My BIG chocolate chip pretzel cookies recipe is all about that salty and sweet perfect combination! We’re taking my healthy whole wheat dark chocolate chip cookies, and adding crunchy pretzels into them. A fun and delicious twist you’ll want over and over again!
Chocolate chip pretzel cookies recipe
Made with less sugar and whole wheat flour, these delicious cookies have a healthy twist!
But don’t worry, there’s still a little butter and chocolate in them (hello super good cookie!). The salty pretzels take them over the top!
The recipe makes 6 big chewy cookies and it’s quickly become one of our family’s favorite cookie recipes.
You can also use a small cookie scoop and opt for crushed pretzels instead for some delicious mini cookies! Any Cookie Monster would approve.
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes!
You can freeze cooked cookies, simply cool them, and then freeze them individually on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I suggest making a double batch if you plan to freeze them!
Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and they will keep for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the cookie dough. Mix the dough, then scoop out the cookies. Freeze the individual unbaked cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and the cookie dough will keep for up to 3 months.
To bake your frozen cookie dough, no need to defrost it.
Take the unbaked cookie dough out of the freezer, and follow the baking instructions below, adding 2-3 more minutes to the bake time.
What you need for this pretzel chocolate chip cookies recipe
- whole wheat pastry flour
- baking soda
- sea salt
- room temperature unsalted butter
- natural cane sugar
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
- dark chocolate chips
- pretzels
How to make our favorite cookies
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl whisk together the softened butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
- In the same bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Stir the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, along with the chocolate chips and pretzels until just combined.
- Using a spoon or large cookie scoop, scoop 6 cookie balls onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and the bottoms are crispy. Allow cooling on a wire rack.
Watch me make chocolate chip pretzel cookies
The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
What to serve with classic chocolate chip cookies
Cookies and milk (or homemade almond milk!) are a go-to in our house!
We also love to make healthy chocolate banana ice cream and then crumble a cookie over top of it. Makes it extra special!
Another fun way to use these cookies is in my protein cookie dough. Replace the chocolate chips with broken-up cookies for healthy protein cookies and cream cookie dough – YUM!
How to store
Any leftover cookies should be cooled thoroughly before placing them in an airtight container for storage.
Enjoy at room temperature, or slightly re-warm them to get that soft and melted chocolate center.
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this dark chocolate pretzel cookies recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Whole wheat pastry flour – All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix will work as substitutes here.
Butter – Unsalted sweet cream butter can be replaced with salted butter, however, you’ll want to use unsalted pretzels if your butter is salted. Ghee (clarified butter) is another great option. For less buttery cookies, try coconut oil in place of the butter.
Natural cane sugar – White sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, and light brown sugar will all work in place of natural cane sugar.
Dark chocolate chips – Dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or mini chocolate chips all work in place of the dark chocolate option. You can also chop up your favorite bar of chocolate to use here too!
Pretzels – This salty treat is thanks to the pretzels, and you can use any shape of pretzel you’d like here – pretzel sticks, pretzel twists, or even pretzel balls (chopped up).
More recipes your sweet tooth will love
- Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Chickpea cookie recipe
- Chocolate oatmeal almond flour cookies
- Chewy orange almond butter oat cookies
Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup natural cane sugar
- 1 eggs
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup pretzels chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl whisk together the softened butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
- In the same bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Stir the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, along with the chocolate chips and pretzels until just combined.
- Using a spoon or large cookie scoop, scoop 6 cookie balls onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and the bottoms are crispy. Allow cooling on a wire rack.
Nutrition
If you try this homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Originally published May 2012. Updated December 2022.
34 comments
YUM! These look FAN-tastic! 🙂
I made cookies with Mini Eggs after Easter, figured it was the best way to avoid eating them all straight from the bag!
Definitely Lindsey! I thinks it’s an awesome idea.
Love how thick those look!
And I’m a big fan of the sweet and salty combo… it gets me everytime.
Sweet and salty is addictive!
Can’t go wrong with sweet and salty!
yum! i always love pretzels with chocolate… sweet + salty is my favorite.
I’ve never seen pretzels in a chocolate chip cookie. I can only imagine how the salt bits would taste! So good.
So good!
Those cookies look excellent. There IS something about pretzels in desserts – I think it’s the sweet/salty combination that does it.
Yup, you just can’t beat that combo!
Those cookies are gorgeous! I’m with everyone else- salty + sweet is amazing. YUM!
Glad you liked them! The chocolate and pretzel combo is so awesome…if you are craving pretzels I have a pretzel crusted pork chop recipe in my blog that is really good too!
I will have to check that out! I was actually thinking of doing a pretzel crusted chicken strip, but I bet it’s great with pork too!
Yum, yum, yum!!! Darn my Husband ate all the plain pretzels last night, all I have left is Jalapeno Jack and Buffalo Chicken Wing. Crazy sounding pretzels, but there so good!!! I want to make these cookies!!! Sigh…. Guess I’m off to pick up some pretzels.
Sounds like some spicy pretzels!
Too funny about the pretzels. When my friend was prego she always craved ice cream, but different flavors each time. They had a whole freezer in the garage full of ice cream cartons with only like 2 scoop from each one!
Mmmmm now that sounds like a great craving! I’ve definitely been enjoying my ice cream more lately, but not at that intensity!
Hi Heather,
This has to be a great cookie with two of my favorites Chocolate Chip’s and Pretzel’s. We would really enjoy this cookies. It is fun cooking with you in the SRC!
Miz Helen
chocolate and pretzels? winner to me!
These sound delicious! I love any kind of sweet and salty combo!
I’ve seen lots of pretzel cookie recipes, but have yet to make one. Maybe this will be it! I’m stopping by from SRC but be sure to stop by Seasonal Potluck this month. We have peas AND rhubarb link parties open! We’d love if you’d share any recipes you may have http://bit.ly/H9XJGB
Mmmmm sweet and salty treats…pardon me and my cookie coma that’s about to happen:) I think these cookies can help folks get through their week.
Nice size cookies! Pretzels and chocolate, are like peanut butter and chocolate to me!
Looks awesome with the sweet and salty combo. yummers..
These sound so delicious!!! I’ve never tried pretzels in my cookies, I’ll have to give it a try!
How did your first baby shower go?!
Hope you had a great weekend!
Before I went gluten-free I had a ridiculous addiction to pretzels. It was bad, ugly even. Thankfully gluten-free pretzels don’t taste nearly as good. They try, but they miss the mark if you’re a pretzel connoisseur like me 😀 When I really wanted a treat, I would dip them in chocolate… so I’m ALL over this recipe!
Oh wow, these look fantastic!
I love pretzels and chocolate..so in a cookie, I know I would LOVE this!! 🙂
I’m making these right now! I can’t wait!! I’m going to make them big, so Hubby can take them to work!!!
Let me know how they turn out for you Jennifer!
OMG! I made the biggest cookies ever and I got 9 of them. Don’t ask me how? They were perfect! Crunchy edges, melted chocolate and salty pretzels. I gave them to Hubby to take to work today and when he took them this morning, he said these are huge! They didn’t fit in his lunch bag! These are a keeper!!!!
I just made these and they are fantastic!! i love that they aren’t so sweet.
your new site looks great!
Awesome, so glad you liked them Anna!!!
[…] we are about to go on vacation… I decided to make him some cookies before the cruise. I saw her dark chocolate pretzel cookies and knew that sweet – salty combo was a winner! […]