Published: November 14, 2026
These Caramel and Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy and absolutely dreamy. The combination of sweet and salty flavors makes these cookies extra delicious, with slightly crispy edges and soft centers. Perfect for anyone who loves a classic Chocolate Chip Cookie with a little twist!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
🤎The perfect sweet and salty combination - The sweetness of the chocolate and caramel pairs perfectly with the salty pretzels, creating a delicious balance of flavors.
🤎Soft and chewy texture - These cookies have slightly crispy edges with soft, chewy centers, making every bite irresistible.
🤎Gooey caramel pieces - The soft caramel candies melt slightly during baking, creating delicious pockets of caramel throughout the cookies.
🤎Loaded with chocolate - Made with a combination of milk and dark chocolate chips for a rich chocolate flavor.
🤎A little crunch in every bite - Roughly crushed pretzel sticks add a lovely crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft cookie dough.
🤎Easy to make - This recipe uses simple ingredients and requires no complicated techniques, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced bakers.
🤎Perfect for making ahead - You can prepare the cookie dough two days in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake, making it convenient for busy days.
Storage Options
Storing the baked cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days to help maintain their soft, chewy texture. Make sure the container is properly sealed to prevent the cookies from drying out.
Freezing the unbaked cookie dough: If you'd like to prepare the cookies ahead of time, freezing the unbaked dough is a great option. After portioning the dough into individual cookie balls, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray and place them in the freezer until completely firm. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store them for up to 1 month. When you're ready to bake, remove as many cookie dough balls as you need and let them rest at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes. Bake according to the recipe instructions, adding around 2 extra minutes if necessary. Keep an eye on the cookies, as baking times can vary depending on your oven.
Tips & Tricks
→ Use soft caramel candies - For the best results, I recommend using soft, chewy caramel candies rather than hard caramels. Soft caramels melt beautifully during baking, creating delicious, gooey pockets throughout the cookies. Chop the candies into smaller pieces before adding them to the dough so the caramel is distributed more evenly. Hard caramel candies can become extremely firm once cooled, which isn't ideal for soft, chewy cookies.
→ Do not overmix the cookie dough - Once you've added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, gently fold everything together until just combined. Mixing the dough for too long can develop excess gluten, resulting in cookies that are tougher or more cakey rather than soft and chewy.
→ Do not skip refrigerating the cookie dough - After portioning the dough into individual cookie balls, cover them and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking. Chilling allows the butter to firm up, helping the cookies maintain their shape and preventing excessive spreading in the oven. It also gives the flour time to absorb moisture, which contributes to a better texture. For the best results, I recommend baking the cookies directly from the refrigerator rather than allowing the dough to warm up beforehand.
→ Roughly crush the pretzel sticks - When preparing the pretzels, avoid crushing them into very fine crumbs. Instead, break them into small, irregular pieces so they remain noticeable throughout the cookies. This creates a lovely contrast between the soft cookie centers, melted chocolate and crunchy pretzels. You want the pretzels to be small enough to distribute evenly throughout the dough while still providing a little crunch in every bite.
→ Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies - I highly recommend using a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion the dough. This makes it much easier to create cookies of a similar size, helping them bake evenly in the oven. Using the same amount of dough for each cookie also gives the finished batch a more consistent, bakery-style appearance. This recipe makes 12 cookies, so try to divide the dough as evenly as possible.
→ Add extra chocolate and caramel before baking - For a beautiful bakery-style finish, reserve a few chocolate chips and small caramel pieces to decorate the tops of your cookie dough balls before baking. Gently press them into the dough so they stay in place as the cookies spread. Keep the caramel pieces slightly away from the outer edges, as exposed caramel can melt onto the baking tray and become sticky or overly firm once cooled.
→ Avoid overbaking the cookies - One of the most important things when making soft, chewy cookies is knowing when to take them out of the oven. The edges should look lightly golden and set, while the centers should still appear slightly soft. Don't wait until the entire cookie looks completely firm, as the cookies will continue to set from the residual heat after being removed from the oven. For this recipe, approximately 12 minutes at 180°C should be enough, although the exact baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
→ Shape the cookies while they're still warm - If you love perfectly round cookies, the cookie cutter swirling method is a great little trick. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a large round cookie cutter around each cookie, making sure it's slightly wider than the cookie itself. Gently move the cutter in a circular motion to push any uneven edges back into a round shape. This works best while the cookies are still hot and soft, so make sure to do it before they begin to firm up.
