This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

The BEST Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles for your holiday cookie baking. Homemade snickerdoodle cookies, made with browned butter, plenty of chocolate-covered caramel chunks, pretzels pieces, and a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Each cookie dough ball is rolled through cinnamon sugar for that classic snickerdoodle finish before baking to perfection. There’s nothing not to love about these sweet Christmas cookies. Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft and gooey in the center…with just a little pretzelly crunch.

overhead close up photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles with 1 cookie broken in half

The minute Thanksgiving was over, I received message after message about holiday dinner menus, entertaining ideas, and most of all…Christmas cookies! I couldn’t believe the number of messages from those of you inquiring about holiday cookies. Questions like, “when will you be sharing your 2019 Christmas Cookie Box?” “What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?” “What’s the best cookie to gift?” “What are the best boxes to use?” …and so many more.

I have to say, I’m pretty happy you all are so excited to bake this season because I am too! So much so that I’m stressing about the fact that I really do not have enough days leading up to Christmas to share everything. It’s a good problem to have, but I have SO much I want to share with you. Fingers crossed I can get you all everything you need by the 24th.

So, I’m officially kicking the holiday baking season off with these snickerdoodles. These are decadent in all the best ways. And yes, you do need to make them this December, preferably several times!

overhead photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles cookie dough being rolled in cinnamon sugar

My snickerdoodle story.

I didn’t grow up eating snickerdoodles, but instead grew up eating mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Even at Christmas time, she’d opt for chocolate chip cookies over anything holiday-themed. I didn’t know other cookies existed. But then I grew up, and I made snickerdoodles, and wow, they are so GOOD.

But here’s the thing. I love a crisp on the edges, doughy in the center, chocolate chip cookie more. So much more.

Which brings me to this cookie. It’s a snickerdoodle on the outside, but a chocolate chip cookie on the inside. And it’s all done up with extra special touches like pretzel crumbs and chocolate-covered caramels.

Delicious!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles before baking on cookie sheet

To make the best snickerdoodles…

One, brown half of your butter, but leave the other half at room temp. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has great texture too. Shocker, I know, I added brown butter. But the browned butter really does add so much to cookies. It’s worth the extra step.

Two, tap that baking sheet on your counter midway through baking, then finish cooking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven, and tap the baking sheet once more. You guys, this step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey snickerdoodle cookie. Instead you’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out. I used this same method for my pumpkin cookies and I now do it whenever I bake any cookies…because it works.

It’s a method I learned from the New York Times and you need to do it too.

overhead photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles

The “special” Christmas touches.

…chocolate-covered caramel chunks, you can use regular chunk chunks of course, but these are better. I use Dove milk chocolate caramels.

…cinnamon sugar, roll the dough balls through the mix to your liking.

…smashed pretzels on the outside, only just a few for the slightest salty, crunch with every sweet bite.

…a little pinch of flaky sea salt, simply because it makes everything better.

overhead close up photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles

What I love about these cookies is that they’re easy to make, require no chilling, and take less than an hour…simple.

But my favorite part? These are just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the center. The best kind of cookie. I’m not normally such a decadent cookie person, but as I always say, I like to really do it up for the holidays. They only come once a year, so let’s just have fun and enjoy every minute of the season. It’s cheesy, but they do only come once a year!

Let’s bake cookies on a Tuesday night and enjoy them while watching your favorite holiday movie. Then take the leftovers to work and make everyone’s day. You should do this.

‘Tis the season for giving after all!

PS. if you’re looking for a snowman version try these cute little eggnog frosted chai snickerdoodle snowmen!

close up photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodle cookie broken in half

If you make these salted caramel pretzel snickerdoodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chill time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 217 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining 1 stick butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate caramels.
    4. Roll the dough into rounded 1 tablespoon size balls and then roll through the cinnamon sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently push a few crushed pretzel pieces into each dough ball (see above photo).
    5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Notes

Cinnamon Sugar: mix 1/3 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.
Caramels: I use Dove milk chocolate caramels. 
Freezing: the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then bake as directed. 
View Recipe Comments

horizontal photo of Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made these yesterday and they were amazing! I used my favorite chocolate bar chopped up and skipped the pretzels since I didn’t have any on hand. They were so delicate and nutty from the browned butter. Thanks for the recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    My family now begs me to bring these cookies to all gatherings. I personally prefer this cookies with the pretzels but that’s just me. I also flatten out the cookies a little bit before putting them into the oven. The tapping of the cookies help, but I think my reusable baking parchment makes it hard for the cookies to spread. So the little flatten helps. But these cookies are seriously so delicious!!

