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The very BEST Salted Pretzel Cowboy Party Cookies for your winter weekend baking. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, made with oats, shredded coconut, plenty of chocolate chunks, pretzels pieces, and a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Each cookie dough ball is hand stuffed with salty pretzel pieces before baking them to perfection. There’s nothing not to love about these sweet chocolate (crunch) cookies. Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft and gooey in the center…with just a little pretzel crunch.
The last day of January just feels like it deserves a good cookie…I mean, it’s been a long month. On one hand, it feels like this month flew by, but on the other, it feels like it’s been the longest month. We shared a lot of new recipes, with almost all of them geared towards a Healthy January. Today is the exception (well, maybe yesterday too). But I just had to share these cookies because they’re insanely good and so perfect for this weekend! We truly do loooove them, but I can’t really say there’s anything that “healthy” about them. While…there’s oats…and unsweetened coconut?
But they also have butter, some sugar (not a ton), and plenty of semi-sweet chocolate too.
Please do hear me out. I tried, and tried, and tried again to create a delicious, soft, moist, and healthy cookie. But I just could not get them right. There were batches of peanut butter cookies, banana cookies, oat cookies, vegan cookies, butterless cookies. Pretty much every kind of cookie. But none of them were good enough. If you follow on Instagram you may have seen my many failed attempts.
Feeling pretty defeated, I caved in and made these cookies. And I got them right the very FIRST batch. I was immediately sold. Then I gave them to my mom to try. She said she was beyond sold and couldn’t stop eating them. We both agreed that the recipe needed to be shared, preferably before Super Bowl Sunday. So yes, technically it is still January, but sometimes you just need a really good, buttery, sweet, heavy on the chocolate cookie.
Trust me, you do. And I am here to share it with you all.
PS. I haven’t given up on my “healthy” cookie testing, just taking a break.
the back story…
What inspired these cowboy cookies? While I saw a recipe on Pinterest for cowboy cookies. They had oats, coconut, and pecans stirred into a classic chocolate chip cookie. They sounded very interesting, but it also felt like there was something missing from the cookie. Like, if you’re going to add so many “stir-ins” to your basic chocolate chip cookie, at least one of them should be a little more exciting.
For a second I couldn’t figure out what the cookie was missing, but then it hit me, a loaded cookie needs a “salty” component and maybe even a little crunch.
P.R.E.T.Z.E.L.S.
I thought back to these chocolate chip cookie stuffed soft pretzels I made last year. And then these snickerdoodles I made back in December. And I knew that a little salt and a little crunch from a pretzel would make a cowboy-style cookie even better. I tested it and the verdict came in quick. These are indeed the best…MOM says so! And she does not mess around when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.
To make these salted pretzel cowboy party cookies…
One, gather your ingredients. You’ll need the basics, butter, sugar, flour, etc. Simple, nothing fancy, but all good.
Two, the stir-ins are the most important part. You’ll need old fashioned oats, shredded coconut, salted pretzel twists, and semi-sweet or milk chocolate chunks.
Three, beat, mix, stir, bake, wack that pan on the counter, bake again, wack again, eat warm…ENJOY!
Yes, there’s not one complicated thing about this recipe. These are EASY cookies.
A few keys for success…
…smashed pretzels on the outside, only just a few for the slightest salty, crunch with every sweet bite.
…flatten the cookies dough balls a bit before baking. You must do this to help your cookies bake evenly and spread.
…tap that baking sheet on your counter midway through baking, then finish cooking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven, and tap the baking sheet once more. You guys, this step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey chocolate chip cookie. Instead, you’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out. I used this same method for my pumpkin cookies and I now do it whenever I bake any cookies…because it works. I learned this tip from the New York Times and you need it too.
…a little pinch of flaky sea salt, which isn’t a must, but it sure is delicious.
What I love about these cookies is that they’re so easy to make. They require no chilling and truly take just thirty minutes from start to finish. I almost always have these ingredients on hand. And when it’s Friday night and the urge for a delicious yet simple chocolatey cookie comes on? These cookies will be my new go-to.
They’re just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the center, with a nice crunch and a little saltiness from the pretzels on top. The best kind of cookie.
Bake these tonight, or sometime this weekend for the Super Bowl…and then every other day you’re craving something sweet and easy!
