Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies
Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies are bursting with flavor from the sweetness of the chocolate pieces, crunch from the pretzels, and full of rich peanut butter throughout the cookie. No chill time is needed!
Rich and Crunchy Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are one of the best-tasting desserts to eat. They are rich, flavorful, and taste so good with chocolate. That’s why these Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies are outrageously amazing. They are fully loaded with crispy M&M’s and mini chocolate chips with bites of crunchy salty pretzels in each bite.
And they are so easy to make since there’s no chilling time required! Just mix up the dough, scoop it onto a baking sheet, and they are ready in less than 10 minutes. Enjoy nice and warm with a big glass of milk.
Ingredients
- Butter– salted butter is my personal preference when making cookies. If you only have unsalted, add just a pinch more salt to the recipe. This will really bring out the sweetness of the cookie.
- Brown and white sugar– this combination of sugars makes the cookies chewy on the inside with a crispy outer edge.
- Peanut Butter– creamy peanut butter is a little easier to work with but crunchy would have a nice additional texture. Do not use natural peanut butter. This tends to be too dry.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Pretzels– mini twists give a nice shape but rods will work also. To crush up the pretzels, simply place them in a plastic freezer bag and gently roll over them with a rolling pin. You could also chop them on a cutting board with a knife until they break into smaller pieces.
- M&M’s– while regular is a personal preference, any variety would taste delicious in these cookies.
- Mini chocolate chips– this size is perfect to add more chocolatey goodness but also isn’t too overpowering in the cookie.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These cookies are easy to make. All you have to do is:
- Cream the butter and sugars- start by beating the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together until it is light and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes to get a lot of air pockets and disperse the butter better to allow for a lighter and better-textured cookie.
- Add wet ingredients– after creaming the butter and sugars, mix in the peanut butter. Then beat the eggs in one at a time. Now add the vanilla extract until everything is well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients– to the mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix together until just combined.
- Add the mix-ins– gently stir in the pretzel pieces, M&M’s, and mini chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
- Bake and enjoy– scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until the edges start to brown and the center is baked through. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Freezer Options
These cookies and the cookie dough are freezer-friendly! To freeze the dough, scoop it into balls, place them on a cookie sheet, and flash freeze for an hour until they are firm. Then place the dough ball in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. They can be baked from frozen too! Just add a few extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze the baked cookies, double-wrap the cookies in an air-tight container in a single layer to ensure they stay fresh. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
One of the most common reasons a cookie is flat after baking is that the baking soda or baking powder is out of date. Be sure to use fresh, non-expired baking soda and baking powder.
Once baked, allow the cookies to cool to room temperature. Then store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
The pretzels remain fairly firm for up to 5 days at room temperature. Be sure to allow them to fully cool before placing them in an air-tight container to prevent added moisture from building up.
Tips and Tricks
* Measure the flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and taking a knife to scrap off any excess on top. This allows for the most accurate amount of flour to be used.
* Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The cookies will have a much better texture and flavor.
* Use any variety of M&M’s like plain, peanut, peanut butter, or caramel.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ review below and tag me @whiskfulcooking on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pretzels roughly chopped
- 1 cup M&M's
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until it is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Then beat the eggs in one at a time and then the vanilla extract until everything is well incorporated.
- Now add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix together until just combined. Gently stir in the pretzel pieces, M&M's, and mini chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed throughout the batter but do not overmix.
- Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon onto the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until the edges start to brown and the center is baked through. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
- Measure the flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and taking a knife to scrap off any excess on top. This allows for the most accurate amount of flour to be used.
- Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The cookies will have a much better texture and flavor.
- Use any variety of M&M’s like plain, peanut, peanut butter, or caramel.
- For more picture-looking cookies, save a little of the M&M’s, chocolate chips, or pretzels and place them on the cookie dough right before baking.
