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.
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Recipe at a Glance
Prep: 10 min | Bake: 12 min | Difficulty: Easy
What it is: A fun and festive cookie recipe that combines the sweetness of chocolate and caramel with the salty crunch of pretzels for an irresistible holiday treat.
Why you’ll love it: These cookies are easy to make, perfect for gifting, and always a hit at cookie exchange party or Christmas parties.
How to make it: Cream together softened butter and sugars, mix in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in pretzels before baking until golden brown.
👉 Love holiday baking? Grab my Christmas Cookie eBook Bundle—packed with the cookies I make every year for the holidays, tips, and printables to make baking easier and more fun.
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Reasons to LOVE this Cookie Recipe
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Insider Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
- Storage & Serving Tips
- More Easy Cookie Recipes...
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Recipe FAQ's
- 💬 Comments
Reasons to LOVE this Cookie Recipe
These cookies are the perfect mix of buttery, sweet, and salty—everything you want in a holiday treat.
They’re easy to make, fun to share, and guaranteed to disappear fast from any cookie tray!
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 You'll Need
Below is a quick preview of the ingredients you’ll need. For exact amounts, check the recipe card below. You can also use the "Shopping List button" to create a printable shopping list, or the "Get Ingredients button" in the recipe card to order groceries online.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the mix-ins: Try crushed potato chips, chopped peanuts, or pretzel pieces for a different salty crunch.
- Add sweetness: Stir in white chocolate chips, caramel bits, or M&M’s for more festive flavor.
- Make it chewy: Use light brown sugar instead of dark for a softer texture and milder taste.
- Go nut-free: Skip the peanuts or swap them for sunflower seeds or crushed cornflakes for extra crunch.
- Holiday twist: Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes for a festive finish.
Check out my Santa's Reindeer Treats Digital Cookbook or my collection of Sweet and Salty Christmas Cookies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below is a quick preview of the ingredients you’ll need. For exact amounts, check the recipe card below. You can also use the "Shopping List button" to create a printable shopping list, or the "Get Ingredients button" in the recipe card to order groceries online.
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.
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. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking—either in the bowl or after scooping onto trays. Cold dough spreads less, keeping cookies thick and perfectly shaped.
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.
Insider Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
✔️ DO make sure the butter is soft before creaming it with the brown and granulated sugar, and gently fold in the pretzels so they keep their salty crunch.
❌ DO NOT overmix the dough or the pretzels will break down and lose their texture.
Storage & Serving Tips
Refrigerate: Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days to preserve crisp texture.
Freezer: Flash-freeze cooled cookies on a lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
Serving Tips: Stack cookies with sheets of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking and preserve their shape and salty crunch.
More Easy Cookie Recipes...
Looking for more Easy Cookie Recipes? Try my Candy Cane Sugar Cookies, Peppermint Christmas Cookies or my favorite Shortbread Christmas Cookies.
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📖 Recipe Card
Pretzel Christmas Cookies
Video
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
Method
- 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.
Nutrition
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.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
Yes! You can easily swap the pretzels for other salty snacks like crushed potato chips, chopped peanuts, or even salted cashews. Each option adds a slightly different crunch and flavor, but all pair perfectly with the buttery dough and sweet chocolate.
The cookies are done when the edges turn lightly golden and the centers look set but still soft. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet, so avoid overbaking to keep them chewy and tender.
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.