Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Amaze Dad on Father’s Day with a batch of these incredible Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies! The chewy caramal and salty pretzels are a welcomed addition to the sweet chocolate chip cookies.
I made these for some guests after dinner and they were a hit. I also love that these cookies still taste fabulous days after making them. This is definitely not true for all homemade cookie recipes.
I also love the size of these cookies. They are a generously large cookie in order to fit that gooey caramel into the center of each cookie.
You will need some pre-made caramels to make these cookies. Good ol’ Kraft caramels will work in this recipe. However, it’s even better if you can use a higher quality caramel candy. I used Mrs. Call’s Sea Salt Caramels that I buy from Costco.
For the pretzels, you can use any pretzel you have. I personally recommend using the mini twists rather than pretzel sticks. I feel they work best for mixing in the dough.
You will love the texture that the crunchy pretzels add to the cookie. The texture you can achieve with nuts in your chocolate chip cookies is remarkably similar.
Ingredients to Make Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- BUTTER
- BROWN SUGAR
- SUGAR
- EGGS
- VANILLA
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- CORNSTARCH
- BAKING SODA
- BAKING POWDER
- SALT
- SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
- PRETZELS
- SOFT CARAMELS
- COARSE SEA SALT, OPTIONAL
How to Make Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter slices in a large mixing bowl and use a mixer to beat them until smooth. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment works well for this.
Add the sugars and cream together for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract, beating until just combined.
Next, add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly on low speed.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces gently. Measure out the dough in 2 heaping tablespoons, pressing each portion flat and placing a caramel piece in the center. Roll the dough around the caramel to enclose it.
Arrange the dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing 9 cookies per sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops and bottoms of the cookies are golden.
Once out of the oven and still hot, sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add sea salt on top of the cookies?
Sprinkling a small amount of sea salt on top of the cookies right after baking enhances the sweet and salty flavor. However, it is completely optional. I left it off of mine since I was using sea salt carmels. The cookies were salty enough with using those specific caramels.
Can I use different types of chocolate chips?
Absolutely! While semi-sweet chocolate chips are common, you can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or a combination of different types.
What if I don’t have pretzels? Can I substitute something else?
If you don’t have pretzels, you can use potato chips or salted nuts instead for a similar sweet and salty combination.
How do I determine when the cookies have finished baking?
The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden, but the centers are still soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:
Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter cut into pieces
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour add more 1 Tbsp at a time if dough is too sticky, or if cookies come out too flat
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups chopped pretzels
- 9 soft caramels cut in half
- 1 Tbsp coarse sea salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees .
- Place butter slices into a large mixing bowl. Beat with mixer (stand mixer is best if you have it – use the paddle attachment) until smooth.
- Add in the sugars and beat for about 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces. Fold into the dough.
- Measure out the batter to be 2 heaping tablespoons.
- Press the dough flat and stick a caramel piece in the middle. Roll the cookie dough around the caramel.
- Place 9 cookies per cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in the oven to bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cookie top and bottom are golden.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for about 5 minutes.
- Place a cooling rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm. Makes 18 cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted from Like Mother, Like Daughter.
