Upgrade your snack game with a savory, protein-packed pairing that feels like an indulgence. Fresh out of the oven, these homemade Buttered Pretzels with Farmer Cheese Dipping Sauce are fluffy bites of golden goodness topped with coarse salt, offering just the right touch of something special.
These beauties are brushed with melted Lifeway Kefir Butter and served alongside a protein-rich, creamy dipping sauce made with Lifeway Farmer Cheese that’s high in protein and lactose intolerant friendly. This combination gives them an instant upgrade compared to regular pretzels with more flavor — and adds more nutrients to the recipe, too. Our kefir butter’s live probiotics keep it gut-friendly compared to highly processed butter or butter alternatives, while Lifeway Farmer Cheese packs the dip with complete protein for satiety and live probiotics for digestive support.
Bake up a batch of these pretzels for your next game day gathering, meal prep them for a post-workout snack, or bring them to any party for a crowd-pleasing appetizer sure to disappear fast. No matter where or how you serve them, you can be sure they’ll add some culture to your table — all thanks to Lifeway.
Find Lifeway Kefir Butter, Lifeway Farmer Cheese, and our other probiotic foods in a store near you here, or shop online to have them delivered.
Looking for more delicious recipes? Check those out here!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health.
Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, support the digestive system, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1. Lifeway Kefir also contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health including vitamins D3, K, and B 12 along with calcium and potassium. Along with our kefir, we also offer our creamy, cultured Lifeway Farmer Cheese, a high protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that’s easy to spread and contains no added salt or sugar.
Prep Time: 45 mins Servings: 8Ingredients
Pretzels:
- 1 1/2 cups Farmer Cheese
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp. coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp. Salted Kefir Butter
Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup additional Lifeway Farmer Cheese
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast (for a cheesy flavor)
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. hot sauce of choice
- 1 tsp. diced jalapeño
- 1 tsp. chopped chives
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Pretzels:
Add 1 1/2 cups Lifeway Farmer Cheese to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer the farmer cheese to a large bowl then stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough just until combined.- Sprinkle flour onto your work surface then turn out the dough and knead it until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick rope roughly 15 inches long, then twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape. Flour your work surface and the dough as needed.
- Add 2-3 liters of water to a large pot on the stovetop and bring to a rolling boil. Add the baking soda, then let it come back up to a boil. Plunge each pretzel into the boiling water for 30 seconds or until the pretzel floats. Remove the pretzels from the water and arrange them on the baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
- Brush the pretzels with the egg wash then sprinkle them with salt.
- Bake the pretzels until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove them from the oven and brush with melted Lifeway Kefir Butter. Let them cool slightly before serving
Make the Farmer Cheese Dipping Sauce:
In a blender, add 1 cup Lifeway Farmer Cheese, nutritional yeast, turmeric powder, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Blend until smooth. Optional: microwave to heat up. Top with jalapeño and chives.
