Honey Butter Soft Pretzel Candy Canes: These buttery, soft pretzel rolls are brushed with a sweet-and-salty honey butter that makes them irresistible. Serve them warm, fresh out of the oven! They’re quick and easy dinner rolls made with just flour, salt, instant yeast, butter, honey, and an egg—ready in under two hours with minimal effort. Perfect for all your holiday gatherings! P.S. Leftovers make a fantastic breakfast!
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I just went back and looked at the recipes I posted in December 2012 and 2013—what a blast from the past! Back then, I’d cringe at my old content, but now? I absolutely love it. Honestly, I miss those early days. There was something so special about that time—zero fear, just pure creativity!
I thought I might’ve shared a soft pretzel roll like today’s recipe before, but nope! Candy Cane Cinnamon Rolls? Yes, those I’ve done.
Originally, I wanted to shape my soft pretzel dough into cute little holiday bows, but that was way harder than expected! So I switched to twists instead, forming them into candy canes.
Easy peasy! And let’s be real—we’re all about easy right now. But trust me, these are so good. I’m definitely serving them for Christmas Eve dinner—my mom’s already obsessed.
Here’s how it’s done:
Ingredients:
- Flour
- Instant yeast
- Salt
- Honey
- Salted butter
- An egg yolk
Special Tools:
- A stand mixer with a dough hook (makes life easier!), baking sheets, and a slotted spoon.
If you’ve got a stand mixer, the dough hook does all the work for you. No mixer? No problem—just knead by hand (though it’ll take a bit more elbow grease!).
Step 1: Make the dough
In your stand mixer’s bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, instant yeast, and salt. Then add warm water, honey, and softened (or melted) butter.
The best part about instant yeast? You can skip the first rise and get straight to baking!
Mix with the dough hook until smooth, then cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Shape the dough
Time to roll it out!
On a floured surface, divide the dough in half, then split each half into eight balls. Roll each into 16 ropes (about a foot long). Twist two ropes together, then shape into a candy cane.
Arrange them on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 3: Boil the pretzels
Just like classic soft pretzels, these need a quick boil—don’t worry, it’s simple!
Boil each roll for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheets, reshaping into candy canes as you go.
Step 4: Bake!
Pop them in the oven—they bake fast, about 20 minutes!
Step 5: Honey butter glaze
Literally just mix salted butter and honey. Brush the warm rolls generously, then bake for another minute.
The smell? Unreal. Pretzels, butter, and honey—it’s magic.
These rolls are always a hit. Make them for your holiday dinners—they’re festive, adorable, and downright delicious. And yes, they’re just as amazing the next morning for breakfast. Your guests (and you!) will love them.
