Chocolate Pretzel Cookies is a easy to make Christmas Cookie recipe. They taste like soft chocolate sugar cookies in a cute pretzel shape. Coarse sugar is sprinkled on top. Recipe makes 20 cookies.
These are one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. These Chocolate Pretzel Cookies taste just like Sugar Cookies with a classic chocolate spin to them.
You taste a moist cookie with each bite that just melts in your mouth. After eating a couple cookies, I make my husband take these from me or I will eat them all. I absolutely love them!
How to Make Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
These are pretty straightforward easy to make cookies, the only part that takes a couple extra minutes is shaping them into pretzels (I’ll show you how to do that below).
In a large bowl cream together confectioners sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. By using confectioners sugar you’re guaranteed a soft and moist cookie. Now add in the cocoa powder and flour and continue mixing until a dough forms.
I recommend using a Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder as I think it has more of a mellow smoother chocolate flavor. If you can only find natural unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s) that’ll work too.
Break off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. I like to do this now until all the dough is gone so they’re all ready to shape into pretzels.
How to shape a pretzel cookie
- On a floured surface, roll the dough piece into 10 inch long pieces of rope.
- Shape the dough into a letter U shape.
- Cross over the ends to make a large loop, like you’re beginning to make a bow.
- Cross over the ends again.
- Now take both ends and flip them over to the bottom, making a pretzel shape. Gently press down.
Place the cookies on parchment paper (easy cleanup) or silicone baking mats .
We will be giving the pretzels a simple egg white glaze so the sugar sticks to them. In a small bowl whisk together a large egg white and 1 tablespoon water.
Brush the egg glaze on top of each pretzel.
Now you’ll want to sprinkle coarse sugar on top of them.
Tip: If you can’t find coarse sugar, you can buy a box of sugar cubes (like the $1 box) and crush them up gently until you have sugar that is coarse. That’s what I did. 🙂
Now sprinkle the sugar on top of the pretzels and bake for 14-16 minutes. Once they come out of the oven they will be slightly soft, but they will firm up quickly. Just allow them to cool for about 15 minutes.
And just like that you have almost 2 dozen Chocolate Pretzel Cookies to devour. I mean share. Actually I mean devour. But you can share too. Ok, it’s up to you!
I label these as Christmas cookies, but I make these year round as they’re one of my favorite Chocolate Cookies. If you wanted to make them into Vanilla Pretzel Cookies you can use a traditional vanilla cookie dough recipe, and then shape as shown here.
Cookie Exchange Recipes
I like giving out baked goods for holiday presents, especially to the people that help us everyday, like Enceladus’s teachers, morning crossing guards and staff in our building. For this I make a variety of cookies and fill up a tin with 3-4 different types of cookies. Everyone always tells me these Chocolate Pretzel Cookies are one of their favorites!
Other Christmas Cookie Recipes:
Here’s some other Christmas Cookie Recipes that I think you’ll like.
Christmas Donut Cookies Peanut Butter Blossoms Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies Nutella Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies Christmas Shortbread Cookies Christmas Cookies that Kids Can Make Sugar Puff Cookies Snowball Cookies Chow Mein Noodle Cookies
I hope you like these Chocolate Sugar Cookies as much as I do! Just try not to eat them all! 🙂
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Ingredients
- ▢ 1/2 cup powdered confectioners sugar
- ▢ 3/4 cup butter softened
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/4 cup Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 1/4 cup flour
Egg White Glaze
- ▢ 1 large egg white
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl cream together confectioners sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.
- Add in cocoa powder and flour and continue mixing until a dough forms.
- Break off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. On a floured surface, roll the dough piece into 10 inch long pieces of rope. Shape into pretzels (see my blog post for photos to walk you through this step). Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is gone.
- To make the egg glaze, whisk together the egg white and water until it foams. Using a brush, brush each pretzel lightly with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar on top.
- Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes as the cookies will feel a little soft when they come out of the oven, but don’t worry, they firm up.
Video:
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Once you bite into these crumbly peanut butter thumbprint cookies with a raspberry jam center, you will never stop with just one! They are the perfect mix of salty, nutty, and sweet and are just melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
The Perfect Holiday Cookies
Is it even Christmas without endless amounts of cookies in your kitchen? There’s Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies , Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies , M&M Cookies , Christmas Donut Cookies , Snowball Cookies and so many more cookies !
When it’s Christmas time, Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies are always on our menu! Don’t get me wrong, you can have it any time of the year you want, but these festive cookies are just perfect for the holidays.
