Sweet and salty food. It shouldn’t go together, but there’s something about that flavour combination that makes your taste buds want to sing out!

Chocolate and peanut butter, watermelon and feta cheese, cheddar and apple… my mouth is watering already.

These salted caramel and pretzel chocolate chip cookies are the perfect blend of salty and sweet. Soft caramel, crunchy pretzel bits, and melt-in-the-mouth chocolate come together to create the most delicious cookie ever. Plus, these cookies are so easy to make, just mix everything together and cook – great for family baking!

Family baking: Salted caramel and pretzel chocolate chip cookies

Salty and sweet, these cookies are so easy to make – perfect for a family baking session! Find out how to make these delicious treats.

Author: Iman Osman

Ingredients

Units Scale

Here’s what you need to make 24 crunchy cookies

230g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
350g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
1/2 tsp salt
400g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
240g dark/bittersweet chocolate, chopped
100g salted caramel, chopped
60g salted pretzels, crushed

Instructions

My salted caramel and pretzel chocolate chip cookie recipe

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
Beat together the butter and sugar using a hand-held electric mixer with a paddle attachment on high-speed
Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time, followed by the salt and vanilla
Gradually add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and mix until well incorporated. Gently mix in the chocolate chips, salted caramel, and pretzels
Using an ice-cream scoop or your hands, scoop out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, making sure the cookies are at least 2cm apart
Place your tray of cookies in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. While you do this, preheat the oven to 180°C
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until golden brown on the sides and still soft in the centre
Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes and serve!

Making salted caramel and pretzel chocolate chip cookies: my top tips

If you want to make your cookies extra special, why not try making your own salted caramel? Check out my super-easy salted caramel recipe!
Not a big fan of dark chocolate? Milk chocolate, or a combination of dark and milk, works great too
I’m often asked why you need to place your tray of cookies in the freezer before baking. Freezing (or even chilling) your cookies solidifies the butter, stopping your cookies from spreading out when they bake. I find it makes them chewier too!

Notes

Sweet and salty comfort baking at its finest!

These cookies are best served warm while the caramel and chocolate are nice and gooey; they’re lovely with a glass of cold milk or cup of coffee.

However, they keep well in an airtight container for up to three days if you want to prep them in advance. Although, in my experience… they don’t stick around for that long!

Are you a fan of sweet and salty treats? And if so, which sweet and salty food is your favourite – I’d love to know.

If you’re looking for more delicious family baking recipes, you’ll find some wonderful ones on this blog, as well as my cookbook, Sweet Love.