    1. Hey Nikki,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan

  3. I am planning on baking this week, and I’m super excited about them! I need to make the dough early and freeze for a couple days though. Do you recommend rolling them in the cinnamon before freezing, or before I remove from the freezer and bake? Also should I bake from frozen or let them thaw first? Will update with how it goes! Thanks!

    1. Hey Liz,
      I would roll in the cinnamon after freezing and bake after you allow the dough to thaw. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan

  4. 4 stars
    Made these today and they turned out great! I had to bake them for about 14 minutes but that might have been due to size. I did take them out halfway to tap them- good tip!

  5. 5 stars
    It’s hard to say something is the “best you’ve ever had” and have that be completely honest, but I think this may actually be true! I’ve made them three times now and considering a fourth because they are so so good. I’ve been giving some away to various friends each time and everyone has the same response, loving them and wondering what the recipe is! Sharing your site over and over! Thanks!

    1. Hey Rachel,
      I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan

    1. Hey Linda,
      Sorry I do not have a video for these. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    Sooo delicious. Didn’t have pretzels so I chopped up some mini reese’s cups and added them in- it added the perfect hint of peanut butter to compliment the cinnamon sugar! My new favorite cookie

  7. So mine only didn’t turn out because of the Carmel’s. Is it. Kemal for them to harden or be hard to eat if you use them?

    1. Hey Lezlie,
      So sorry the recipe did not workout here. I am confused as to what happened to your caramels. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan

  8. Hi! I made these last night and the dough was super wet. I think maybe my butter was a little bit too warm or I over beat the mix? My cookies were unable to roll in a ball because it was so wet. The flavors were delicious but definitely lost its fluffy flavor and baked to giant flat cookies. Any suggestions for next time?

    1. Hey Jordan,
      So sorry you had issues with the cookies! If the butter was too warm this will definitely cause some issues. Next time, make sure your butter is cooled and you should be good. I hope this helps! xTieghan

  9. 3 stars
    First time visiting this website and thought I would try these cookies. First batch was a hot mess. While the second tray was baking, I started scrolling through the comments to find out what went wrong. Seems like I am having the same problem as other bakers. Super sticky batter, dough spreading out, caramels leaking, and greasiness. Sounds like browned butter is the culprit. It would be helpful if you update your recipe since so many users have the same issue.

    1. Hey Jenn,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues with the cookies. 15 minutes in the freezer should be enough for the brown butter, you want to make sure it is fully chilled and not warm. I hope this helps for next time! Happy New Year! xTieghan

  10. 5 stars
    I had such fun making these, BUT.. my dough was waaay sticky. I don’t think I let my butter cool long enough though I cooled for 15 mins. Should it cool to a consistency that is NOT liquid?? Love your recipes! Thank you!

    1. Hey Kim,
      Thank you so very much for trying the recipe, I am sorry that the dough was sticky. Usually 15 minutes in the freezer does the trick, but next time try a little longer. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan

  11. 5 stars
    I was supposed to make these with my Christmas cookies But was so tired after making several others We usually go out to dinner on New Years But our Governor has all the restaurants closed again for the last two months I decided to have dinner with my my children and grandchildren here. When they came out of the oven I let them cool slightly And decided to give them a try Without a doubt my new favorite cookie The Carmel with the chocolate and the salt and pretzels My goodness and the hint of cinnamon. Not going to lie went back for a second with a glass of milk. ?? Now my family can enjoy the rest

  12. Got this recipe from a friend bc hers came out SO good! Only when I made them, they came out super cakey, even with the tapping. I also tried tapping earlier (at 5 min and not 7) and in another batch I tried tapping more than 2 times. Each time they were super cakey. Not sure what I’m doing wrong and def included all the ingredients besides the pretzels. Which attachments do you use for the butter/sugar, etc. part and then the adding flour, etc part? Also how long does it typically take for each part? Next time I’m going to try with less flour and see how it turns out. Really hope I get it right bc they were so good.

    1. Hey Julie,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had some issues with the texture. I use the paddle attachment when mixing cookies. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan

  13. 1 star
    These instructions are disappointingly vague for baking. Nowhere in the recipe instructions do you say the browned butter should come out semi-solidified after being in the freezer, which is clearly KEY to this recipe / cookie’s consistency. Mine came out very bread-like, and after reading the comments I now know it’s because I didn’t let my browned butter solidify in the freezer (since your recipe does not say that). Please be more specific in your baking recipes if you want your followers to have success.

    1. Hey Claire,
      So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know if there is anyway that I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan