Brown Butter Honey Pretzel Cookies (Print Version)
Chewy, salty-sweet cookies featuring brown butter, honey, chopped pretzels and chocolate chips with golden edges and soft middles.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Dairy
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter
→ Wet Ingredients
02 - 1/3 cup honey
03 - 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
06 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 - 1 1/4 cups mini salted pretzels, roughly chopped
13 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, swirling often, until foamy and deep golden with a nutty aroma, 5–7 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk honey, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is glossy and homogenous.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture, blending until just combined.
04 - Gently fold chocolate chips and chopped pretzels into the dough until evenly distributed.
05 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor and better texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, if desired.
08 - Bake for 11–13 minutes, until edges appear golden brown and centers remain slightly underbaked.
09 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The secret lies in brown butter, which gives the dough a rich, toasty depth you won’t get anywhere else.
- Bites of salty pretzel and pools of melted chocolate make every cookie a new surprise—no two are exactly alike.
02 -
- Burnt butter kills the magic, so never walk away during browning—watch and swirl constantly.
- Chilling the dough isn’t optional; skipping it means missing out on those magical chewy edges.
03 -
- Don’t skimp on the chill time—overnight in the fridge makes for serious flavor payoff.
- Press a few extra chips and pretzel pieces into each dough ball for bakery-worthy looks (and envy).