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Welcome to my baking chocolate + pretzel addiction.
I have a huge soft-spot for the duo and no holiday would be complete without a tray of my favorite sprinkle-laden chocolate covered pretzels.
I’ve combined chocolate and pretzels with cheesecake, brownies, and heck… I’ve even put chocolate covered pretzels into cookies before! But today? You’re getting a white chocolate version, a sprinkle overloaded version, and an out-of-this-world soft-baked version. Wow.
One of the very first recipes on Sally’s Baking Addiction is chocolate covered pretzels. Hardly a recipe at all, these salty sweet treats have been my dessert staple for ages. For practically every single holiday, you better believe I whip up a batch of my favorite pretzel treats. And they could NOT be easier (or quicker!) to make. White chocolate, regular chocolate, and even swirled chocolate.
How can one resist a chocolate covered pretzel?
My favorite cookie dough and the salty sweet pretzels are combining forces today.
We’re going to begin with my favorite cookie dough base. This cookie dough is incredibly special and goes above and beyond what a regular cookie dough can do. Start with your usual suspects – butter, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, baking soda, etc. You’re going to add cornstarch to your usual cookie ingredients.
You may recall my affinity for adding cornstarch to cookies from my three favorite cookie recipes. It’s the cornstarch that makes the cookies so thick and soft. So chewy and doughy. So darn perfect. Think about it… cornstarch is the ingredient thickening up your soups, softening your pie fillings, and giving your gravy a full-bodied texture. Just think of what it can do for cookie dough!
I made the chocolate covered pretzels from scratch. They’ll take maybe 10 minutes of your time and it’s SO worth it to make them at home. Melt white chocolate. Dip pretzel. Cover with sprinkles. Chill for 5 minutes to set the chocolate. DONE!
If you can’t make your own chocolate covered pretzels, feel free to add a store-bought version instead. If you can’t find a store-bought version with sprinkles, simply add sprinkles to the cookie dough. If none of this works for you, try adding a mixture of regular pretzels, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles.
When it comes to mix-ins, this recipe is very forgiving. Use what you can, but do not go over the 1 and 1/2 cup mark. Too many add-ins will weigh the cookie down. 1.5 cups hits the spot.
Just look how thick these guys are. The thickest cookies to EVER come out of my oven. How did I do that? The cornstarch, as I mentioned above, is a huge factor. With that, there are a couple other steps that I took to assure a thick cookie. I explained my thick cookie tricks earlier this week and I’m happy to share again. 
First, I chilled the dough after mixing it. I chilled this dough overnight – about 12 hours. Although it requires me to think ahead, I chill the dough for nearly every single cookie I bake. I cannot stress this step enough. After mixing your cookie dough, chilling it firms up the fat (butter, in this case) and gives the flour time to absorb liquid evenly. It reduces a cookie dough’s stickiness, making it firm and much easier to work with.
Second, I stacked my cookies nice and tall before putting them into the oven – my favorite “tall cookie” trick as I like to call it. This means that you will simply shape the cookie dough ball to be nice and tall, with a firm solid bottom to make sure the cookie doesn’t topple over as it bakes. I’ve been rolling my cookie dough balls taller, rather than wider ever since I made my Thick Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies.
I baked today’s cookies larger than usual. I wanted a “statement” cookie to go along with the cutesy little sprinkles – something large and in charge. About 2 generous tablespoons of dough went into each cookie.
Important to note here is the baking time – a precise 9-10 minutes. No more! Once the cookies came out of the oven, I had to press the tops down a bit because they were so puffy from all the dough I used. That’s why you see all the gorgeous little crinkles on the cookie tops. I adore pretty cookies as much as tasty cookies.
The soft, doughy interior, the chewy edges, the crinkly tops, the thick size, the salty/sweet taste, the huge chunks of white chocolate pretzels. Oh, and sprinkles. Duh.
If you adore chocolate covered pretzels as much as I do, you’re going to love my latest soft-baked cookie creation. Perhaps a new favorite? Indeed. That says a lot – I am a huge cookie critic!
Happy Holidays from my cookie to yours.
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makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups chopped chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles (small pretzel twists)
Instructions
- Line an ungreased cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. On low speed, mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate covered pretzel pieces. Chill dough (covered) for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Drop balls of dough (2 tablespoons each) onto cookie sheet OR used a standard-sized cookie scoop. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. Do NOT cook them longer than 10 minutes. Remove and press down the tops of cookies if they appear too puffy. Let cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
*Cookies remain fresh in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
*Do not drop dough onto warm cookie sheets. Allow cookie sheets to cool completely between batches.
adapted from The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
RECIPE SOURCE: sallysbakingaddiction.com
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Chocolate + pretzel addiction commences…
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cookies (with regular chocolate!)
