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Pretzel Caramel Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 79 reviews

These Easy Pretzel Caramel Cookies combine the perfect balance of salty and sweet with a soft, chewy texture. Loaded with crushed mini pretzels, semisweet chocolate chips, and a gooey Werther’s soft caramel center, these cookies are a delightful treat ideal for snack time or special occasions. Chilling the dough ensures they bake up perfectly with a light golden edge and a melty caramel pocket inside.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 ½ (313g) cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 (227g) cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 (220g) cup Light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ (100g) cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Add-ins and Toppings

  • 1 cup Mini pretzel twists, crushed, plus more for topping
  • 2 (340g) cups Semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping
  • 27 Soft caramels (Werther’s preferred), 1 to stuff each cookie, plus more for topping
  • Flaky sea salt, optional, for topping

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined. Set this mixture aside for later.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing. Then beat in one egg and the vanilla extract until well combined, followed by the second egg.
  3. Add Flour Mixture and Fold in Add-ins: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until most streaks of flour disappear to avoid overmixing. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the crushed mini pretzels and semisweet chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours to chill.
  4. Prepare for Baking: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Using about 2 ½ tablespoons (approximately 47g) of dough, scoop out dough balls. Flatten each dough ball slightly and place one soft caramel folded in the center. Then wrap the dough around the caramel, rolling it into a smooth ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
  5. Bake Cookies: Place 4 cookie dough balls on each prepared baking sheet to allow adequate spacing. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden and the centers are still slightly underbaked. This ensures a soft, chewy texture as they cool.
  6. Add Toppings and Cool: Immediately after baking, top each cookie with a few chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, small caramel pieces, and flaky sea salt if desired. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes so they can firm up while retaining softness inside. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. For best flavor and texture, serve slightly warm.

Notes

  • Properly Measure Flour: Use a kitchen scale to measure flour accurately. Avoid scooping directly from the bag as this can add too much flour, resulting in dense cookies. If using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method: fluff the flour, spoon into the cup, and level it off with a knife.
  • Chill Dough: Chilling the dough before baking is essential to prevent the cookies from spreading too much and causing caramel to leak out.
  • Reshape Cookies if Needed: If the cookies spread and lose shape while baking, use a biscuit cutter or circular object to gently ‘scoot’ them into a perfect circle immediately after removing from oven before they harden.
  • Cooling Time on Baking Sheet: Because the cookies are slightly underbaked, let them remain on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes after baking to continue cooking gently and to prevent caramel leakage.
  • Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.

Keywords: pretzel caramel cookies, caramel stuffed cookies, chocolate chip pretzel cookies, easy homemade cookies, soft caramel cookies

Find it online: https://cookwithlea.com/pretzel-caramel-cookies-recipe/