Perfectly festive and delicious, these Pretzel Christmas Cookies are a must-have for your baking this holiday season!
Made with a basic drop cookie dough and loaded with mouthwatering chocolate chips, vibrant red and green M&Ms, and a delightful crunch from chopped pretzels.
These are an upgraded chocolate chip cookie recipe with crunchy pretzels giving the cookies the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch in every single mouthwatering bite!
Check out all the other Christmas Cookies for more easy-to-prepare holiday cookies.
Whether you're baking cookies for a cozy evening at home, packing them up in cute gift boxes to share with family and friends, these Christmas cookies are guaranteed to spread joy and create lasting memories.
Pretzel Christmas Cookies look so festive with the vibrant colored red and green M&Ms! They're the perfect addition to your holiday dessert platter or perfect to bring to a cookie exchange party!
Looking for more Easy Cookie Recipes? Try my Candy Cane Sugar Cookies, Peppermint Christmas Cookies or my favorite Shortbread Christmas Cookies.
Table of Contents
👩🍳Recipe Notes
- When adding M&Ms to a cookie dough, set aside a handful for pressing onto the top of each cookie as soon as you pull them out of the oven.
- This will make the cookies visually appealing and showcase the colorful M&Ms on the surface.
- I even like to press a piece of pretzel into the top of the cookies as well to let people know pretzels are in the cookies!
If you're looking for even MORE cookie treats to leave out for Santa and his reindeer, I've got you covered! Check out my Santa's Reindeer Treats Digital Cookbook.
The book is filled with 10 easy-to-follow recipes for you to give the gift of FOOD to Santa, family and friends this holiday season.
🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
Cookies for Santa Plate Set, Nefelibata Christmas dinnerware Milk Cup and Reindeer Treats Dear Placemat Christmas Gift for Kids Toddlers Set of 4 - Red Style
Nitial Christmas Cookies for Santa Plate Christmas Dinnerware Set Cookies for Santa Plate Set with Milk Jar, Reindeer Treat Bowl, and Dear Santa Notepad Set Christmas Eve Gift for Kids (Classic)HONGBAKE Baking Sheet Pan Set, Cookie Sheets for Oven, Nonstick Half/Quarter/Jelly Roll Pans with Diamond Texture Pattern, Heavy Duty Cookie TrayLast Confection Silicone Baking Mat - Set of 2 Non-Stick Quarter Sheet (8-½
📋Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities, detailed instructions and special notes.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- If you prefer a more evenly distribution of M&Ms throughout the dough, choose mini M&Ms instead of regular-sized ones. They will disperse more evenly and create a delightful speckled effect.
- Switch out the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips or even butterscotch morsels!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Step 2: Add in the eggs and vanilla.
- Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then slowly add it to the butter/sugar mixture.
- Step 4: The batter will be thick, so take your time making sure everything is incorporated fully.
How to Add the Stir In's
- Step 5: Chop the pretzels into smaller bite-sized pieces. It's okay to have a few bigger pieces.
- Step 6: Add the chopped pretzels, chocolate chips and M&M candy pieces.
- Step 7: Mix just until everything is combined.
📌Quick Tip: Chill the cookie dough before baking. You have two options: you can either chill the dough in the mixing bowl, or scoop the dough onto the baking trays and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour. This chilling process helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking. The colder the dough, the less likely it is for the cookies to spread excessively and become greasy puddles.
Baking Instructions
- Step 8: Scoop the cookies out on a baking sheet that's been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Parchment paper works great too!
- Step 9: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 13 minutes or until the
Before You Begin!
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🍶Storage Tips
- Allow your chocolate chip cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing them. This helps retain their texture and prevents moisture buildup.
- Place your cooled cookies in an airtight container. I love these stackable cookie containers from Amazon.
- If you're stacking multiple layers of cookies in the container, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. This prevents the cookies from sticking together and preserves their shape.
❄️Freezing Tips
- To freeze baked cookies, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then into the freezer to "flash freeze."
- You can also freeze cookie dough balls! Simply scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheets and place in the freezer to flash freeze.
- Once the cookies are frozen, about 30 minutes, you can add them to a freezer-safe container or a freezer-safe plastic bag.
- The cookies will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
🔁Thawing Tips
- When you're ready to enjoy the cookies, simply let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
- Or you can defrost them in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve them.
➡️Top Recipe Tip
- Make sure the butter is soft before creaming it with the brown and granulated sugar.
- If you're short on time, you can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
🌟Try these recipes next...
- Check out my other recipe for Easy Italian Christmas Cookies.
- Or you might enjoy this recipe for Christmas Spritz Cookies.
Christmas Cookie Digital Cookbook BUNDLE with FREE Cookie Exchange Printables BonusMore Information
📇Recipe Card
📖 Recipe Card
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Pretzel Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks of butter; softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup Christmas M&Ms
- ½ cup mini pretzels; roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and softened butter. Mix until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extra. Mix until creamy and without clumps.
- Gradually add in the flour and mix until a thick batter forms.
- Chop the pretzels into smaller pieces.
- Add the chocolate chips, red and green M&Ms and the chopped pretzels. Mix on medium speed until combined. (Reserve a few M&Ms to press into the top of the cookies after baking)
- Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator and chill for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll into balls and place on baking trays lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick baking spray.
- Cook for 8-13 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
- Remove the baking trays from the oven and immediately add a few extra M&Ms to the tops of the cookies pressing slightly.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking trays and then transfer them to a baking rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chill the cookie dough before baking. You have two options: you can either chill the dough in the mixing bowl, or scoop the dough onto the baking trays and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour.
- Check out my Must-Have Cookie Baking Items and my Must Have Cookie Gifting Items.
Estelle Forrest says
I love the sweet and salty combination of these, thanks for sharing on SSPS. We will be back again this week and would love to see you.
Esme Slabbert says
What a great cookie with lots of stuff and pretzels as well.
Thank you for visiting and sharing your links with us at SSPS #291. See you again on Monday, January 8th, 2024.