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Brownies
Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
How do you feel about pretzels in your sweets?
{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE anything that combines pretzels and chocolate. I need to send you my address so you can ship me some of these lovely creations
Aly @ FitandFrugirl recently posted..Peanut Butter M&M Pretzel Buttons
Thanks Aly! And how funny – you posted chocolate and pretzels today too! Love those pretzel buttons!
I love BIG and thick cookies too! What a clever idea to add the chocolate-covered pretzels. Wow!
Laura (Got Chocolate) recently posted..INTERVIEW: ‘Next Great Baker’ Contestant Gretel-Ann Fischer
I adore the thick cookies you get from bakeries and I’m glad these cookies baked up so thick too! Thanks Laura
Where to even being – oh boy. The fact that you made the chocolate covered pretzels from scratch is a great touch and you’re right, a small drop in the bucket for truly stellar rewards. Storebought choc covered pretzels tend to be stale and old and icky and who wants that in a cookie!
The fact that there’s white chocolate, the salty n sweet vibe, oh I am in heaven. And that you even had to smoosh them down from all that height and puff, talk about a great dough base that stands up and doesn’t spread.
Love these, Sally!
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..Parmesan Ranch Snack Mix
I loathe store bough pretzels too Averie – stale and they just taste “old” to me. I knew you’d like the sweet salty AND the thick, soft cookie with cornstarch!
Sally, you’re a flippin’ genius! I’ve never thought to put white chocolate covered pretzels into cookies. When I saw this pic I ‘ooh-ed’ out loud.
Cannot wait to bake these! Thinking about adding peanut butter chips to the mix. Gah, dangerous!!
Oh my goodness Cory you have no idea – these are SO SO dangerous to have around! But… so worth it
My daughter just saw these and screamed:”Let’s make it mommy! Let’s make it!”. So…. we are going to make them.
These cookies look so thick and chewy and delicious! I love white chocolate covered pretzels!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted..Girls Lunch Out {Panera Soup Review}
LOVE IT Anna!!! Your daughter has good taste, just like you! You have to let me know how they turn out and I know you will adore them as much as I do!
I’ve shoved chocolate and pretzels into cookies…but not chocolate covered pretzels. Mmmmm food coma.
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..Holiday Cookie Cravings e-Cookbook Giveaway with Two Peas and Their Pod
hahah food coma… katrina i love your comments!
I love the fact that you think of the details, miss Sally. From the homemade chocolate-and-sprinkle-covered pretzels, to the tall, puffy cookies.. everything looks stellar and I can only imagine how FANTASTIC they taste! I am so loving this sweet and salty and sprinkly
combo!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel recently posted..Chocolate Mint Seven Layer Bars
I can’t handle you anymore.
And that’s meant as a HUGE compliment!
Gosh, these cookies look good!!!!!
Colleen @ What’s Baking in the Barbershop?! recently posted..Too Many Cookies & Not Enough Time
I am flattered and I do take it as a compliment. lol! Thanks Colleen.
Yum! These look to DIE for, Sally, as usual! I too am a huge fan of chocolate covered pretzels and have them at least once a week…just can’t get enough of that salty+sweet combination!
Can’t wait to try these out sometime soon!
Ikhlas recently posted..Review: The Diviners
You will LOVE these cookies – and they are easier than my chocolate peppermint patty fudge cookies!
Oh. My. Gosh. Sally. You have outdone yourself here! Love, love love. And I have to get on trying this cornstarch cookie…haven’t been able to peel myself away from the CI recipe yet. I will do it!
Cassie | Bake Your Day recently posted..King Arthur Flour Giveaway
I simply adore the CI recipe as well, but you will be astonished at the results of using cornstarch in your next batch. TRUST ME!
Will you be my BFF? I swear, everything you make is my total fav!!!!!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Rainbow Peanut Butter Cookie Cups {Virtual Baby Shower!}
Thanks for all the tips Sally! I’ve been searching for the perfect cookie recipe and I’m going to try yours out to see if I can finally end my search!
Liz recently posted..White Chocolate Dipped Molasses Cookies
You will adore this recipe Liz – a perfect cookie dough base and you can add whatever you’d like to the mixture. OF course, I suggest chocolate covered pretzels.
Thanks Liz!
I just have to tell you that I used your previous chocolate covered pretzel cookie recipe just this week for my son to take to school. They turned out GREAT (although mine don’t look nearly as pretty as yours), so I know I’d love this white chocolate version, too. You are a cookie genius!
I am so happy to hear that Ashley! This cookie dough base is a tad different – and even better.
Chocolate covered pretzels?! Yeah, you find my weakness man. And then you threw on a cookie! Okay, time to throw out the skinny jeans and bringing on the yoga pants. We only live once, right?
