Introduction

These chocolate chip cookies are a delightful twist on the classic favorite, featuring crunchy pretzels, toffee bits, and a mix of milk and semisweet chocolate chips. With their soft centers and slightly crispy edges, plus a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, they offer the perfect balance of sweet and salty in every bite.

A group of soft, chunky cookies stacked on a round black wire cooling rack resting on a white marbled surface, each cookie showing a light golden brown dough base mixed with dark brown chocolate chips throughout. Scattered on top of the cookies are small, bright orange pretzel pieces embedded partly into the dough, with lightly scattered flakes of sea salt adding texture on the surface. To the right side of the rack, a metal measuring cup filled with finely chopped light caramel-colored toffee bits is placed. In the top left corner, a white bowl (changed from dark-colored) filled with more orange pretzels sits partially cropped. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (at cool room temperature)
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pretzels
3/4 cup Heath toffee bits
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined. Set this dry mixture aside.
Step 3: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.
Step 4: Turn off the mixer, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix gently until just combined—be careful not to overmix.
Step 5: Fold in the chopped pretzels, toffee bits, milk chocolate chips, and semisweet chocolate chips by hand, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
Step 6: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Gently pull the dough ball apart into two halves, turn so the jagged edges face up, then press the halves back together to create a textured, jagged top. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centers remain soft. Avoid overbaking to keep them chewy.
Step 8: Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips & Variations

For extra flavor, toast the chopped pretzels lightly before adding them to the dough.
If you prefer a nutty crunch, substitute pretzels with chopped walnuts or pecans.
For a dairy-free option, use vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
To enhance the toffee flavor, add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To keep them fresh longer, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a microwave for about 10 seconds or warm in an oven at 300 degrees F for 5 minutes to restore softness and melty chocolate.

How to Serve

A cooling rack filled with about ten round cookies, each cookie having a light golden brown dough base, studded with dark chocolate chips and several small, broken orange pretzel pieces on top, giving a crunchy look. The cookies have a soft, slightly puffy texture with a few coarse salt flakes sprinkled across the surface, adding detail to the rough, craggy tops. To the right side of the rack is a metal measuring cup filled with small crushed nuts, colored light beige. A dark bowl filled with whole pretzels sits in the upper left corner, all placed on a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

Yes, you can use salted butter, but reduce or omit the kosher salt in the dry ingredients to avoid an overly salty cookie.

Why are my cookies spreading too much?

Cookies can spread excessively if the butter is too soft or melted, or if the dough is overmixed. Try chilling the dough for 15-30 minutes before baking and use butter at cool room temperature, not melted.