Place them in a decorative box, tie it with some pretty ribbons and add a handwritten card, and you have a lovely, thoughtful gift to give to your family and friends. Oh yeah, and be sure to save some for yourself too! 🙂
Ingredients You’ll Need
It does not require much to make them! All you need are a few baking essentials, and you can make a whole batch in just 20 minutes!
- Creamy peanut butter- did I already say how I love PB? I like using the creamy variety for a smoother dough.
- Butter – adds a rich flavor and makes the cookies melt in your mouth!
- Sugars- I used both granulated white sugar and brown sugar for this recipe. Adding brown sugar gives the cookies a rich caramel-like sweetness that I really like!
- Egg- binds all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla- adds another layer of flavor to the cookies. Its delicate aroma and taste work perfectly with the peanut butter flavor.
- Flour- I used all-purpose for this recipe to achieve that soft and crumbly cookie texture.
- Baking powder + baking soda- are used as leavening agents to give cookies a nice rise.
- Salt- a pinch will further enhance the peanut butter flavor!
- Raspberry jam- I love its sweet and tart flavor! It is perfect for making classic thumbprint cookies. However, feel free to use other jams like Apricot , Strawberry , and Blueberry or for a citrusy taste try my lemon curd .
How to Make Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
You will only need 5 minutes to get these babies ready for the oven! The aroma of baking cookies will fill your kitchen and will have everyone in your house champing on the bit to get a hold of some! They are so easy to make that you can have your kids join in the fun! Wouldn’t they just love making those thumbprint indents on the dough?
Preparations:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets by spraying with nonstick spray or putting down silicone baking mats .
Steps
Make the cookie dough . Place the melted butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and blend them together using a hand mixer until the mixture is creamy and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and continue mixing until a sticky dough forms.
Shape them up! Scoop a portion of the dough and make 1-inch dough balls. In a shallow bowl, add sugar and roll the dough balls until evenly covered. Place them on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake! Place the baking sheets into the oven and set the timer for 14 to 15 minutes.
Add the jam filling. Now the fun part! Make a small indent in the middle of the cookies using your thumb or a small spoon. Then fill it up with raspberry jam! Let them cool and harden before serving!
Tips when Making Thumbprint Cookies
- Do not over-mix your dough. Just mix until all the ingredients come together and become light and fluffy. An over-mixed dough will result in dry and tough cookies- exactly what we do not want!
- Coat your hands with water or oil when rolling the sticky dough. This will make it easier to shape them.
- Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. They will spread as they bake.
- When you press the cookies to make an indention in the middle, some edges may crack slightly, which is fine. If you want to prevent this from happening, make the indentions right after you pull them out of the oven, when they are still very pliable. I urge you to use a spoon, though; they are pipin’ hot!
Make-ahead Cookies
You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it to use for later. Cover it in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. Homemade cookie doughs can stay frozen for up to 3 months. Let it stand at room temperature for 4-6 hours before rolling them into balls.
Storing Thumbprint Cookies
To store, allow them to completely cool first. Then place them in airtight cookie jars or containers. They should be at their optimal state for up to a week if they last that long!
Possible Variations
I use the peanut butter cookie base to make different types of cookies! You can also try making Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies by swapping the jam with Hersey’s Kisses, sprinkles or making chocolate peanut butter blossoms . For Valentine’s day, try making my Chocolate Covered Cherry Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies- they are divine!
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Ingredients
- ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
- ▢ 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- ▢ 1/2 cup sugar
- ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar
- ▢ 1 egg
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- ▢ 1 1/4 cups flour
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
To roll cookies/for top:
- ▢ 1/2 cup sugar
- ▢ 1/2 cup raspberry jam or other flavor of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by spraying with nonstick spray or putting down silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla with a hand mixer until fluffy.
- Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until a cookie dough forms.
- Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a small shallow bowl. Shape cookies into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar and place on prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 14 to 15 minutes until slightly browned.
- Once out of the oven, press thumb or small spoon into the center of each cookie to create a small well where the jam will go. Fill with a teaspoon of jam.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes to harden, and then serve (and eat them all!). Enjoy!
Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered confectioners sugar
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cup flour
Egg White Glaze
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl cream together confectioners sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.
- Add in cocoa powder and flour and continue mixing until a dough forms.
- Break off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. On a floured surface, roll the dough piece into 10 inch long pieces of rope. Shape into pretzels (see my blog post for photos to walk you through this step). Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is gone.
- To make the egg glaze, whisk together the egg white and water until it foams. Using a brush, brush each pretzel lightly with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar on top.
- Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes as the cookies will feel a little soft when they come out of the oven, but don’t worry, they firm up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Created by Pamela Reed for brooklynfarmgirl.com
