These peanut butter pretzel chocolate chip cookies are thick and chewy with the perfect flavor combo of salty-sweet. The pretzels add a delicious crunch. Then these pudgy cookies are oozing with tons of chocolate chips! Best of all, there’s no need to chill the dough.
**This post was updated October 2023 with new photos and a slightly updated recipe for softer, chewier cookies**
If you love salty-sweet treats, then these peanut butter pretzel chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate recipe. They’re thick, chewy verging on gooey in the middle and have the perfect peanut butter flavor. Then they’re loaded with crushed pretzels and chocolate chips. The pretzels add a delicious crunch and saltiness to the cookies, and no one can argue with tons of chocolate chips.
Because I wanted these cookies to be packed with chocolate chips and pretzels, it means that these cookies need to be thick. If cookies are too thin, they can’t hold all that deliciousness. So – if you like cookies that are thick, chewy and deliciously soft – then this is the recipe.
Making Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
What I love about this recipe is that there’s no need to chill the dough – so these cookies come together incredibly quickly. I’m including step-by-step photos and recipe tips to ensure you get the perfect cookies.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C) and lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. I prefer to line my cookie sheets because it means that the bottoms of my cookies are softer.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. I highly, highly recommend using commercially prepared peanut butter and not using anything labeled natural or where the oil sits on top. If you use peanut butter that can separate, you can end up with either way too oily or way too dry cookies.
- Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. At this point, the mixture should look lighter and almost fluffier than in the previous step.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. If your flour looks lumpy, then I recommend sifting them into the bowl.
- Then stir in the crushed pretzels and chocolate chips. You will need to break/crush your pretzels. If your pretzels are too big, then the cookies can end up very odd shapes and will almost look lumpy.
- Form the dough into balls with about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of dough each. I always use a cookie scoop because it makes uniformly shaped cookies. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of your oven. They’ll bake for about 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set. It’s important to bake just one sheet at a time because it bakes the cookies more evenly. I always take my cookies out of the oven when the tops look just set because I like my cookies on the softer, gooier side.
- Cool the cookies on your cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes, then you can transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. I like to add a few extra chocolate chips and pretzel pieces on top of each warm cookie. When the cookies are fresh out of the oven the tops will be soft enough that you can add a few extra mix-ins on top for that perfect “eat me” look.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Always measure the flour carefully – otherwise you can end up with cookies that either spread too thin or are dry and crumbly. Whisk the flour first, then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. If you have a kitchen scale, then I highly recommend measuring your flour using a scale in grams.
- This recipe uses 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour. If you want extra thick cookies, feel free to use 1 ½ cups instead.
- You can make the dough, cover with plastic, and chill in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
- Cookie dough freezes extremely well. Make the dough, form into balls, and place dough balls in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Preheat the oven and line your cookie sheets as directed in the recipe. Bake the cookies from frozen – they’ll just need 1-2 minutes longer.
So if you love salty, sweet goodness – and are looking for a cookie that’s got it all – then these peanut butter pretzel chocolate chip cookies are definitely for you. I’m obsessed with the chewy texture and how the salt and crunch of the pretzels go so perfectly with the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
And for more peanut butter treats, be sure to try:
- Peanut Butter Oreo Blondies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cake – this is one giant peanut butter cookie
Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar (158 grams) I used dark, but light works too
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ½ cup peanut butter commercially prepared, not natural
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (167 grams) or use 1 ½ (188 grams) cups for extra thick cookies
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅔ cup chopped pretzels measure after chopping/crushing
- ¾ cup chocolate chips I always reserve a few tablespoons for dotting on top of each baked cookie
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter until creamy.
- Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. If the flour is lumpy, then sift in. Beat together starting with the mixer on a low speed until
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the chopped pretzels and chocolate chips. I always stir in about ½ cup pretzels and ½ cup chocolate chips. Then I reserve the rest for dotting on top of each baked cookie.
- Form the dough into balls about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons in size. Place dough balls about 1.5-2 inches (3.5-5 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set.
- Remove from the oven. Optionally, dot the top of each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and pretzel pieces. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a cooling tray to continue cooling.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: Be sure to use commercially prepared, smooth peanut butter. Do not use homemade or anything labeled natural where the oil sits on top.
- Pretzels: Measure the pretzels after chopping/crushing.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Baked and cooled cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before enjoying.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Form the dough into balls, then place in a freezer bag being sure to remove any excess air. Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, line cookie sheets and place cookie dough balls on the lined cookie sheets as directed in the recipe. Bake from frozen. They will likely need 1-2 minutes longer.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 24 uniform cookies.
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