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.
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed (I used 1/4 cup of light and 1/4 cup dark)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstach
- ½ 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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!
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.
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!