Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies — Soft chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips and crunchy pretzels!! Salty-and-sweet all in one!!
Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies Recipe
If you love salty-and-sweet treats, these are for you. Soft chocolate chip cookies with crunchy pretzels baked in. There are so many different flavor and texture elements, making the cookies totally irresistible.
I adapted the dough base I used in Trail Mix Protein Bar Cookies and Cream Cheese Cookies. I’ve been enjoying this base lately because the cookies turn out soft, slightly chewy, buttery with rich brown sugar flavor, and the batch size is under 1 dozen, perfect for my small family. You can always double it if you need more.
The pretzels stay crunchy, snappy, and are a great contrast to the soft dough. My family raved about the flavor combination in the cookies. They really love salty-and-sweet things and since they’re pretzel fanatics, the cookies were right up their alley.
Chocolate seems to taste even better when there’s a little saltiness present. Even my seven-year-old daughter said the chocolate tasted better in these cookies, yet it’s the same chocolate chips I usually use, Trader Joe’s semi-sweet.
She said the kids at her school were all clamoring to try a bite of the cookies after spying them in her lunchbox. She said she normally shares things freely with her friends since I pack plenty of (extra) goodies, but said she kept these all to herself.
They’d make great holiday gift exchange cookies because they’re fun, unique, and different from all those sprinkles and cut-out cookies.
What’s in Pretzel Cookies?
To make these sweet and salty cookies, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Mini pretzel twists
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Pretzel Cookies
Cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Then, add in the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and pretzels last.
Form 10 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. The cookie dough needs to then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Once the dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t over bake.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
These sweet and salty cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Very easily! Simply double the ingredients and bake using multiple cookie sheets. If baking two or more cookie sheets at a time, you may need to rotate the sheets in the oven halfway through baking.
Tips for Making Pretzel Cookies
I recommend using mini pretzel twists since they’re bite-sized and are easier to stuff into cookie dough. If using larger pretzels, you may want to break them up with your hands first.
I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can use another variety if desired. I bet peanut butter or butterscotch chips would also be divine.
When forming the cookie dough balls, shield large pretzel pieces on the undersides of dough mounds so the pretzels aren’t resting directly on the baking sheet. They’re prone to burning, so you have to be careful.
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Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips and crunchy pretzels!! Salty-and-sweet all in one!!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I used 1/4 cup of light and 1/4 cup dark)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstach
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste (remember the pretzels are salted too)
- 1 heaping cup mini pretzel twists
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars (highly recommend using some dark brown sugar), egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the pretzels (I add them whole and let the mixer crush them, or you can crush them in your fist over the mixing bowl before adding if you prefer tinier pieces), chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined or pretzels are as small as desired, about 1 minute.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 10 equal-sized mounds of dough (they look fairly large because the pretzels are bulky), roll into balls, and flatten slightly. * (see tip below)
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray.
- Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
*Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips and pretzels on top of each mound of dough by taking chips and pretzels from the underside; shield large pretzel pieces on the undersides of dough mounds so pretzels aren’t resting directly on the baking sheet because they’ll be prone to burning.
Storage: Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Dough base adapted from Trail Mix Protein Bar Cookies and Cream Cheese Cookies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 4g
More Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
ALL OF MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPES!
The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — My favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!
The Best Soft and Chewy Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies — You’ll never miss the butter in these cookies that are so soft and loaded to the max with chocolate!
The Best M&M’s Cookies — These bakery-style M&M’s cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and LOADED with M&M’s and chocolate chips. No one can resist these cookies!
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies – No butter and no mixer used in these easy cookies dripping with chocolate!
Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – My gold standard Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for over two years!
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies — Move over, butter, cream cheese makes these cookies thick and super soft!
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with two kinds of chips!! An EASY one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for irresistibly DELISH cookies!!
