Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies combine contrasting flavors and textures that make each bite irresistible. Salty pretzels, gooey caramel and rich chocolate chips are packed into each chewy cookie to create the perfect balance of sweet and salty!
If you’re a fan of salted caramel sauce and a classic chocolate chip cookie, indulging in these caramel pretzel chocolate chip cookies might just make your day!
Just like our Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies, these salted caramel and pretzel cookies are all about that sweet and salty combination.
A soft cookie with crisp edges packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips is hard enough to resist, but when you toss in chewy caramel bits and mini pretzels into the mix, it transforms a simple chocolate chip cookie into a sweet and salty treat!
The end result? The perfect blend of flavors and textures, that is suitable for nearly any occasion.
Bake up a batch on a weekday afternoon, take them to a special gathering or add these to your holiday cookie box. It has major potential to become everyone’s new favorite cookie and you’ll have friends and family begging you to share the recipe!
Why You Need These Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Our pretzel packed salted caramel cookies are not just the best cookies for sweet and salty lovers, but they’re also effortless to make.
We take a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe and add all the fun mix-ins.
Crushed pretzels, salted caramel bits and chocolate chips are tossed into the cookie dough. And the best part is the salty-crunchiness continues with a pretzel twist and flakey sea salt topping for a special finishing touch!
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Salted caramel cookies packed with pretzels are the perfect dessert for any occasion.
- You can change up the add-ins however you like, swapping out the chocolate chips for dark chocolate chunks or white chocolate!
- With crisp edges, soft centers, crunchy add-ins and the perfect chewiness, these cookies are a medley of satisfying textures.
Ingredients Needed for the Cookies
Here’s a look at what you will need for our salted caramel pretzel gourmet cookies recipe! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page for all of the ingredient amounts.
- Butter. Use softened butter- either salted or unsalted butter. Cold butter won’t to cream well with the sugars.
- Sugar. You will need both packed brown sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe. The combination creates a rich, sweet, caramel-esque flavor.
- Eggs. Just like the butter, each large egg should be at room temperature to mix well.
- Vanilla extract. A tiny amount of vanilla will give the cookies a sweet and subtle vanilla flavor.
- All-purpose flour. For the best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour (and never pack it into the measuring cups!).
- Leavening agents. You’ll need both baking soda and baking powder to give these cookies the perfect rise.
- Salt. If using salted butter, you can reduce the amount by a tad.
- Add-ins. This is where the magic happens! Chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, caramel bits or chopped caramel candies will be mixed into the dough. Miniature pretzel twists and optional flaky sea salt are for the cookie tops (optional but so good).
Our Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookie Recipe
Here’s a look at the process but be sure to read through the recipe card at the bottom of the page before you start. You’ll find all of the ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, including recipe notes.
One nice thing about this recipe is that there’s no need to chill the dough before baking. But keep in mind that if you do take the extra time to chill the dough, you’ll get a softer, thicker and chewier cookie. We think it’s worth it. 😉
Place the butter and both the sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and pale in color.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
Stir in the dry ingredients, then turn the mixer on low speed to slowly incorporate the flour mixture. Beat until well combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips, crushed pretzels and caramel bits. If you have pretzel crumbs, add them as well.
Use a 2-tablespoon portion scoop to form balls. Place them on a tray and press a mini pretzel on top of each one. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours).
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Transfer the chilled balls to the baking sheets, then bake for 9-12 minutes at 350°F.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before you transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Recipe Variations
S’mores Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Delights
Add ¾ cup of crushed graham crackers and 2 cups of mini marshmallows to the dough when you add the salted pretzels.
Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Morsels
Add ¾ cup of peanut butter to the dough and reduce the butter to ¾ cup. Replace the chocolate chips with chopped peanut butter cups.
Coconut and Macadamia Pretzel Bites
Add 1 cup shredded coconut and ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts.
Pro Tips for the Best Results
- You can bake the caramel pretzel cookies right after you mix the dough, but if you chill them first, they will spread less while baking. Even just 30 minutes in the fridge will give you thicker, softer cookies. Make sure the oven is preheated before baking them.
- You can freeze the balls of dough for 3 to 4 months. If you bake them from frozen, increase the baking time by 2 minutes.
- If you top the cookies with flaked sea salt, make sure you use the large flakes and not regular table salt.
- Store these salted pretzel caramel cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
- A package of caramel bits is the fastest way to get small bites of caramel. But you can chop up some larger caramels or, even better, chop up some chocolate covered caramels. 🙂
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Salted Caramel and Pretzel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (227 grams)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar 150 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-¾ cups all purpose flour 330 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add Ins
- 1-½ cups chocolate chips
- 1-½ cups crushed pretzels
- 1 cup caramel bits or chopped caramel candies
- 36 miniature pretzel twists for the tops of the cookies
- Optional: 2 teaspoons Fleur de Sel or large flaked sea salt
Instructions
- If you don’t want too chill the dough before baking the cookies, preheat the oven to 350*F before you begin.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes or until creamy and pale in color.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well. Scrape down the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla extract and blend well.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the mixing bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Start the mixer on low and beat until well incorporated.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, and caramel bits.
- Use a 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to form balls of cookie dough. Place the balls of dough on a tray and press a miniature pretzel on top of each one. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Place the chilled balls of dough on the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Smaller cookies will need less time in the oven.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- You can bake the cookies immediately after mixing the dough, but they will spread less if you chill the dough first. Make sure the oven is preheated before baking them.
- You can also freeze the balls of dough for 3 to 4 months. If you bake them from frozen, increase the baking time by 2 minutes.
- If you top the cookies with flaked sea salt, make sure you use large flakes of salt and not table salt. Fine grains of table salt will make the cookies too salty.
angiesrecipes
Monday 6th of November 2023
Chocolate and caramel are fantastic together, so are the salted and sweet! These cookies look mega delicious, Dahn. angiesrecipes
Dahn Boquist
Tuesday 7th of November 2023
Thanks Angie