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Street Cart Pretzels from the cookbook, NYC Vegan – homemade soft baked pretzels are easier to make than you think! Now you can have your favorite vendor snack anytime you want.
Have you ever dreamed of wandering the streets of New York City, gazing up at the tall buildings, taking in the sights, and popping in to a famous restaurant or stopping at one of the oh-so-popular street vendors for a taste of the Big Apple? It feels like everyone I know has either been to NYC or has it on their bucket list.
I was there on a high school trip (almost 25 years ago!) and it was quite the experience. While I can’t get you to the city, I am going to tell you how to enjoy famous New York recipes in the comfort of your own home.
In NYC Vegan: Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple, Michael Suchman and Ethan Ciment (of the blog, Vegan Mos) share delicious favorites, all veganized. The book celebrates the diversity of this great city through it’s food! Keep reading for a full review, the recipe for Street Cart Prezels and for a chance to WIN A COPY of the cookbook for yourself!
Street Food Carts
Food has been sold in street carts in New York City from basically it’s beginning. The food sold from these carts is as diverse as the city’s population and has changed over the years to reflect the new cultures as they arrived.
A staple snack of the food carts throughout the years, introduced to New York from the Germans, is the Soft Pretzel. My hubby and kids have a love for salty soft pretzels, so when I saw the recipe for the Street Cart Baked Pretzels in NYC Vegan, I knew we had to try them! And, oh boy, are they good! Crispy, chewy outsides with fluffy soft insides, dotted with chunky coarse salt – there is a reason we have made FOUR batches….so far.
Before we get to the baked pretzels recipe, take a look at what you’ll find inside the rest of the book.
Inside NYC Vegan
There are eight recipe chapters and here’s a sampling of what they include:
The Basics – Pizza Dough; Cashew Parmesan; Rice Paper Ham
Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Tofu Benedict; Cinnamon Rolls; New York-Style Bagels
Power Lunch – New-Fashioned Jewish Chick’n Soup; Knishes; Street Meat Platter
Start Spreading The News – Tzatziki; Spinach Artichoke Dip; Hollandaise Sauce
Supper Club – Mofongo; Classic NYC Pizza; Pierogi
Farmers’ Market – Potatoes Paprikash; Latkes; Mushrooms Stuffed Zucchini
On The Side – Half-Sour Pickles; Orzo with Peas and Toasted Pine Nuts; Onion Loaf
How Sweet It Is – Big Apple Pie; Brooklyn Egg Cream; Zeppole
There are also chapters titled The Flavors of New York City and Being Vegan in New York City. The latter includes a list of vegan restaurants and which neighborhood you’ll find them in.
Let’s just take a moment to look at just how fluffy the insides of these baked pretzels are! They come out perfect every time (and remember I’ve made 4 batches!). And they are so super easy to make – promise! Dunk them in some grainy mustard for a snack that’s hard to resist.
More vegan snack recipes
- No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls
- Perfect Oil-Free Hummus
- Spiced Roasted Nuts
- Mint Chocolate Chip Granola
- Pesto Pizza Bites
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Don’t forget to grab your copy of NYC Vegan!
Vegan Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water 110°F to 115°F
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ ounce package active dry yeast
- 4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons nondairy butter melted
- canola oil or other neutral oil as needed
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
- coarse salt as needed
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow this mixture to sit for 5 minutes or until it begins to foam. Add the flour and butter. Using the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and grease it well with oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm place for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 (18 x 12-inch) baking pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Set the pans aside.
- Bring the water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, shape the pretzels. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a “U” shape with the rope. Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press them on to the bottom of the “U” in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheets.
- One at a time, place the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large, flat spatula, return them to the baking sheets, and sprinkle them with the coarse salt. Bake the pretzels until they are light golden brown in color, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
It still blows my mind that you can make pretzels like this at home! I love this cookbook!
Jenn S.
I know, right?! I always am intimidated when I see recipes like this, but my gosh, it’s so easy!
Karen D
I went to NYC when I was a teenager. Enjoyed Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.
Don’t want to go back, though. I don’t enjoy crowds. Too many years in the mountains. 🙂
Jenn S.
I’m with you on the crowds – definitely not my thing. But, I did enjoy the time that I was there. We saw Cats on Broadway and I loved it! And, I LOVE the mountains – went to Breckenridge last year and fell in love.
Julie Running in a Skirt
What a lovely cookbook! These pretzels are nothing short of dreamy. I want one with grainy spicy mustard!
Jenn S.
Dreamy they are! Thanks, Julie! You’d love them.
Alisa Fleming
Soft pretzels are such a weakness of mine! They were a staple for survival in college. I must make these! And that book sounds amazing – I’m seeing so much of it lately.
Jenn S.
It’s a great book. A little piece of New York in your own home. Enjoy!
Rusty M
I’ve never been to NYC but I’ve always wanted to go, especially a walking tour of Greenwich Village! Thanks for the chance!
Jenn S.
Sounds fabulous! Good luck, Rusty!
Vegyogini
My favorite thing about NYC is all the amazing vegan food! And Broadway shows. 😉 My favorite restaurants there are Candle 79 and Hangawi.
Jenn S.
I’ve heard so many good things about Candle 79. Hope to get there some day!
Dianne
I’ve eaten many pretzels from street carts in NYC without realizing that they weren’t vegan. I didn’t realize it until I heard Michael and Ethan talking about it on JL’s radio show. Idk! I have this recipe printed out and tacked to my fridge. I plan on making them soon!
Jenn S.
I would have assumed they were too! No need to spend your money anymore though because these are perfection!
Jessica - Nutritioulicious
Oh my gosh these look amazing! That grainy mustard is a must too!
Kristina - Love & Zest
Yum! It’s hard to resist a fresh warm pretzel! Great vegan restaurant resource, sounds like a foodie adventure needs to be had in NY!
Jenn S.
Yes, for sure! Thanks, Kristina!
Julie
I recently visited NY for the first time. Amazing! We were not there long enough to experience it fully. We visited One World Trade Center and walked for miles! Times Square. Grand Central, Central Park, a boat ride passing by Ellis Island & the Statue of Liberty (fyi, you have to schedule tours months in advance to actually go there!). I don’t think I could live there, but would love to visit again…only for longer than 2 short days.
Jenn S.
Sounds like a fabulous trip! I agree, I don’t think I could live there either, but I think everyone should experience it at least once.
EJ
Growing up in NYC was an introduction to wonderful international food. I’ll try making your pretzel recipe as this is one thing my husband could never resist.
So glad I found your site.
Thank you.
Jenn S.
Oh, that’s great EJ! I hope you both love these pretzels. Enjoy!
Maryann
These look so good!
Jenn S.
Thanks! They are!
Dee
My favorite thing about NYC is that my eldest son lives there and he loves all the hustle and bustle! We plan to visit him there one day soon. This recipe book seems to have captured many of the great tastes of this city!
Jenn S.
Oh, how fun! If you get your hands on this book, you’ll definitely have to check out the vegan restaurant section at the end so you can try them out while you’re there! Thanks, Dee!
jacquie
My favorite thing about NY is the variety that is found there – people, places to go, things to do …..
Jenn S.
I agree! The diversity makes it so fun!
Becky Striepe
Wow! These look amazing! I have been eyeing this recipe, and I think you have convinced me to dive in and make it!
Jenn S.
You seriously won’t believe how easy they are! You should make them immediately! 🙂