If you make these salted pretzel cowboy party cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Pretzel Cowboy Party Cookies.
Servings: 32 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 207 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1 cup mini pretzel twists, crushed
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, cinnamon (if using), baking soda, and salt. Fold in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks.3. Roll the dough into rounded 2 tablespoon size balls. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently push a few crushed pretzel pieces into each dough ball (see above photo), then flatten the dough ball down with the palm of your hand to 1/2 inch thickness.4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 3 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 4 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2-3 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 5. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Freezing: the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then bake as directed.
This post was originally published on January 31, 2020
Made these today for a Super Bowl party we went too…omg, what a hit, this is a great cookie?
So happy to hear that!! Thank you Carey! xTieghan
These were absolutely fabulous!!! I accidentally used bittersweet chips by mistake and the recipe was still fantastic! You will think the cookies are underdone, but leave them on the baking sheet and they are fine. Such a great combo of flavors and textures. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Leslie! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have been reading your fantastic blog for some time now, but this is the first recipe I actually tried. The pictures looked very convincing and the recipe came at the right time. Just recovering from a cold, so an easy and delicious cookie seemed perfect. And they really turned out perfect (made a few with smarties instead of pretzels for my sons).
Thank you so much Mandy! I am so glad you have been enjoying my blog and recipes for a bit! Also, so glad you loved these! xTieghan
Delicious cookies! I love the combination of ingredients. With all that coconut and oats, it’s practically granola ? so I agree with your “cookies for breakfast” post. I was baking in double ovens so I set 2 timers to keep track, and all went smoothly!
Thank you so much Lori! I am so glad you loved these cookies! xTieghan
I have made many of your main dish recipes. Loved them all. This is the first cookie recipe I have made. The cookies were delicious. I found the dough very sticky and not easy to work with. Wetting my hands did not help. Maybe refrigerating the dough? I also baked them at least 9 minutes. They were still gooey in the middle. Might make them again.
Hey Bea! If the dough is feeling a little sticky, I would recommend adding 2 additional tablespoons of flour. That should help! And if you feel the cookies are too doughy, just bake 2-3 additional minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi! I’m a brand new fan of yours and I live in Centennial co at an elevation of around 6000. I noticed you live in summit county and wanted to know how to modify your baking for elevation? I assume you provide the less than 5k elevation baking instructions in your website recipes. Any tips appreciated as we are new to elevation baking and boy are we thrown for a loop!!! Also would love to hear your fav ski places ?
Hi Sarah! The recipes should work fine at your elevation! If you have any questions on specific recipes please let me know! xTieghan
Hi, I making your cowboy cookies right now and noticed that the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of vanilla is that correct? That seems like an awful lot of vanilla. Can you please confirm. Thanks
Hi Josie! Yes, you need 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi can you suggest a substitute for the coconut? We are allergic.
Thx!
Gaillee1124@yahoo.com
Hi Gail!! You can use 1 cup of additional oats in place of the coconut. I think that will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Amazing cookies! Can’t wait to share for the superbowl
I hope everyone enjoys! Thank you Megan! xTieghan
2 tablespoons of vanilla, is that correct? Seems like a lot so just want to make sure. Thanks!
He Jennifer! You only need 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Thanks for catching that! Recipe has been fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi! Can you comment on why you add the pretzel pieces to the formed dough balls as opposed to just folding them in to the batter? Do they crush too much? Sounds amazing but I like less work ?
Hey Cindy, I found the pretzels to get soggy once I stirred them into the cookies, so I leave them only on the outside. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Can I sub more oats if I don’t like coconut? How could I add caramel?
Hi Karin! I would add 1 additional cup of oats. You can stir in caramel bits if you would like. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Oh I love the salty sweet mix in these cookies! A must try!
Rae http://www.foodnerd4life.com
Thank you Rae! xTieghan
This cookie sounds great – I love the combination of different flavors! Also, I definitely agree with you about January being a LONG month! I, for one am glad its over and am hopeful that February will be a much better one!
Thank you so much! It was SO long! And yes agreed! Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
So add pretzel to a double chunk chocolate chip cookie with salt on top.. could’ve saved the long story about “nobody cares”.
Hi! Yes, that is it! There is a skip to recipe button at the top of my page! xTieghan