Sweet and salty ingredients come together to make these scrumptious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies. A better-for-you cookie recipe made with less sugar, rolled oats, and natural peanut butter (as well as gluten-free and dairy-free ingredient options). Get ready to sink your teeth into the most delicious, soft, warm, peanut buttery cookie!
The addition of pretzels takes the tasty duo of peanut butter and chocolate to the next level!
The bits of pretzels add a nice little crunch to every bite, as well as a hint of salt to complement the sweet ingredients. You simply can’t go wrong with the combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels! These cookies are one you’ll want to try! They’re made with less sugar than a traditional cookie, one cookie contains just 9 grams of sugar! Additionally, you can make these cookies gluten-free and/or dairy-free if you desire.
You’ll love that this recipe is made with ingredients that are easy to find, and possibly ones you already have on hand. As we have continued to grow our audience we are making our best effort to create and share recipes that include ingredients that are accessible and easy to find in even the smallest grocery stores. Of course, we will always provide substitutions as we are able to fit all dietary preferences.
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Ingredients needed to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
- Old-fashioned rolled oats
- All-purpose flour – substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour for gluten-free.
- Organic brown sugar – may substitute coconut sugar.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Natural peanut butter – one that is natural and has a drizzly consistency at room temperature with the only ingredients being peanuts and a little salt (like this one). If it has a thicker consistency, simply heat just until smooth.
- Unsalted butter – substitute coconut oil for dairy-free.
- Whole eggs – large eggs work best.
- Pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips and/or chunks
- Crushed pretzels – substitute gluten-free pretzels for gluten-free.
How to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
This recipe comes together all in one bowl. First you’ll add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl, give it a quick stir, and then add the wet ingredients. If the peanut butter you’re using is not a drizzly consistency, you’ll want to heat it up just slightly. Not too hot otherwise it will melt the chocolate chips.
Next, you’ll mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until well combined. The dough will be pretty thick so use your muscles! Now it’s time to fold in the chocolate chips and pretzel bits. Once those are mixed in grab a cookie scoop and scoop the dough onto two cookies sheets lined with parchment. The dough will make about 2 dozen cookies, give or take.
The final step before baking is to press the dough mounds down and smooth the size to form a cookie shape. Since the dough is quite thick, this is an important step in order to get that nice cookie shape. You may need to wet your hands with water or spray with cooking spray so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. If you wish, top the cookies with a few extra pretzel bits and/or chocolate chips.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes in a 350℉ oven. Allow to set on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
How to store Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. No need to refrigerate. Depending on what brand of pretzels you use, the pretzels may soften over time. For longer storage, you can freeze in an airtight container, with rows of cookies divided by parchment paper, for up to 3 months.
The best gluten-free pretzels
The two brands of gluten-free pretzels we love are Quinn Snacks Pretzels and Glutino Pretzels. Both are very similar to the gluten containing pretzel options as they have a very similar to taste, texture, and crunch.
Our favorite gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
This recipe can be made with either regular all-purpose flour of choice (including a whole wheat flour) or an all-purpose gluten-free flour. I want to emphasize that not all gluten-free flours are created equal. Here are the two that we use and recommend as we feel they produce the best results: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten-free Measure to Measure Flour.
Note: coconut flour is not a 1-to-1 ratio when it comes to using it as a substitute for another flour as it absorbs liquid much differently. Do not use coconut flour as your gluten-free flour in this recipe (or in any baked good recipe that doesn’t call for it). This recipe has been tested with regular all-purpose flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1-t0-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour.
Yes, absolutely. Simply substitute the butter for coconut oil and you’ll have yourself a delicious dairy-free cookie. Really any recipe that calls for butter can be substituted with coconut oil to make it fit your dietary preferences. It will change the flavor just a bit but it will still be delicious. If you are one who prefers to avoid any chance of the cookies having a coconut flavor, we recommend using a refined coconut oil option. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure the chocolate chips are dairy-free as well. For that we recommend Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels.
