Go Back
–+ servings
A salted caramel pretzel cookie with a pretzel on top.
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramel pretzel chocolate chip cookies, caramel pretzel cookies, salted caramel pretzel cookies
Servings: 36 large cookies
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened (227 grams)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar 150 grams
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
  • 2 large 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
  • large-flake sea salt (such as Maldon)

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. 
    Creaming sugar and butter with an electric hand mixer.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well. Scrape down the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla extract and blend well. 
    Adding the eggs to the creamed sugar and butter.
  • 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. 
    Mixing the flour mixture into the creamed sugar and butter mixture.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, and caramel bits. 
    Mixing pretzels and caramel chunks into chocolate chip cookie batter.
  • 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

Chill for control: For thicker cookies, chill the dough before baking. Skipping this step works, but expect more spread. Always preheat the oven so they bake evenly from the start.
Freeze for later: Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3–4 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Salt smartly: If topping with sea salt, use large, flaky crystals (like Maldon). Fine table salt will dissolve into the cookie and make it overly salty.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 606mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g
QR Code linking back to recipe