Recipe: Mickey Pretzels

How to make the iconic Disney Parks Mickey-shaped soft pretzel.

One of the most iconic snacks from the Disney Parks is the Mickey-shaped soft pretzel. These pretzels are not only delicious, but also make a great photo prop as well. While it can be difficult to get the perfect Mickey shape at home, you can count on these to taste just as good as the park version. And don’t forget to grab some nacho cheese sauce to dip them in! 

Mickey Pretzels

Yields 8 large pretzels or 16 small pretzels 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups warm water (110ºF)

• 1 packet of instant yeast

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour 

• 4 cups room temperature water (for poaching)

• ¼ cup baking soda 

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon room temperature water (for egg wash)

• Kosher salt 

• Nacho cheese sauce (optional for dipping)

Instructions:

1. Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. Sprinkle the packet of instant yeast on top of the water and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

3. Add brown sugar and salt to the bowl and beat on low speed to combine.

4. Add flour to the mixture and use the dough hook to knead for 5 minutes.

5. Spray another bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. Flour a surface and transfer your dough from the bowl to the surface.

8. Divide your dough into eight even parts if you are making large pretzels, or sixteen parts if you are making smaller pretzels. 

9. There are a few ways to shape the pretzels. The hardest one, which is the closest match to the park shape, is easiest with a larger piece of dough. Start by shaping the dough into a heart shape. Then use a knife to poke a hole in the top part of each side of the heart and use your fingers to stretch out the ear shapes. Next, cut a rounded “M” shape (like the McDonald’s logo) in between the two ears that will turn into the eyes. Below that, make a small hole and use your fingers to stretch it into an oval shape for the nose. Finally, cut a smile shape into the bottom of the dough to form the mouth. 

   1. An easier way is to make an outline of the iconic Mickey shape. You can do this by shaping your piece of dough into a flat circle and then cutting a hole in the center with a knife. Then stretch the dough so that it is a loop of even thickness. Set it down on your surface and twist the top right and left parts to form the ears. This technique works with both small and large pieces of dough.

   2. A third way, which is the easiest, is to take your piece of dough and split it in half. Form one half into a ball and set aside. Split the other piece in half again and form both of those pieces into smaller balls. Stick the two smaller balls to the larger one to form a Mickey Mouse shape. This technique works best with the smaller pieces of dough

10. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add baking soda to the water. 

11. Using a large spatula (or multiple spatulas at once), transfer one of your pretzels into the water and baking soda mixture. Let it poach for 15 seconds and then take it out and move it to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with as many pretzels as can fit on your baking sheet.

12. In a small bowl, combine egg and water. 

13. Brush this egg wash on top of your pretzels and sprinkle with kosher salt. 

14. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the pretzels are golden-brown. 

15. When that batch of pretzels is done, move to a cooling rack and repeat the poaching, egg wash, salting, and baking with your remaining pretzels.

16. Serve warm and with a side of nacho cheese sauce for dipping!

Review:

The hardest part of this recipe is definitely the shaping of the dough, especially if you are trying to replicate the look of the pretzels you get at the parks. I found that my shapes got better the more I tried, but I definitely ended up with some wonky ones. It is also hard to transfer the shaped dough into the water and baking soda mixture without altering the shape when you don’t have a large enough spatula. I started using two spatulas and working with smaller pieces of dough to help address this issue. 

I ended up finding the third method of shaping mentioned above to be the easiest to shape and transfer to and from the water and baking soda mixture.

If you are doing multiple batches in the oven, you may need to dump out and redo your mixture of boiling water and baking soda between batches if it stops bubbling and turns brown. 

Don’t worry if your shapes don’t turn out perfect — they will still taste great!