These Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies are the ultimate sweet and salty cookie. They are thick, chewy peanut butter cookies that are totally loaded with peanut butter cups, crunchy pretzels, and chocolate chips for a cookie that has a little bit of everything in every single bite!
If you’re like me and can’t resist the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, these cookies are about to become a new favorite. They have soft centers, are packed with mix-ins, and have the perfect balance of sweet, and salty flavors that keeps you reaching for another cookie.
The peanut butter cookie base is the same as my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, the cookies are soft and rich, without being dry or crumbly. Using a combination of brown sugar and peanut butter gives you a cookie that stays soft for days, and delivers lots of peanut butter flavor!
But the mix-ins are what make these extra special. There are pockets of melted chocolate with the peanut butter cups and chocolate chips, and the pretzels bring the best salty crunch!
Why you should make these
- Sweet and Salty Flavors: The combination of the pretzels, chocolate, and peanut butter is irresistible. I love sweet and salty, so I add a little dash of flakey salt on top too 😉
- Loaded with Mix Ins: The dough is packed with three cups of peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and pretzels, so every bite gets extra tastiness.
- Easy to Make: These are made with simple ingredients you can find in your pantry anytime, just a few minutes to make the dough, and no chilling required!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter: This provides a rich flavor to the cookie base. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have.
- Sugars: We’re using a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar to give the crispy edges, and soft and chewy centers.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: I prefer using a regular peanut butter like Jif, Natural Peanut Butters can make the cookies spread a little more.
- All Purpose Flour: Make sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level off the top with the flat side of a knife. Or weigh the flour for the most accurate results.
- Chocolate Chips: They add the perfect extra pockets of chocolate, and balance the salty pretzels. I usually love milk chocolate, but for these I like semi sweet chocolate chips.
- Peanut Butter Cups: I love chopping up mini peanut butter cups, but any peanut butter cups will do.
- Pretzels: Chopped up and added to the dough, they add the best crunch and salty flavor!
- Flaky Sea Salt: This is optional, but it enhances all the flavors and makes the cookies taste bakery-style.
How to Make Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies?
Step 1: Cream the Butters and Sugars. Add the softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated to a large bowl and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Add in the Dry Ingredients. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix until you have a soft dough.
Step 3: Add in the Mix Ins. Add in the chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and pretzel pieces. Fold them into the dough until they’re mixed evenly in.
Step 4: Scoop the Cookies. Scoop large portions of the dough and roll them into balls and place them onto a lined cookie sheet. Press a few extra chocolate chips and pretzel pieces on top of the cookies.
Step 5: Bake the Cookies. Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
Tips and Tricks:
- Bang the Pan: If the cookies bake too thick, when they’re done baking, remove the pan from the oven and bang it firmly on the counter top. This will help them flatten a little, give the perfect crinkly edges, and create the perfect puddles of melted chocolate on top of the cookies.
- Make the Cookies Extra Pretty: Reserve a little bit of the mix ins, or even better have an extra half cup or so of each to top the cookies with when they come out of the oven to fill in the gaps, and make the cookies look extra pretty.
Storage Instructions
These pretzel peanut butter cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To store them longer you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months.
You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls, by flash freezing them on a cooking sheet, then transferring them to a freezer safe bag. Bake the cookies directly from frozen by adding 1 to 2 minutes to the total baking time.
These Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies are everything you could want in a homemade cookie. They take my favorite peanut butter cookies to the next level, by adding crunchy pretzels, and peanut butter cups, giving you the ultimate sweet and salty cookie! You’ll love these for a party, cookie exchange, or just because you needed something sweet!
More Cookie Favorites
- Monster Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Banana Bread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
- Haystack Cookies // Best Christmas Desserts
- Drop Sugar Cookies // Best Christmas Desserts
- Toffee Doodle Cookies // Best Christmas Desserts
If you make this Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Peanut Butter
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Chopped Peanut Butter Cups
- 1 cup Chopped Pretzels
- Flakey Sea Salt (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet or two with parchment paper.
- Add the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl and cream together for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. 1 cup Peanut Butter, 1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Brown Sugar, 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. 2 Large Eggs, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix it in until you have a soft cookie dough. 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour , 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Salt
- Add in the majority of the chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and pretzels (reserve a few for the tops of the cookies) and fold them into the dough until mixed evenly. 1 cup Chocolate Chips, 1 cup Chopped Peanut Butter Cups, 1 cup Chopped Pretzels
- Scoop the cookie dough into large balls, about 2 TBS in size (I measured mine all to be 50g). Place them a few inches apart on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the tops are set and the cookies just start to crack.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and press extra chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and pretzel pieces into the tops. Sprinkle the tops with flakey sea salt. Flakey Sea Salt
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Bang the Pan: If the cookies bake too thick, when they’re done baking, remove the pan from the oven and bang it firmly on the counter top. This will help them flatten a little, give the perfect crinkly edges, and create the perfect puddles of melted chocolate on top of the cookies.
- Make the Cookies Extra Pretty: Reserve a little bit of the mix ins, or even better have an extra half cup or so of each to top the cookies with when they come out of the oven to fill in the gaps, and make the cookies look extra pretty.
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