Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
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I love cookies where you start with a base dough and then throw in an assortment of some of the delicious things that you have on hand. This chocolate caramel peanut butter pretzel cookie recipe started out with plain peanut butter cookies but I wanted to make it a bit more interesting so I took inspiration from a “Take 5” bar and added chocolate chips, crushed up pretzels, caramel and a bit of sea salt sprinkled on top. The result was a soft and chewy cookie with plenty of flavor and texture; the perfect cookies for fans of salty/ sweet combinations. If you’re in the mood to keep baking I recommend pairing these with my oatmeal cookies with chocolate covered raisins. For another peanut-forward cookie try these peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sweet, salty perfection. Chocolate, gooey caramel, crunchy pretzels, and peanut butter with a bit of sea salt hit both sweet and savory in one bite.
- Great texture contrast. Soft and chewy centers meet crisp pretzel pieces and pools of melted caramel.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Brown sugar – I use dark brown sugar which has a higher percentage of molasses in this dough. Be sure to tightly pack brown sugar in a measuring cup to get an accurate measurement.
- Peanut butter – I use smooth peanut butter in the cookie dough so that the dough itself is smooth.
- Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate is a dark chocolate made up of a at least 35% cacao. Semi-sweet chocolate can be used interchangeably with bitter-sweet chocolate. Because of it’s strong chocolate flavor this is great for cookies. Use either high-quality chocolate chips or chop up chocolate bars.
- Mini pretzels – The addition of pretzels to these cookies add a texture as well as a bit of salty contrast to the other ingredients (you can also use thin pretzel sticks).
- Caramel – I recommend using a high quality caramel so it’s thicker and doesn’t thin out the cookie dough. You can easily make your own homemade caramel using my recipe. I stir it in at the end of mixing the dough so you have ribbons throughout the dough.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Swaps and substitutions
- Brown sugar: You can use light brown sugar if needed.
- Peanut butter: I prefer smooth peanut butter but you can use chunky for a more peanut-forward base with added texture.
- Chocolate chips: You can swap in your favorite chopped chocolate or even butterscotch chips for a twist.
- Caramel: Store-bought caramel works fine, just look for a higher quality recipe made without corn syrup.
Pro tip
If your cookies spread a bit take a large circle cookie cutter and swirl it around the cookies when they are just out of the oven to make perfect circles before they cool.
How to Make Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies (Step-by-step)
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until creamy.
Slowly add the flour mixture until it has all been incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips, pretzels and caramel until combined.
Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet and bake until just lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and move the cookies to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with sea salt. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Storing Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
- Dough: Up to 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
- Baked cookies: 4 days ahead, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Crunchy peanut butter will add extra texture, though creamy gives a smoother dough.
Yes! I highly recommend chilling the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. It keeps the cookies from spreading while they bake.
Nope! The pretzel pieces stay crunchy in these cookies.
Yes. The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Baked cookies keep well for several days.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Yes! Freeze baked cookies or cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake dough balls straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this chocolate caramel peanut butter pretzel cookie recipe, I recommend checking out some of these other favorites:
- 12 Days of Christmas Cookies
- Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Grandma Mary’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this cookie recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
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Ingredients:
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup gently crushed mini pretzels
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- Coarse sea salt, as needed
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, beating well. In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture until it has all been incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips, pretzels and caramel until combined.
- Cover cookie dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet and bake until just lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and move the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with sea salt. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Yum! What brand of caramel sauce do you use?
I have used everything from Smuckers to Williams Sonoma Caramel sauce 🙂
These were the perfect combination of salty and sweet! Super easy to follow the steps. Very delicious- can’t wait to make again.
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed!!