing, but I’ve not tried it myself so I can’t say for sure.
Sabrina
Hi Stacy!!! These are absolutely delicious! I just have one question. I used sourdough pretzels and smashed them up. It seems like there is a lot of excess oil after marinading over night. Can you suggest how to get the excess oil off !? Should I try baking for a little. Like I said they taste amazing; just very oily!
Baking them should work for sure. I’ve not tried this recipe with the sourdough pretzels, just with the plain ones.
Karen D
Hi, Stacey! I came across your recipe whilst looking for a pretzel/Hershey Kiss/M&M recipe also named Crack Pretzels, but this sounds better! I need a quick snack for Chrissy Day football at our bubble bud’s & this fits the bill. Just got home with the ingredients & can’t wait to try it out. Bright blessings to you & yours this holiday season, & please stay safe. Thank you.
I sure hope you’ll enjoy them! Happy Holidays!!
Pamela Billiot
Can you use Avocado oil?
I’ve not tried that, but I can’t see why not.
krystlerb
These were great! I see a lot of comments about the salt content so I’ll share what worked for me. I was actually out of garlic salt, so I substituted garlic powder instead and threw in a pinch of salt. It worked great for me! I also added one pinch of cayenne pepper. This is a such a great and easy recipe.
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed them!!!
Nancy w
Oh my goodness these are delicious! I was a bit intimidated by pouring a whole cup of oil on pretzels lol. But it soaks in along with the flavor! I didn’t have regular oil so I used olive oil. Wow! They remind me of the flavor of the olive oil Triscuits.
I’ll be making another batch exactly as written now that I bought oil and I know they’ll be just as amazing. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
I know it seems a little crazy, but thanks so much for trusting the recipe! I’m so, so glad they turned out great for you!
Christine Shipley
These are awesome. Every time I make them, they are devoured. I have also used French onion powder & blue cheese powder that I get from Amish market. Every batch is delicious. Thanks for the recipe, it’s so easy to make.
Love hearing that! And the Amish flavored powders sound amazing here!
Matthew Mcdonell
I love these, almost too much! How can I convert this to almonds so I feel a little better?
Ha! I know the feeling! So do you want to add almonds to the mix or only use almonds?
McKenna Schaller
A friend of mine uses the oil for popcorn and it is to die for. Terrible for you, but worth it.
Sounds like a delicious addition!
Lucy
Great for Vacation Bible School, when you use the little square “net” pretzels with various goldfish crackers.
What a fun idea!!
Abby
whats dill weed
It’s just dried dill – found in the spice section fo the grocery tore.
janet poole
Are they wet after 8 hours, you don’t bake them
No. The pretzels absorb the oil just like they would if there were baked. You can bake them. I have once when I was in a hurry, but I much prefer them not being baked.
Peter
Should these marinate on the counter or in the fridge?
On the counter and room temp. Enjoy!
Karen
My recipe of these crack pretzels have been sitting for 72 hours and still liquid in the gallon plastic bag! I followed all directions correctly, used canola oil, have made them in the past with no trouble! What could be wrong, should I trash them?
You can pop them in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes and they should dry out.
Lucy
Add more pretzels or crackers.
Angie
So good! We used Orville Redenbaucher’s (spelling?) popcorn butter oil blend in place of vegetable oil. Making these for Christmas treats for the neighbors … if I can get my family to stay out of them! ???? Thank you , Stacey!
So glad they turned out great for you!
Theresa Zechmeister
I also have made the same blend of seasonings but used oyster crackers instead. They are addictive. Been making them for at least 20 years. Recently I started using 1/2 the oil (to make healthier) and it DID NOT make a difference – just less oily. Might be the same with the pretzels.
Thanks for the head up, Theresa!
Chante Newberry
Oh good to know! I will try that next time! Thank you! Ps…I tried this with the Chex Cereal and it was really good!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kate
Pretzels – thin pretzel sticks – have just come out of the marinating bag. Sat for ten hours. They are all noticeably greasy and there’s still a few teaspoons left in the bag. Going to try baking them like Chex mix to degrease them.
I’ve not tried this with the thin stick pretzels. Baking them should fix them right up.
Rachel C
These are delicious but using 1 cup of vegetable oil made them SUPER greasy. I’ll definitely make these again. Trying with half that amount.
Interesting. I’ve never had them turn out greasy. How long did you let them rest?
Trasa
Hello, I hope u see this. I noticed this was listed in 2016. My question: when the mixture has sat overnight. Will the oil be absorbed in the pretzels? Or do you put on paper towels to drain the oil ?
The oil will be completely absorbed by the pretzels.
Sheralyn
I can’t believe this recipe! I have made a party mix for literally decades that uses the ranch dressing seasoning, dried dill weed (a LOT of it), oil, 3 varieties of chex cereals, cheese crackers, pretzels and peanuts….and you are correct…it is CRACK! So glad to see others enjoying the wonderful flavors of this combo!
It’s just so dang good, right????
Tammy Musso
So these pretzel just sitting in the oil marinating doesnt make them soggy?
Not a bit. 🙂 It’s crazy!
CHris Jones
Would these be good placed on a baking sheet and put in the oven for a short time?
There are recipes that call for that, but this one eliminates that step and makes it so much easier without altering the end flavor.
Marilee Donovan
I hate ranch dressing flavor. Can you please suggest a substitute as i’d love to make these.
You can try an Italian dressing mix, but I’ve not tried it that way.
Kris
Try taco seasonings
Sharon
I made these exactly as your recipe called for and they were way too salty. Next time I make them I’ll either use garlic powder instead of garlic salt or I’ll buy unsalted pretzels and use garlic salt. Otherwise they were good and so easy to make.