I’ve made these a few times – I never chill the dough, but they have come out perfectly every time! The pretzels stay nice and crunchy for me, and I like using the big Ghiradelli chocolate chips, which have better flavor and make lovely big pockets of chocolate.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad to hear you’ve made them successfully a few times without needing to chill the dough, great to hear! I know the chips you’re talking about, they are so good!
How many Cookies do the Pretzel cookies make?
It’s listed in the directions.
I made these last night and didn’t have time to chill them and they turned out perfectly! The pretzles are still crunchy and my co-workers are loving them this morning! Perfect sweet and salty treat!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! (even without chilling!)
These are great! I made them first for Super Bowl where they were the biggest hit! I refrigerated them for almost 24 hours and the pretzels were a little soft but didn’t wreck the tastiness. My honey requested that I make them again for Valentine’s Day! They won’t be on the fridge more than three hours so intrested to see if the pretzels turn out the same. This is definitely one that is going into the recipe box!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out so great for you that it was requested again for V-Day! Awesome! And glad it’s going into the recipe box!
Great recipe! Didn’t have time to chill them…and they came out great! Made a couple of tweaks to the recipe…but love the sweet/salty base given :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you even w/out chilling! Salty and sweet for the win :)
Might eat the whole batch by myself…. no shame.
These were absolutely delicious but I found incorporating pretzels into dough and letting it chill caused the pretzels to lose their crunchiness. Regardless the cookies were simply mouth watering. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Xo
Glad you enjoyed the cookies overall and about the loss of crunchiness…yes to some degree they lose a bit of crunchiness for me, on a very small level, but not really very noticeable. I just use generic (on-sale, whatever is cheapest!) pretzels and I’ve always had good luck but I’m sure there is variance from brand to brand. Thanks for trying the cookies!
i wanted these to be awesome but they didn’t come out that great. I refrigerated the dough for 24 hours and the pretzels got soft. The cookies are ok but I probably won’t make these again.
Sorry to hear your pretzels went soft. I’ve never had that happen and I’ve baked a lot with pretzels. I usually use honestly just generic storebrand pretzels or whatever is on sale, nothing fancy, and they never get soft. Thanks for trying the recipe.
These (and the comments) make these sound so tasty, I’ve got the ingredients laid out now to make the choc-pretz cookies. I am curious though about the addition of cornstarch. Is that just for a little additional thicken power?
It makes the cookies softer. There is something about it that makes the cookies more like softbatch-style cookies and it just helps add a wonderful texture. Enjoy!
I make something very similar to this but add Peanut Butter Chips as well as the Chocolate and Pretzels. Fantastic!
sweet and salty are always the best! I love how gorgeously thick these cookies look and those crunchy pretzels-mmm!
These sound really delicious, i love my cookies. Thanks for posting up this recipe.
Simon
I loooooooove sweet and salty. These cookies look SO good!!
Just made these cookies and they are DELISH! Seriously, haven’t tried a recipe yet that I haven’t liked from your site!!! Just curious as to why you use corn starch in the recipe? I have never done that before. Keep up the great work and I am going to ask for your cookbook for Christmas!
So happy the cookies came out great for you as well as the other recipes you’ve tried! Thanks for all the compliments :) Cornstarch helps give cookies a ‘softbatch-style’ softness and keeps them softer over time. And I hope you get one, or both, of my books! :)
These make me want to do a happy dance. Love sweet and salty!
It is my dream to one day make cookies look as unbelievably good as you do! I love the salty sweet combo in these!
Funny you should say that…because it’s my dream to take step shots EVER as beautifully as you take them for EVERY post! You blow my mind with every post! Especially your breakfasty recipes!
Chocolate and pretzels are a great sweet and salty combo! And in cookies!
Woah these look amazing! I’ll be making these soon…
Oh yum, I love the combination of salty and sweet!
Salty and sweet treats and I have a mixed relationship: they taste too good not to share, and I devour them before they see the light of day. These pretzel cookies look like an insanely delicious way to achieve that ideal texture and flavor combination! Averie, you are an absolute angel. Yet, I am slightly mad at you for attaching so many pictures of mouth-watering cookies that are raising my hunger level to an all-time high;-) It’s okay; I’ll get over it once I buy the ingredients to enjoy these tantalizing cookies!
