We love that these Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies have the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Loaded with chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and pretzels, every bite has an addicting chocolately-salty crunch. These are a favorite family cookie that always disappear in a flash.
What we love about these Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
These cookies are so incredibly addicting. We love the salty-sweet combination and the slight crunch from the pretzels. These are so, so good. They are ultra chocolately with chocolate chunks and chocolate chips. I use both because I love how the chocolate chunks get so melty when they bake and add that extra chocolate flavor.
The pretzels are such a great pair with the chocolate. You get that salty crunch from the pretzel which takes these cookies over the top. I like to sprinkle just a little coarse salt over each cookie, it doesn’t make the cookie too salty; it just brings out a little of that salt flavor from the pretzels that is excellent with the chocolate and the cookie. They are also so good without the salt, so I made that an optional topping for you to choose.
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Try our Cranberry and Walnut Cookies, they are a huge year-round favorite!
What you need to make these Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pretzels
You will need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Pretzels
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
- Optional: coarse salt
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- I used Snyder’s brand of mini pretzels, but you could try different shapes or brands of pretzels.
- You could use all semi-sweet chocolate chips or all semi-sweet chocolate chunks rather than a combination of the two.
- We have tried these cookies with peanut butter and chopped peanuts for fun, but we actually like these better.
- The coarse salt can be sea salt, Kosher salt, or fleur de sel (which is a French sea salt and a little more pricey). You could even use a larger pretzel salt.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2. In a separate large bowl with an electric mixer, or with a stand mixer, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter for 2-3 minutes until more light and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and blend until thoroughly mixed in.
Step 3. Mix the dry ingredients into the dough just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix. Mix in the crushed pretzels, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks just until evenly distributed. The dough will be stiff.
Step 4. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and space about 2 inches apart.
Step 5. Bake cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press the remaining crushed pretzel pieces and chocolate chips into the top of the cookies. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse salt if desired.
Step 6. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet to cool for 2-5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips
- I recommend keeping parchment paper on hand, it is especially helpful when baking cookies. Lining your pan with parchment paper helps prevent cookies from spreading when baking which in turn helps prevent your cookies from becoming too thin and crispy. The cookies won’t stick to your pan, and pans are much easier to clean up. Also, the parchment paper creates a thin layer between the cookies and the pan, which helps promote even browning and prevents hot spots on your pan that may cause cookies to burn.
- I love using a cookie scoop when making cookies so that the cookies are a uniform size and shape. I use a medium cookie scoop for this recipe, which makes a scoop of about 2 tablespoons. I really like the one from Pampered Chef or this scoop from Amazon works great as well.
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Frequently Asked Questions
| Can the cookie dough be made in advance? |
| The USDA says that cookie dough is safe in the fridge for 2-4 days. I have had a lot of success making this dough the day before, covering the dough in the fridge, and cooking the cookies the next day if I didn’t have time to bake them the day I made the dough. Before baking, keep the dough out at room temperature for about 30 minutes or the dough will be hard to scoop. |
| How do I store Pretzel Cookies? |
| a. Store cookies in an air-tight container. I use a Tupperware container and use parchment paper to separate the layers when stacking so they don’t stick together. For best quality, store cookies at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and in the freezer for 3 months. b. You can also freeze cookie dough. Scoop them into 2 tablespoons portions and place them individually on a cookie sheet to freeze. Once frozen, they can be frozen in a sealed bag or container for up to 2 months. To thaw, set them on a cookie sheet ready to bake and let them sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes while the oven preheats. I recommend cooking them at a lower temperature, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then baking them for a little longer, 10-12 minutes, keeping an eye on them. |
Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
15
minutes40
minutes32-36
cookies55
minutesWe love that these Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies have the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Loaded with chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and pretzels, every bite has an addicting chocolately-salty crunch. These are a favorite family cookie that always disappear in a flash.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons crushed pretzels, divided (I put the pretzels in a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to break into pieces, but not so they are completely crushed)
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, cut into small chunks (about 3/4 cup)
Optional: coarse salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, at medium speed, beat together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat again until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix at low speed just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Scrape down the sides of the mixture to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
- Stir in 1 1/4 cup crushed pretzels, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, and the chocolate chunks. The dough will be stiff.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and space the dough 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are just turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately press the remaining crushed pretzel pieces and chocolate chips into the top of the cookies. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse salt if desired. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet to cool for 2-5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or store covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
- To make your cookies in the best circular shape, right when you pull them from the oven, put a glass cup or a 2.5 to 3 inch circle cookie cutter around a cookie and move it around in a circular shape to help nudge the edges to make a more perfect circle.
- I like to add the additional pretzels and chocolate chips on the cookies after baking for presentation. It makes the cookies look just a little more full, and it helps show the cookie eater that this is definitely a chocolate chip pretzel cookie! I place the additional add-ins in places where there isn’t already a chocolate chip or pretzel visible on top of the cookie.
- I recommend lining your cookie sheet with parchment paper for even browning, to prevent spreading and sticking, and to help with clean up. For more information, read the tip above.
- To measure your flour, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level off the top using a knife or straight-edged utensil for best results.
- It takes 30 minutes to 1 hour for butter to come to room temperature. I recommend just placing the butter on the counter to soften before making the cookies instead of softening the butter in the microwave where the butter can melt. Melted butter in this recipe can cause cookies to flatten more and turn out slightly more dense.
You had me at pretzels and chocolate:) So delish! The coarse salt is a must!
Thank you so much! These are an addicting favorite here, love the sweet and salty combo! Thanks for the positive feedback!
These look so good. Cant wait to try them this weekend.
Thank you! We love the sweet and salty combo, these are a favorite! Thanks for the positive feedback!
These taste amazing! The flavors and crunch! So good. Also, so simple! My kids are making a 2nd batch of them right now!
I love hearing this! How awesome that your kids are baking and that they are going for a second batch. They really are addicting! We love the crunch from the pretzels and the chocolatey, sweet-salty combo too. Thanks for trying the recipe and for taking the time to leave a review!
These were SO good! Love the sweet and salty combo and the crunch from the pretzels.
I love hearing that you enjoyed them! These are such an addicting cookie, we love the sweet and salty combo too. Thanks for the great feedback!