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April’s Cookie of the Month is a bakery-style gourmet cookie that is stuffed with chocolate chips, melty caramel, and topped with a salty giant pretzel. This ‘Drunken Love’ Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookie is iconic and completely memorable.
April’s Cookie of the Month
The Cookie: ‘Drunken Love’ Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Made in the style of New York’s famous Levain Bakery, this massive Cookie of the Month is a tribute to our movie of the month, “27 Dresses” (another NYC fave). But more specifically, this ‘drunken love’ cookie is inspired by Jane & Kevin’s drunken warblings of “Bennie and the Jets.” And just like that iconic scene, it is impossible not to fall in love with this treat. In this cookie you’ll find all the best flavors – chocolate chips, salty pretzel, and gooey caramel. One bite and you just might find yourself singing at the top of your lungs and dancing on the table (and there’s not even any alcohol in the cookie).
The Movie: “27 Dresses”
Katherine Heigl’s character has been a bridesmaid TWENTY-SEVEN times, and now her little sister is getting married. But maybe she’ll find love, too? Come for the hideous dresses, stay for the drunken rendition of Bennie and The Jets.
The Activity: A garden party to decorate flower pots.
Springy with slight bridal-shower vibes, this month we’re throwing a Garden Party. But instead of guessing the groom’s favorite thing about the bride, you’re making darling decoupage flower pots instead.
No clue what a decoupage flower pot is? Here’s some inspo: Decoupage Flower Pots
Ingredients in Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookie
We’ll go through exact quantities for these Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies in the recipe card, but here’s a heads-up on what you’ll need to make these beauts.
- Salted butter, cold – Yes! You do want this to be cold, I promise.
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch – This will help the cookie be nice and soft!
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk chocolate chips – Use your favorite brand! I chose Ghirardelli.
- Mini chocolate chips – You can use whatever type of chocolate you’d like. I used dark mini chips because that is what I had on hand.
- Werther’s Soft caramels, unwrapped – You could technically make your own caramel for this cookie, but store bought work perfectly!
- Large pretzels – In a pinch you could also use regular salted pretzels or even pretzels sticks broken into pieces.
How to Make Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies
These are made in the same style as my Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie copycat recipe. Check out that post for more tips & tricks, if desired!
- Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat. Set it inside of another cookie sheet (you’ll be baking on a stack of 2 cookie sheets) and then set aside.
- Cut the cold butter into small portions and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Turn the mixer on with the paddle attachment, mixing until there are no pieces of butter left and everything is incorporated. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until the egg has been completely combined.
- Next, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Add in both types of chocolate chips, mixing until evenly distributed.
- Now divide the dough, weighing out 6 oz portions with a food scale. If you do not have a food scale, you can use a generous scoop from a #12 cookie scoop or about 3/4 cup of cookie dough.
- Flatten each portion of dough and place 2 unwrapped caramels in the center before gathering all of the dough and rolling into a ball around the caramel.
- Pinch and squish the dough so there are large dimples in the dough (for appearances).
Baking
- Arrange 5 of the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet (remember, you will use a double layer of cookie sheets stacked on top of each other) and then bake.
- Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, reshape with the back of a spoon or large cookie cutter if needed. Press a large pretzel into the center of each cookie and then return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the hot pan for at least 25 minutes before enjoying.
- Repeat with remaining dough and enjoy!
What is Cookie of the Month Club?
A new feature of 2025, the Cookie of the Month Club features a BRAND NEW (likely themed, guaranteed delicious) cookie recipe for each month, a movie to watch while eating said cookie, and an activity to go along with the fun!
Sad you missed out on the first couple of months? You can catch up here!
How to store Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies?
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you’re really worried about freshness, you can also wrap them individually in plastic wrap before placing them in the container to keep them from drying out. These cookies last about 3-5 days.
How do I know when these cookies are done?
Here’s the deal, just like Levain cookies, the texture of these might resemble a slightly undercooked cookie. That’s a result of the baking technique used to achieve that irresistibly melty center while maintaining a crispy exterior. You’ll know these are ready to be pulled out of the oven when the tops of the cookies are golden brown. Once you’ve pulled them out of the oven, you’ll need to let them sit on the hot pan for an additional 25 minutes to continue baking.
Other Gourmet Cookies
Drunken Love Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies (Cookie of the Month Club)
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cold & cut into small pieces
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 20 soft caramels, unwrapped
- 10 large pretzels
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat. Set it inside of another cookie sheet (you’ll be baking on a stack of 2 cookie sheets) and then set aside.
- Cut the cold butter into small portions and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Turn the mixer on with the paddle attachment, mixing until there are no pieces of butter left and everything is incorporated. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until the egg has been completely combined.
- Next, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Add in both types of chocolate chips, mixing until evenly distributed.
- Now divide the dough, weighing out 6 oz portions with a food scale. If you do not have a food scale, you can use a generous scoop from a #12 cookie scoop or about 3/4 cup of cookie dough.
- Flatten each portion of dough and place 2 unwrapped caramels in the center before gathering all of the dough and rolling into a ball around the caramel.
- Pinch and squish the dough so there are large dimples in the dough (for appearances).
- Arrange 5 of the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet (remember, you will use a double layer of cookie sheets stacked on top of each other) and then bake.
- Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, reshape with the back of a spoon or large cookie cutter if needed. Press a large pretzel into the center of each cookie and then return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the hot pan for at least 25 minutes before enjoying.
- Repeat with remaining dough and enjoy!
These baked up so big, thick and beautiful, I’m obsessed with them! Super delicious, soft and full of gooey goodness! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Do you have this recipe in metric measurements?
Not yet, but I am working on adding metric measurements to all of my recipes. Stay tuned!
Can I substitute toffee bits for a cup of chocolate chips?
Absolutely! That would be delicious!