Varying salt levels in pretzels and the garlic salt can sometimes make them too salty for some tastes.
Irene Reiff
These are a favourite around our place. But the recipe we use calls for a teaspoon of garlic powder that keeps it from getting to salty. But definately make these.
🙂
Mary Beth
Taste tested them three times so far and you’re right, they’re just fine! Very tasty. I’m glad I didn’t trash them. Thank you!
Mary Beth
I messed up and used HV Dip not Dressing. Are they ruined? Should I just toss them in garbage now or will they be edible in 24 hours? Thanks.
No, I think they’ve be just fine. Maybe a little different flavor, but certainly not garbage. 🙂
bonnie lafountaine
Can you do the same with wheat check and peanuts? Want to add them to pretzels
I would think so!
Joyce M
Is the dill weed fresh or dried ? Looking forward to making this.
It’s dried.
Laura Pitts
Eeeek! I have 7 hours to marinate before the party. Is that sufficient time?
I think it should work just fine! 🙂
Cathy Littreal
I made these for a snack over Christmas… EXTREMELY TOO SALTY!! We couldn’t even eat them. I had to brush off most of the seasoning which I will NOT take time to do again. If I made them again I would substitute the garlic salt with maybe a teaspoon of garlic powder?? I don’t know. Blah!!!! Disappointing… Should have stuck with my Fire Cracker recipe those are da bomb 🙂
I’ve not had this complaint before. I wonder if maybe the brand of pretzels that you used had an abnormally high amount of salt on them?
Chante Newberry
I took out the salt and they were perfect!! I also tried a Fiesta Ranch Seasoning and they were so good! Has anyone ever add Chex Cereal to this, I want to try that! Also whenever my daughter or I make these, everyone devours them!
Love the Fiesta Ranch idea!
Rebecca
Do you think butter would work instead of the oil?
I don’t think butter would work very well. It’s going to solidify and not get absorbed by the pretzels.
Laura Henderson
I used 1/2 butter 1/2 olive oil. The key is that you ha e to put them on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
We’ve actually never had to to baked them and like the flavor of the garlic before it’s been baked. That said, there are a bunch of recipes out there that call for you to bake them and this recipe will work that way as well.
Patsy
Mine are still greasy in the bag after leaving them overnight, what are you suppose to do to dry them
Nope. They shouldn’t be greasy at all. The bag will look greasy, but the pretzels shouldn’t be. I’d recommend just transferring them to another container or bag.
Karen
*Oops! Sorry to bother – I also forgot to ask about Canola Oil which I have on hand. But I think you already answered that it may change the flavor just like Olive Oil would.
Thanks again!
*Karen
No worries! Yes, canola oil will work just fine.
Kaaren
Stacey,
I was just thinking about making some kind of snacks to give as gifts! I don’t have a big budget but I wanted to make something I could put into cute cellophane bags and maybe tie with a ribbon. I can get overwhelmed with so many things going on this busy time of year and this looks easy and delicious! It’s also a great option to balance all those sweets everyone else may be making;D
Thank you for everything you do!
Merry Christmas!
It’s great for that! In fact, it’s exactly what our neighbors are getting this year!
Brenda
Do you use unsalted pretzels? I don’t really see salt on yours and you add so much garlic salt.
Nope. I use regular salted pretzels. Feel free to use unsalted if you’re concerned about the sodium content.
Denise
Stacey I totally agree with how addicting these are! I’ve made these before, but we also like to use Old Bay Seasoning in them. Oh my gosh, so good! Another thing that you can use in place of the vegetable oil is Orville Redenbacher’s Buttery Flavored Oil (Popping & Topping). There are so many seasonings out there to experiment with. Good luck and I’d like to try some of the variations from your followers. 🙂
YUM! Those are some seriously delicious variations!
Nancy
Stacey, these really sound good! I wonder if you could use olive oil instead if regular cooking oil?
Yes, you sure can! It will change the flavor a bit.
Susan Knell
St
Stacey,
Your email arrived in the nick of time! I’m having a part tomorrow night and wanted to make one more thing, and this sounds perfect! Merry Christmas!
Wonderful! I know everyone will LOVE these!!
Susan Knell
Just now saw my blooper. Oh, well, you’re a saint when it comes to cooking! haha
You’re too sweet!
Cindy S
You don’t need to bake them or anything else?…. That is literally all there is to the recipe?
I will have to try them as soon as I can gather the ingredients!!
Nope. That’s it! Isn’t that easy!?!?
Kay
That was my same thought…. they seem really oily, I’m going to put mine in the oven for a little while
How long have your been “marinating”?
Teresa
I cook them in the oven at 200* for 30 minutes, stir turn around and cook for another 30 minutes. Allow them to cool and they are ready to eat
Stacey English
Yes! I’ve made these with oyster crackers. Yummy!
So good!
Nana
I am going to give these a try with pretzels. I have made the same recipe but it called for oyster crackers which are very good as well.
Hope you’ll enjoy them like we do!
Nana
I had written above about making these with oyster crackers but made Stacy’s version and they beat crackers seven ways from Sunday!
LOL! So glad you enjoyed them so much!!
Donna Miller
they are like swamp crackers
1 1/2 c canola oil
1 T crushed red pepper
1 t ground red pepper
1 envelope ranch dressing
saltine crackers
mix all together in a gallon (glass preferably) jug. Let sit for about 30 minutes then turn, flip, etc every 6 to 8 hours.
Elyse B.
How long do these crackers and pretzels stay fresh if in a sealed container?
A week or so.
YUM!
Linda Johnson
What is the next step w the pretzels after you marinate overnight?? Do they dry..do u put in another bag??
Sheena
I am wondering about that. I don’t see the steps after marinating.