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Every baker has “the one”—that one chocolate chip cookie recipe they swear by, the one that’s been perfected over years and never, ever fails. Today, I’m sharing a fun, salty-sweet twist on my absolute favorite. This is how you take a perfect, chewy, bakery-style chocolate chip cookie and turn it into an unforgettable experience.

We’re starting with my beloved, go-to chewy cookie base and loading it up with crunchy, salty pretzel pieces and gooey, melty pockets of caramel. But the real secret, the final “sprinkle” that makes all the flavors pop, is a generous shower of flaky sea salt on top right as they come out of the oven. The result is the ultimate cookie: sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy all in one perfect bite. If you’re a fan of that salty-sweet combination, you are going to be obsessed.

Why You’ll Love These Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies

The Ultimate Salty-Sweet Combo: It’s a flavor explosion! The combination of sweet chocolate, gooey caramel, and salty pretzels is absolutely addictive.
Incredible Texture: This cookie has it all: a soft, chewy center, crisp edges, crunchy pretzel bits, and melty pockets of caramel.
Based on a No-Fail Classic: We’ve built this recipe on a foundation of a truly perfect, big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookie. It’s a guaranteed winner.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s make the ultimate salty-sweet treat. Here’s how.

First, let’s gather our ingredients, including our fun new additions: pretzels and caramel!

Next, we’ll make the cookie dough. This is a simple, no-fuss dough that comes together in minutes. We’ll start by beating our melted butter and sugars together until smooth, then mix in the eggs and vanilla until light and creamy.

Now for the best part: the mix-ins! We’ll gently fold in our flour mixture until just combined, and then add our chocolate chips, crunchy pretzel pieces, and chopped soft caramels.

Finally, scoop and bake! We’ll scoop big mounds of this glorious dough onto a baking sheet.

The final, most important step is a generous “sprinkle” of flaky sea salt right when they come out of the oven. The salt clings to the melty chocolate and makes all the flavors sing.

Ava’s Notes

The Caramel Matters: For the best gooey pockets, use soft, chewy caramel candies (like Werther’s Soft Caramels) and chop them up. Avoid hard caramels.
Don’t Overmix: When you add the flour, and especially when you add the mix-ins, stir just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
The Salty Sprinkle is Key! Don’t skip the final sprinkle of flaky sea salt. It’s what balances the sweetness of the caramel and makes these cookies truly special.