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A salted caramel pretzel cookie with a pretzel on top.

Salted Caramel and Pretzel Cookies

You will love the combination of sweet and salty flavors in these salted caramel pretzel gourmet cookies! With crisp edges, soft centers, crunchy pretzels, and bits of gooey caramel, these cookies are just too good to resist. No need to chill the cookie dough before baking, but they will be thicker and softer if you do.
5 from 11 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 36 large cookies
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 606mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g