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Whole Wheat Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup
Oh, I bet these are such a perfect combination of chewy cookie and crunchy white chocolate (WHITE CHOCOLATE!!!!) pretzel…yum. I love the look of the red and green sprinkles on the white chocolate…and those towering dough balls are so cute, haha.
Thanks for the great recipe! Just so you know, when you have the hyperlinks saying ‘favorite cookie recipes’, the second and third both link to the soft-baked white chocolate cranberry cookies…which I think maybe you didn’t mean to do? 
Yeah Caley! Thanks so much – and YES I adore the crunchy/soft texture contracts.
Oh and thank you so much for pointing out my link error – I fixed that! My mind has been all ove rthe place lately, thank you so much for catching it!
I love how fluffy these cookies are Sally! And with the white chocolate pretzels? Yummers.
Aimee @ ShugarySweets recently posted..Lemon Crunch Cookies {Heirloom Cookie sheets giveaway}
Oh my goodness- they all look delicious! I don’t think I bake enough with pretzel’s thanks for the inspo
http://lyndajanecakes.blogspot.co.uk/
x
You’ve got to try it Lynda! Pretzels have become one of my favorite ingredients to throw into desserts.
Sally,
I made those white chocolate cookies and they were SO good and so easy to make!! Thank you for the recipe!
EJ
I’m glad you enjoyed them! And yes, I adore how easy these are to whip up. Thank you E.J.!
Okay Sally, these are the winner. My favorite thing you have ever posted. I’ve been wanting to make pretzel cookies again, because dipping them in chocolate assures that they won’t lose their crunch–it’s perfect. I just want them all. All to myself. WITH ALL THE BUTTER AND EVERYTHING!!! It’s a good thing you live far away, or I’d be knocking down your door right now yelling “GIVE ME COOKIES!!!”
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..DIY Mint Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream {Vegan}
A winner? that says a lot coming from you Ari! And I adore pretzels in cookies – can you think of a better running post-workout snack? Or even pre-workout snack? extra carbs! IF you didn’t live so far we could go running together and eat these cookies after!
I’ve been looking for the final cookie for my christmas cookie tin and I think I’ve found it! These look delicious and I love the extra step of having to make the chocolate covered pretzels—it makes them that much more special. Not to mention, love the festive sprinkles.
Also, I finally made your perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe today and, even in Italy with some pretty gosh darn weird ingredients, they turned out fantastic. I think I’m in love!
Emilia recently posted..The Perfect Gift for Everyone on Your List: A Better Christmas Cookie Tin
Hey Emilia! That is SO great to hear about the perfect chocolate chip cookies – SO SO glad you made them and like them as much as I do. I will never need another chocolate chip cookie recipe again. And today’s cookies – oh man, these are a new favorite. Definitely. The homemade chocolate covered pretzels make them even more special, you are right. And homemade chocolate covered pretzels literally take 10 minutes. And all the sprinkles – they were an obvious addition.
Thanks Emilia!
whoa, how yummy!
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef recently posted..Christmastime
wow!!!! I love chocolate covered pretzels…then to add into the cookie…wowzer. I can not wait to try. And they look so festive with the sprinkles!!! I am so happy for your wonderful addictions
angela @ anotherbiteplease recently posted..friday favorites {12 Christmas Treats}
Angela! I am glad you adore my chocolate pretzel obsession.
You’d LOVE these cookies.
the photos are incredible. i am currently making the white chocolate pretzels and will make the dough later this weekend! should i store my pretzels in the fridge until i use them? did you add any additional white chocolate to your cookies or is all of that goodness from your pretzels?? this combination looks divine. can’t wait for the final product!
Hi again Andrea! Thank you for the photo compliment – that means a lot to me.
Yes, store the homemade chocolate covered pretzels in the fridge until you use them. I did not add any additional chips to the cookies – all the chocolate is from the chocolate pretzels. You are going to LOVE these!
oh my word…the dough is chilling in the fridge. all i can say is WOW! i can already tell this is going to be a winner. i added a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract and the dough smells amazing! oh and i’ve got 3 other cookie doughs from your site chilling next to the pretzel one too haha! i think the golden oreo truffles are up next…!
I *love* adding almond extract to my cookie dough recipes! Especially ones with white chocolate in them! You and are are very similar then Andrea! What other cookies are you making? Those golden oreo truffles – you can’t go wrong! They are always SO popular at parties. I’m making them again this week actually!
I cannot resist chocolate covered pretzels (and I don’t even like white chocolate that much…ha ha!) One of my coworkers got a huge container from a patient today and i have been sneaking into her drawer to snack on them. Good thing I am making my own pretzel candies tomorrow : )
Sally, this is such a good idea! These are the perfect sweet and salty treat. And you know I love how big and puffy they are
Laura Dembowski recently posted..Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
Hi Laura! Thanks so much – I adore sweet/salty treats and pretzels in cookies is kind of my latest obsession.
