Strawberry Pretzel Salad Cookies

An above view of a cookie topped with cream cheese frosting, strawberry sauce and a mini pretzel.

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These Strawberry Pretzel Cookies take everything you love about the classic potluck dessert, and turn it into a fun, bakery-style cookie. The cookies start with a soft brown sugar pretzel filled cookie base, topped with the best fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting, a spoonful of fresh strawberry sauce, and a crunchy pretzel for the perfect finishing touch. They have the best balance of sweet and salty and are such a fun cookie for a crowd!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: strawberry pretzel salad, strawberry pretzel salad cookies, sweet and salty

Servings: cookies

Calories: 287kcal

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Sauce:

3 cups Diced Strawberries
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
3 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 TBS Cornstarch
1/2 TBS Water

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz Cream Cheese (Softened)
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt
1.5 cup Heavy Cream

For the Brown Sugar Pretzels:

2 cups Chopped Pretzels
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (Melted)
3 TBS Brown Sugar

For the Cookie Dough:

1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract
3 cups All Purpose Flour (weighed, or spooned and leveled)
1 TBS Cornstarch
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

For Assembly:

1 cup Whipped Cream (optional)
32 Mini Pretzels

Instructions

For the Strawberry Sauce:

Add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon to a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a low bowl. 3 cups Diced Strawberries, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 3 tsp Lemon Juice
Mix together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it to the boiling strawberries. Stir it all together, and let it keep boiling until the sauce is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. 1/2 TBS Cornstarch, 1/2 TBS Water
Remove from the heat, and transfer the strawberry sauce to a small bowl to cool completely.

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl and beat it with a hand mixer until it is smooth and creamy. 6 oz Cream Cheese
Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar, 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/4 tsp Salt
With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Once the cream is all mixed in, turn the mixer to medium high speed. Continue mixing until the frosting is thick enough to hold its shape. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. 1.5 cup Heavy Cream
Place the frosting in the fridge until needed.

For the Brown Sugar Pretzels:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
In a medium sized bowl, combine your crushed pretzels, butter, and brown sugar. 2 cups Chopped Pretzels , 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 3 TBS Brown Sugar
Spread the mixture over the top of cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let it cool until needed.

For the Cookie Dough:

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Add the butter and sugars to a large bowl. Cream them together for about 2 minutes until light and creamy. 1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until combined. 2 Eggs, 1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract
Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix everything together. 3 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 TBS Cornstarch, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Salt
Fold in the candied pretzels until they're mixed evenly into the dough.
Scoop 1.5 TBS of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Place cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes, oruntil they just start to turn golden and the top of the cookies is no longer shiny.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm.

For Assembly:

Spread a spoonful of frosting on top of each cooled cookie. Add a spoonful of the strawberry topping over the frosting. Add a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Top with a mini pretzel. Repeat with additional cookies. 1 cup Whipped Cream, 32 Mini Pretzels

Notes

Make it EASIER: Skip the homemade strawberry sauce and use store bought strawberry jam. Skip the candied pretzels and just use chopped pretzels for the mix in!
Assorted Sized in the Pretzels: We like some of the pretzels to be finely crushed, and some slightly bigger pieces (maybe as big as a chocolate chip) to create a variety of crunchy bites throughout each cookie.
Do Not Over Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies just until they are very lightly golden on the edges and the center of the cookie is no longer shiny.
Assemble Right before Serving: The cookies are best shortly after assembling them. You can make the parts in advance. but then decorate the cookies right before serving for the best taste, texture, and appearance to your cookies.
Make the Cookies Extra Pretty: Add a dollop of whipped cream, a strawberry slice, and a mini pretzel on top of each cookie after they've been decorated with the frosting and strawberry sauce.

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