Caramel Pretzel Cookies are soft chewy cookies stuffed with gooey caramel and loaded with lots of salty, crunchy pretzels. This is a glorious combination of sweet, salty with contrasting textures.
I have to give my husband credit for these amazing cookies. A couple of weeks ago, he was picking up groceries at the store and he brought home some bakery cookies.
Now, if you’ve ever lived the life of a food blogger, especially a food blogger who is obsessed with desserts, you will know that there is never a shortage of baked goods around the house.
We are constantly up over our ears in cake, cookies, muffins, cheesecake, and brownies.
Why did my husband bring home cookies from the grocery? Especially since, in my not-so-humble opinion, most grocery stores tend to have sub-par cookies.
He brought them home because these cookies weren’t just the average chocolate chip cookie, there were Caramel Pretzel Cookies. Just the name sounds pretty amazing, right?
Caramel Pretzel Cookies
The cookies he brought home were good, but truly not amazing. However, I was convinced that these flavors could be made into one awesome cookie.
I started with my favorite cookie base. I added crushed pretzels and stuffed each ball of dough with a Rolo.
And then I waited for the cookie dough to chill, my least favorite part of cookie baking, but arguably the most important.
Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies
When these cookies finally came out of the oven, they were the softest, most fantastically gooey, caramelly, cookies with a fabulous salty crunch for contrast.
I don’t know if those descriptors are all real words, but that was a sentence from my heart. These are awesome cookies!
Caramel Pretzel Cookie Recipe
- Cream butter and sugars together in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture.
- Stir until combined. Stir in crushed pretzels. Using about a tablespoon of dough, roll each ball around a Rolo, completely sealing the candy inside the dough
- Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hrs or up to a couple of days if you don’t want to eat them right away.
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Do not over-bake. The centers may still look doughy.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then cool completely on wire rack.
If you want to read some tips on how to make soft, puffy cookies, start by reading my post on the best ever chocolate chip cookies.
The basic recipe is very similar to these cookies. I also recommend eating these cookies within 24 hours of baking them, or else the pretzels become slightly stale.
They are still great on later days, but they are the best while the pretzel still have their crunch. Nothing else too complicated. Happy Baking!!
Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 T vanilla
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 T cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups crushed pretzels
- 36 Rolo candies
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars together in a large bolwl. Beat in egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture.
- Stir until combined. Stir in crushed pretzels. Using a couple of tablespoon of dough, roll each ball around a Rolo, completely sealing the candy inside the dough
- Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hrs or up to a couple of days if you don't want to eat them right away.
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Do not over-bake. The centers may still look doughy.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then cool completely on wire rack.
Nutrition
{originally published 8/11/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/16/21}
Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes
And for another great sweet and salty treat, try these Snack Lover’s Rice Krispie Treats by Glorious Treats
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
I love the combination of the rolo and the pretzels in these! And I can’t believe your husband’s favorite is strawberry yogurt — of all the options! lol. I’m on your side with that one 🙂
Tyler says
But it is delicious, you see!
Mallory says
Thank you, my husband, for your first comment on my blog!
Mallory says
Thanks, Ashley!
Serene @ House of Yumm says
Love the salty sweet combo in these!! And ooey gooey caramel?! Yes please! These look amazing Mallory 🙂
Beth @ The First Year says
Strawberry yogurt with gummy bears? Hahha.. Your husband is way more adventurous then me!
Marye says
I love pretzels and caramel and chocolate! What a great combo for a cookie!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Love the sweet and salty combination!
Jennifer | Bake or Break says
Sweet and salty desserts are the best, aren’t they? These cookies look scrumptious!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
So lovely! What a great combo.
Russell from Chasing Delicious says
Holy moly these cookies sound fantastic! I’ll take a dozen please!
dina says
it looks delicious!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
These look amazingly good! I love the combination of salty and sweet. And your husband’s choice of frozen yogurt sounds just like my husband’s! My husband usually gets some off the wall flavor and tops it with gummy worms/bears and lots of sprinkles. Men, go figure. 😉
Melanie @ Carmel Moments says
They look amazing! Love caramel with pretzel. Mmm…
Pinning.
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
These look INCREDIBLE!!
Amanda says
These cookies look amazing!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These cookies look incredible, Mallory! I love the ooey gooey caramel and sweet and salty is my favorite combo 🙂
Mary Frances says
Oh my lanta, Rolos and pretzels? You hit this one out of the park! Yeah, I know how you feel, whenever anyone buys desserts from the store, I’m like, but what about the dozens of cookies and cupcakes on the counter?? 😉 You two make an awesome pair (I’ve never understood the gummy bears on ice cream thang though …) and I’m so glad you remade this! These cookies look amazing!
Karly says
Awesome cookies! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Bri | Bites of Bri says
I’m drooling! Can you deliver these ASAP? Husbands who make grocery store runs for blogging wives are the best. Most times, there are repeat trips involved (oops!)
Renel says
FYI- I just made these, followed your recipe exactly and came out with double the amount- 6 dozen! Maybe yous are really huge, but I rolled mine around the Rolo to about the size of a golf ball.
Vicki says
I’m curious how you refrigerate after rolling the dough around the rollos? I would think you would refrigerate the dough then put around the rolos, so do you put them on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours? I’m a bit confused. I’m in the middle of making these now, I’m sure they will be great!
Amaryllis says
I’m pretty sure these cookies are what dreams are made of. I’ll be making these on repeat!
Marianne Griffin says
Hi – I made these today and must have done something wrong. I followed the recipe to a tee but had so much dough that I could have made 6 dozen cookies or more! The dough was so dry that it took almost 2 tbsp. to cover the Rolo. I’m baking them tomorrow so I don’t know yet how they’ll turn out once they’re baked.
Tessy says
I thought they were a bit too much flour tasting until you got to the Rollo. Just meh for me.
Mary says
Sorry to hear that the cookies weren’t a win for you, Tessy. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.