You bet! Simply substitute sunflower butter for the peanut butter. The cookies will likely turn a slight green color.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
Sweet and salty ingredients come together to make these scrumptious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies. A better-for-you cookie recipe made with less sugar, rolled oats, natural peanut butter as well as gluten-free and dairy-free ingredient options. Get ready to sink your teeth into the most delicious, soft, warm, peanut buttery cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (164 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- ⅔ cup (84 grams) all-purpose flour (may substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour for gluten-free)
- ⅔ cup (132 grams) brown sugar, packed (may substitute coconut sugar*)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 cup (250 grams) natural peanut butter (**see recipe notes below)
- ½ stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup), melted (substitute coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips or chunks
- ⅔ cup pretzel twists, roughly chopped (substitute gluten-free pretzels for gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine.
- Next add the peanut butter, melted butter, whole eggs, and pure vanilla extract and mix until combined. Dough will be thick.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and/or chunks and pretzels.
- With a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared pans.
- With hands press dough down the dough mounds and smooth edges. May need to dampen hands with water or spray with a little cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Start checking at 12 minutes – depending on flour used, baking time will vary a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Notes
*If using coconut sugar, you may need to add a few drops of water to the dough for it to come together
**We recommend a natural peanut butter that has a drizzly consistency at room temperature with the only ingredients being peanuts and possibly a little salt. If the peanut butter you’re using has a thicker consistency, simply heat it in the microwave or on the stove-top just until smooth (you don’t want it too hot otherwise the chocolate chips will melt when they’re added to the dough).
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 11 g
- (Sat Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Carbohydrate: 19 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 9 g)
- Protein: 5 g
Dietary
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Melanie says
Can you substitute almond flour for flour and almond butter for peanut butter?
Jessica Beacom says
We have not tested the recipe using an alternative to the flour so we can’t definitively say if that would work. You can, however, use any nut butter. If you’re looking for grain-free cookie recipe that’s similar to this one – we recommend these Paleo Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies – which you could add pretzels to if desired.
Dee says
Is there a way to make these nut free?
Jessica Beacom says
You could use sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds in place of the peanut butter and peanuts in this recipe.
Kathy says
How fine do you crush your pretzels?
Stacie Hassing says
Not super fine. Just roughly chopped! Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Stacie Hassing says
Just updated the recipe to say roughly chopped vs. crushed.
Mitch says
Great cookie in theory. Who doesn’t love peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate? The actual cookie was unfortunately very, very dry. I had all the ingredients, including the drizzling peanut butter, but alas. This recipe needs moisture.
Stacie Hassing says
Shoot, I’m sorry! I’ve made this recipe several times and haven’t had that issue.
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Mitch!
SO after seeing your comment about the cookies being very very dry, I went ahead and made them again this morning, twice 🙂 The first time I made them as the recipe is written. note: I used all-purpose flour, Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, brown sugar, large eggs and natural peanut butter. They turned out as I expected they would. The eggs I used were large and I roughly chopped the pretzels (recipe has been updated to say roughly chopped vs. crushed). If the pretzels are chopped too finely then I can see how the cookies could turn out dry.
The 2nd time I tested the cookies I used a little less flour but everything else I left exactly the same. The cookies definitely turned out more moist and the dough wasn’t quite as thick. I baked them for 14 minutes (but all ovens seem to vary a bit so do take that into consideration). I did end up updating the recipe to call for a little less flour based on your feedback. Oh the joys of baking!
Would love to hear if you give them a try again! They really are quite delicious and now I have 4 dozen cookies to take with me to the cabin for the 4th of July weekend!
Thanks for sharing your constructive feedback. We always test recipes multiple times before they land on the blog but what we think is a winner isn’t always the case for everyone. However, our goal is that ALL of our recipes are winners!
Have a great day!
Stacie
Angela says
Agree – found these really dry as well. I’d omit the pretzels if I made them again.
Jacqueline says
Great cookie with lower added sugar. My kids loved these!