This $3.50 Trader Joe's Snack Is Coming With Me To Every March Madness Party
Karla Walsh
March 11, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Just like every fan has their favorite team, player, and good luck charm, many of us have strong feelings about what makes for the best game day snack. If you ask Grandma, it might be Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs or Homemade Brownies. As for Grandpa, he's all about the West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls and Cook-The-Enemy Gumbo. (Can you tell he's a bit competitive?)
For me? It's all about the carbs. In particular, the salt-dusted masterpieces that's as twisted as my stomach is during overtime: soft pretzels. On their own or dunked in mustard or cheese sauce, any time I see a game live, I always swing by the concession stand to place my signature order.
For at-home gatherings -- say, as we tune into a rivalry football game or March Madness -- I've previously made my own Soft Pretzels to recreate the stadium and arena experience for far less dough. Although that recipe is foolproof and flavorful, I have to admit that it's a bit fussy. Since you need to make the dough, let it rise, divide and shape it, let the twists rise again, boil the pretzels in a baking soda solution, brush them with egg wash, sprinkle with salt, and bake them -- whew! -- the entire process asks for nearly 2 ½ hours of time. That's longer than a college basketball game.
So I was thrilled to see that Trader Joe's added a new player to their late-winter lineup: Soft Pretzel Twists.
What Are Trader Joe's Soft Pretzel Twists?
Instead of being tied in the traditional knot shape, these soft pretzels are spiral sticks. You'll find them stationed near the hamburger buns and sliced bread, and now that we mention it, they look reminiscent of slightly smaller hot dog buns. They're not nearly as pale, though. These soft pretzel twists rock that signature shiny, mahogany coat that you might recognize from other German pretzel recipes. (By the way, this sheen and darker hue is courtesy of the basic solution the dough is dunked in before baking. At home, we suggest using a baking soda solution. TJ's version relies on food-grade lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, which is safe to consume but can be extremely irritating and dangerous for skin and eyes.)
"German pretzel experts" are the masterminds behind the recipe, the Trader Joe's team explains. Besides the unique shape, I was surprised and lured in by the fact that the ingredient list for Joe's version is even shorter than our recipe; featuring wheat and malted barley flour for ample flavor. Since it skips the egg and milk and opts for soybean oil instead of butter, the TJ's twists are dairy-free and vegan, too.
Each package comes with a packet of coarse salt, and the instructions say to moisten the surface with water, shower on a little (or a lot) of salt, and warm the pretzel twists in a 350°F before diving in. All in, this "recipe" takes less than 10 minutes to bring to the table. The clincher? The price: Just $3.49 for 6 twists. At that rate, I can certainly afford to bring enough soft pretzels for the entire home team.
What To Serve With Soft Pretzel Twists
Delicious enough to enjoy on their own, the game-day party really gets started when you round out the squad, ahem, the spread, with some dishes that will play nicely with these 60-cents-a-piece pretzels.
If you're in the mood to dunk, try Pretzel Dip, Cheese Sauce, Skillet Spinach-Artichoke Dip, or Skillet Beer Cheese Dip. For mealtime, consider these instead of crostini or crackers as a carb companion for Slow-Cooker Cheddar Soup or Easy Chili. Or split the twists in half, pretend they're a petite hoagie bun, and stuff them with a filling like Hasselback Sausage Bites, South Carolina Bird Dogs, or Easy Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork. Any and all the ways, these twists are trophy-worthy.
Lucky enough to have leftovers? I love dicing these up into squares, toss them with a bit of melted butter or olive oil and a spice blend, then toast them in the oven or air fryer to create makeshift pretzel croutons. They're standing ovation-worthy on a salad, bowl of soup, or crumbled atop mac and cheese.
Related: The One Freezer Item I Stock Up On Every Time I Shop At Trader Joe's
Read the original article on Southern Living