→ Let the cookies cool on the baking tray - Once your cookies come out of the oven, allow them to rest on the baking tray for approximately 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Freshly baked cookies are very delicate, so moving them too early can cause them to break apart. This short resting time allows the centers to firm up slightly.
→ Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements - Baking cookies is all about getting the right balance of ingredients, especially when it comes to flour, butter and sugar. Measuring ingredients by weight is much more accurate than using measuring cups, which can vary depending on how the ingredients are packed. I always recommend using a kitchen scale to ensure consistent results and achieve the same soft, chewy texture every time you make this recipe.
Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe
Unsalted butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before mixing it with the sugars, as this allows everything to combine more easily. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you're using salted butter, slightly reduce the additional salt.
Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness while helping the cookies spread during baking and develop slightly crispy edges.
Light brown sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel-like flavor to the cookie dough, making the cookies softer and chewier.
Vanilla bean paste: I love using vanilla bean paste for its rich flavor, but you can easily substitute it with the same amount of vanilla extract.
Egg and egg yolk:The whole egg helps bind the ingredients together while providing structure and moisture. The extra egg yolk adds richness and contributes to a softer, chewier texture.
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure needed to hold the cookies together.
Fine sea salt: Salt balances the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel while enhancing the overall flavor of the cookies.
Baking powder and baking soda: Baking powder provides a little lift, helping the cookies develop soft centers, while baking soda encourages spreading and browning during baking.
Milk chocolate chunks: Milk chocolate adds a creamy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the salty pretzels and soft caramel pieces.
Dark chocolate chunks: Dark chocolate adds a deeper, richer chocolate flavor that balances the sweetness of the milk chocolate and caramel.
Soft caramel candies: Make sure to use soft, chewy caramels rather than hard caramel candies, as hard caramels can become difficult to bite into once the cookies have cooled. Chop the candies into smaller pieces before folding them into the dough so the caramel is distributed evenly.
Pretzel bites: I recommend using salted pretzels for the best sweet and salty flavor combination. Avoid crushing them too finely, as you want small, noticeable pieces throughout the cookies.
Step By Step Instructions With Photos
1. In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy.
2. Next, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla bean paste. Mix until fully incorporated.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold everything together until just combined.
4. Lastly, add the milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, chopped soft caramel candies and roughly crushed pretzel sticks. Fold everything together until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
5. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 12 evenly sized cookies and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Cover the cookies with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. After an hour, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
8. Remove the cookies from the fridge and place about 4 cookies onto the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space between them to spread while baking.
9. Top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and pieces of caramel.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
11. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven. While they are still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently swirl around each cookie to give it a perfectly round shape.
12. Top each cookie with a pretzel stick and let the cookies cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Enjoy!
Caramel and Pretzel Chocolate Chips Cookies
These Caramel and Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy and absolutely dreamy. The combination of sweet and salty flavors makes these cookies extra delicious, with slightly crispy edges and soft centers. Perfect for anyone who loves a classic Chocolate Chip Cookie with a little twist!
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, softened (2/3 cup)
- 100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 100g light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 220g all purpose flour (1 cup + 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 100g milk chocolate chunks (2/3 cup)
- 100g dark chocolate chunks (2/3 cup)
- 50g soft caramel candies, chopped up (about 6 candies)
- 20g Pretzel bites, crushed roughly (1/3 cup)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Next, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla bean paste. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold everything together until just combined.
- Lastly, add the milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, chopped soft caramel candies and roughly crushed pretzel sticks. Fold everything together until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 12 evenly sized cookies and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the cookies with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- After an hour, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookies from the fridge and place about 4 cookies onto the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space between them to spread while baking.
- Top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and pieces of caramel.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven. While they are still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently swirl around each cookie to give it a perfectly round shape.
- Top each cookie with a pretzel stick and let the cookies cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