Glad you approve my friend!
Oh my word! Sally, I love your healthy recipes- but really. These look stinking amazing! LOVE sweet and salty!!!
P.S.
You should combine the two- healthy AND Sweet & Salty!
Hey Sophie! Thanks for the tweet earlier – that was so sweet of you! I recently made sweet/salty peanut butter trail mix bars. Healthy and quite possibly my favorite granola bar ever: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/15/peanut-butter-trail-mix-bars/ YUM!
Chocolate covered pretzels are a weakness of mine too. And the store bought ones just don’t cut it…at all!!! I absolutely love how puffy and thick these cookies are!!! I need to try out this cornstarch trick:-)
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life recently posted..Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Fudge
Thanks Jocelyn! You will be surprise and pleasantly delighted at the effects of cornstarch in your next cookie recipe. I promise.
I am chilling the dough for this recipe right now! The dough already tastes great! I can’t wait to bake them tomorrow. Thanks for another great recipe.
Becky! Yum, i’m so glad! Let me know how they turn out today! These are a favorite recipe of mine.
They turned out oh so delicious! My hubby would not stop eating them! I had to hide them so my sister and brother-in-law can have some when they visit this weekend. They are definitely a favorite recipe of mine now, too!
Hey Becky! Woo hoo! Glad they turned out well.
These are chilling right now!! I tasted the batter and it’s pure heaven! I can’t wait to bake them tomorrow. I used already dipped white chocolate pretzels but all I had was whote chocolate peppermint pretzels and I put in some sprinkles. Soooo good!! Thanks for posting!
Hi again Chelly! white chocolate peppermint pretzels – WOW! I have to try that next time.
They turned out amazing! Huge hit at Christmas. I made smaller cookies and ended up with 6 dozen. I was able to give some to family and friends and still have a bunch at home!
Chelly, you’re making me crave these cookies again! I’m so glad everyone loved them and I may have to try making them smaller next time – more cookies to eat that way! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Hi Sally– Thank you so much for this recipe! I tried it last night, and I used your tip from your oatmeal cookies where you browned the butter first….Holy cow, they are spectacular. You rock.
Interesting! I tried putting some white chocolate covered pretzels in some cupcake batter before and the chocolate somehow disappeared and the pretzels got soggy. But cookies I’ve yet to try!
And I’ll have to try these! I love your tips for getting such thick cookies.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking recently posted..Soft and Chewy Grain- and Gluten-free Gingerbread Men
I live in Greece but I am American and I just love pretzel so much.They are hard to find here so I have always made mine from scratch.You know they way where you set them in boiled water and so on…so complicated..So I just love your way and my kids at two batches today.I am looking at all you other recipes now and I just love how pretzels are in many of them/Do you show how to make hard pretzels??I wold love to learn because my kids love them.Thank you
Hi Heidi! I’m so glad you enjoyed my soft pretzel recipe! I do not have any hard pretzel recipes – like the kind of pretzels used in these cookies. So sorry! Thank you for letting me know about the soft version though – I love those too!
Sally, these are wonderful! I made these once already and they only lasted 3 days in our house. This is probably my most favorite cookie ever. I am making a new batch right now as I type this. I am waiting for the dough to chill so I can I can pop them in the oven. I am new to your site and am simply in love with all of your recipes. Keep up the good work!
Hi Barbara! I am SO glad you love these cookies too! They were a random thought one day as I was making chocolate covered pretzels. The white chocolate and the sprinkles and the salty pretzels – everything just works inside the buttery soft dough. And I love how thick they are. Thank you so much for letting me know you love them!
Do you let your dough come to room temperature before baking them or do you bake the dough chilled?
As soon as the cold dough is scoop-able, I scoop and bake the cookies. I bake with cold dough because it reduces spreading. Thanks Morgan!
I made these tonight for 3rd time! I just can’t get enough lol… I’ve also tried variations of this recipe by adding some chocolate chips and then tonight I’m using chocolate covered pretzels instead — all so delicious! Thanks for a great and easy recipe
EJ
Thanks EJ! This is my go-to cookie recipe as well. I might have to add chocolate chips to my next batch. So glad you love them!
wow these look great! are these soft cakey cookies or chewy cookies?
they are incredible soft, but not in a cakey sort of way because they are pretty dense. Chewy, thick, and soft.
Hey sally I’m a teenager who loves baking and indulging in sweets! I really like your blog a lot and just had to tell you how awesome these babies look! Ughh I can just taste them in my mouth. I wish you did like selling care packages or baskets and stuff cause I would most def buy them!
Hi Imani! Thanks so much for the comment. So very sweet of you. I love these cookies so much! I do not sell/send anything at the moment but maybe some day.