Soft Pretzel Bites with Vegan Beer Cheese Dip

Make the Pretzel Bites
1. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and set aside for 7-10 minutes to activate the yeast. You will know it is activated when the mixture is bubbly and foamy. Add the teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of melted butter (the other tablespoon will be used to brush the pretzel bites before baking) and mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook of stand mixer.
2. Add in the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each cup, until all 4 cups are incorporated. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead for 4-6 minutes until smooth or if using a mixer, knead on medium speed for 4 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
3. Lightly oil a bowl, place the ball of dough in the bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and place in a warm spot to rise for an hour. The dough should just about double in size during this time. Now you can move onto the beer cheese dip and come back to the pretzel bites in an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line two baking sheets with a silicone mat. Add 10 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the baking soda.
5. Meanwhile, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each one into a long rope (30 cm/12 inches) and cut each rope into 8 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces.
6. Once the water is boiling, carefully drop 10 bites into the water and boil for 2 minutes, turning them over after 1 minute. Remove from the water and place on the prepared baking sheets and repeat until all of the bites are boiled.
7. Brush each bite with the reserved melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.

Make the Beer-Cheese Dip
1. While the pretzel dough is rising for an hour, start preparing the beer cheese dip. Soak the cashews for 20 minutes and dice the onion and carrots into equal size pieces so they cook evenly.
2. Add the vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat and add the onion and carrot. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, turning down the heat if the onion starts to burn. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of beer and bring the mixture to a simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. When the pretzel bites are finished baking, finish the beer cheese dip. Drain and rinse the cashews and add them to a blender with the sautéed onion and carrot mixture, mustard, tomato paste, miso paste, nutritional yeast, and oat milk. Blend on high until smooth.
4. Melt the 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute, until it turns into a paste. Stir in the cheesy sauce from the blender, add the remaining 1/2 cup of beer, and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dip is hot and thick, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour the dip into a bowl and serve with the warm soft pretzel bites!

Notes