Brown Butter Salted Pretzel Cookies (Print Version)
Nutty brown butter cookies studded with salted pretzel pieces and gooey chocolate chips—sweet and salty.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Dairy & Fats
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter
02 - 2 tablespoons whole milk
→ Sugars
03 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Mix-ins
10 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
11 - 2 cups salted pretzels, roughly chopped
12 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling frequently, until foaming subsides and it develops golden color with brown flecks and a nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk both brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until fully blended. Add eggs and vanilla extract, whisking until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
03 - Stir in whole milk until incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold in semisweet chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups chopped salted pretzels, reserving the remaining pretzels for topping.
06 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to enhance flavor.
07 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
08 - Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Press a few reserved pretzel pieces onto each dough ball and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until edges are golden and centers appear just set. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brown butter gives these cookies a surprising, nutty richness that only appears if you’re patient while melting butter.
- The salty crunch of pretzels paired with warm, gooey chocolate chips is the snack combination dreams are made of.
02 -
- If the butter’s still hot when you add the eggs, you’ll scramble them—you really do have to let it cool first.
- Pressing extra pretzels on top right before baking is the only way you’ll keep their crunch.
03 -
- If extra dough starts to get sticky from warm hands, pop it back in the fridge between batches.
- Browning the butter until it’s deeply golden (not just lightly brown) gives the deepest flavor.