Quick Answer
Auntie Anne’s uses miniature all-beef hot dogs in their pretzel dogs. The specific brand and source of the hot dogs may vary by location and supply, but they are typically around 2-3 inches long uncooked. Auntie Anne’s hot dog bites use the same miniature all-beef hot dogs chopped up into bite-sized pieces.
What Are Pretzel Dogs?
A pretzel dog is Auntie Anne’s signature menu item. It consists of one of their freshly baked pretzel sticks wrapped around a miniature all-beef hot dog and topped with a variety of savory or sweet dipping sauces.
Some of the most popular pretzel dog flavors include:
- Original – topped with yellow mustard
- Cheese – topped with nacho cheese sauce
- Cinnamon Sugar – coated in cinnamon sugar
- Pretzel Dog Bites – miniature pretzel dogs made with bite-sized hot dog pieces
The pretzel provides a soft, warm, chewy contrast to the savory hot dog bite. It allows customers to enjoy biting into the satisfying flavor of a hot dog with the fun experience of the pretzel exterior.
Miniature Hot Dog Details
While Auntie Anne’s uses a proprietary all-beef hot dog recipe, they do not manufacture the hot dogs themselves. Each franchise location sources their hot dogs from approved regional food distributors.
The exact brand and supplier may vary, but the hot dogs share the following qualities:
- Made from 100% beef (no fillers or byproducts)
- Typically around 2-3 inches in length when raw
- Skinless
- Low fat and low sodium
- No added nitrates or nitrites
- Description states “miniature hot dogs” on packaging
It takes about 5-6 bite-sized miniature hot dogs to make one regular pretzel dog. The miniature size allows the hot dog to cook quickly when prepared, provides the right balance of flavor to pretzel, and gives customers just a few tasty bites.
Where Are Auntie Anne’s Hot Dogs Sourced?
While the brand and distributor source may vary, Auntie Anne’s uses high quality, USDA-approved hot dogs. The hot dogs arrive to each location frozen in bulk packages.
Regional or local differences in distributors means the exact hot dog brand can be different across Auntie Anne’s locations. But quality standards are maintained through the use of approved national and regional food distributors.
Some examples of approved hot dog suppliers include:
- Superior Foods
- Grecian Delight Foods
- Dietz & Watson
- Hebrew National
The priority is finding high quality, miniature all-beef hot dogs that can be prepared safely and quickly during the pretzel dog making process.
Hot Dog Nutrition Information
The miniature beef hot dogs used at Auntie Anne’s provide the following approximate nutritional value per hot dog:
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 3g | 1g | 3g |
Since the hot dog is so small, one pretzel dog contains less than 100 calories. This makes it a lighter choice than full size hot dogs.
The fat, carbs, and protein amounts are based on a typical 2 inch long miniature all-beef hot dog. Exact values may vary slightly between brands.
Are Auntie Anne’s Hot Dogs Pretzeled?
No, Auntie Anne’s does not “pretzel” their hot dogs or change them in any way from their original form when purchased.
The hot dogs arrive to each store frozen, and are gently thawed, heated and placed into the pretzel dough wrap as-is. The flavor, texture, size and shape of the original miniature hot dog remains the same.
The baking process from being wrapped in the pretzel dough allows the hot dog to warm through without overcooking. This results in a hot, juicy hot dog paired with a baked pretzel exterior.
Preparation Process
The pretzel dogs are handmade fresh when ordered at each Auntie Anne’s location following these steps:
- Miniature all-beef hot dog is thawed if needed and lightly heated
- Pretzel dough is rolled and stretched into a stick shape
- Hot dog is placed in the center of the pretzel dough
- Pretzel dough is tightly wrapped around the hot dog
- Pretzel dog is lightly egg washed and sprinkled with pretzel salt
- Pretzel dog is baked until exterior is golden brown
- Dipping sauce is added based on customer’s choice
This process allows the pretzel to get perfectly crisp on the outside while steaming and warming the hot dog inside. Each hot dog is made to order to ensure freshness.
Why Miniature Hot Dogs?
Auntie Anne’s chooses miniature hot dogs for their pretzel dogs for a few key reasons:
- Smaller size cooks faster – Important for serving fresh and quick
- Perfectly proportioned to pretzel size
- Just a few bites so doesn’t overwhelm pretzel flavor
- Easier to eat than a full size hot dog
- Lower calories than larger hot dog
- Cuter presentation with mini sausage in pretzel
The miniature size helps keep the pretzel dough, hot dog, and toppings balanced in terms of flavors, textures, and portion size. It also allows the product to be served fresh and hot more easily.
Conclusion
Auntie Anne’s iconic pretzel dogs feature a 2-3 inch miniature all-beef hot dog nested inside their signature soft pretzel dough. The specific brand of hot dog may vary regionally, but high standards ensure they are always 100% beef and low fat. The mini size makes them easy to bake inside the pretzel, provides portion control, and gives the perfect meaty bite to balance against the soft, chewy pretzel exterior. Their preparation process also allows customers to enjoy a freshly baked pretzel dog in minutes. So next time you visit Auntie Anne’s, you can feel good knowing their famous pretzel dogs start with a miniature high quality all-beef hot dog at the center.