How cute is your daughter…I’d keep these to myself as well…love salty and sweet together. I always love how gooey the chocolate looks in your cookie photos..so yummy.
I’m a big fan of the sweet and salty combination! I would need to double this recipe for sure!
It appears you’ve invented a new sort of “crack”:)
Yum… anything pretzels and chocolate – sign me up.
I love sweet and salty! All your related cookie pictures are making me drool, too. Looks like it’s time to get baking around here :)
Yummy! The sweet and salty combo is always a winner!
Chocolate, cookies, and pretzel all in the recipe name?! These look so amazing! I cannot wait to try these! Pinned! :)
I still have not used cornstarch in a cookie recipe. WHY HAVEN’T I???? These are perfect, salty sweet and perfect!
When I saw those potato chip brownies of yours this week, I was like yep, figures :) Glad we both love the salty and sweet action!
yes to sweet and salty! i love your chocolate chip cookies recipes and this one is a new one to try. yum!
I love how chewy these are! What a dream Averie!!
You perfectly captured that melty-chocolate chip moment in your picture. I just ate breakfast and now I want cookies. Chocolate and pretzels sound yummy. But not today … in my fridge are chilled quadruple chocolate cookies, waiting to be baked (except, well, you know how it goes in the kitchen … they have turned into double chocolate cookies cuz the chocolate pudding mix I thought I had turned out not to be lurking in my cupboard, so I used vanilla pudding instead … and I was too lazy to chop up chocolate so I just used mini-chips … ). :)
I love how you improvised on the quad choc cookies. I would still call them triple chocolate though! I love mini chips for their supreme melting ease and that was a smart substitution in place of actually chopping dark chocolate. Good job :) Let me know how they turn out! Curious to see what the vanilla pudding mix does. Happy baking!
Improvised cookies got rave reviews from our friends–vanilla pudding mix makes for a less-intense chocolate experience–sweeter–but still good! But … only double chocolate–I used all mini-chips–not a mix of mini- and regular size chips. I love the pudding mix in the cookies. SO good. I think I like it better than using cornstarch. The texture is amazing.
I agree with you re pudding mix over corn starch in those chocolate cookies. The texture is just phenomenal. Even in the mixing bowl, you can just TELL they’re going to be amazing :) But some readers don’t have access to PM and only have access to CS, or don’t want to use PM for whatever reason….so there’s an alternative. And glad your friends raved about them!
OH my my mouth is watering! There can never ever be too many chocolate chip cookies in my book!! feeling like cookie monster right now…ME WANT COOKIE!
A little salty crunch in a soft puffy chocolate chip cookie–2 of my favorite contrasts in one! Skylar is developing quite a palate–very impressive at her age and it has to be fun to hear her make comments about what she picks up. A little salt (or coffee) is such a chocolate enhancer.
She sure is. After two cookbooks and approaching 6 years of blogging as she approaches her 8th bday, she’s been around this her whole life and so it’s sort in her blood at this point! And she knows when giving feedback, telling me ‘this is amazing’ isn’t going to cut it. I need to know was the chocolate intense enough, was the muffin crumb soft enough, could you taste the almond extract…I need details and she knows how to give them!
I’m all about sweet and salty, so these are right up alley! You make it too hard for us to choose which recipe to make from your blog first, because they all look too darn good!
Oh my! These cookies are begging me to make them! LOVE the close ups! Look so good! Pinned!
Thanks, Anna, and I’ve got round 2 of our post lined up for midnight :) Whew! Lol
It’s like you know everything I love and found a way to make it work in cookie form! I love the idea of adding pretzels to a chocolate chip cookie, and these will definitely be made as Christmas gifts. What a great idea to give these as gifts! I know my parents are always like, “we don’t need more things cluttering up our house.”
These definitely won’t last long enough to clutter up anything I’m thinking :)