Chicken and waffles. Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and pineapple pizza. There is a method to this culinary magic in which sweet joins forces with salty for one seriously irresistible duo.
I’ve got one more sweet-salty marriage to add to the list with this recipe for Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. Just imagine the best chocolate chip cookies, but in soft and chewy cookie bar form. Stir in some crushed salted pretzels, sprinkle a few more on top, and then finish off the baked bars with a final drizzle of melted chocolate.
This is one of those someone-hide-these-from-me-or-I’m-destined-for-Spanx desserts. And sure enough, after talking myself into taste-testing a second one of those deceptively small squares above, I finally got a grip and stepped away … after wrapping the remaining cookie bars in six layers of plastic wrap, which I reinforced with tape and sealed in two plastic bags. Spanx, party of one, your table is now ready.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup crushed salted pretzels, divided
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over two sides. Coat the paper with cooking spray.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the melted butter with the sugar and light brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour and salt just until incorporated. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and ½ a cup of the crushed pretzels.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of crushed pretzels on top, pressing them lightly into the batter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the cookie bars are baking, melt the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in the microwave.
- Remove the cookie bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan then remove the cookies using the parchment paper overhang. Drizzle the cookie bars with the melted chocolate and allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens. Cut the cookie bars into 16 squares and serve.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Is there no leavening agent in the recipe? Not sure if that is a mistake or if they don’t rise?
Hi Rachel! No leavening in this recipe.
What is the texture of these? I can’t tell from the picture. Are they crumbly, chewy, or goey? I’m a fan or goey cookies, and don’t want to make an entire batch if they wont get eaten. Thank you!
Hi Mckenna! These cookie bars are soft and chewy :)
I’ve made these cookie bars many times over the years and they are SO good! A major crowd pleaser!! I’m making them again tonight and thought I’d leave a comment. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
Amazing! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Hannah! Thank you for leaving a comment :)
These look delicous! Do you think you could make ahead and either refrigerate or freeze? How long do you expect them to last (if hidden away from snacking hands that is…)
Hi Nikki! I’ve never tried freezing the cookie bars so I can’t say for certain what the resulting taste/texture would be.
Just took these out of the oven and they are delicious! Planning to make them again for holiday guests this Christmas. :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Rachel!
I just made a batch of these yesterday… and then I made another batch today because they were so good! I had to cook a little longer than 45 min, more like 60, but they still turned out great!
Love it! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Beth!
I made these yesterday as a gift for the ladies at my daughters school. I read the previous reviews and was a little skeptical but honestly they came out great. I followed the recipe for the batter, the only change I made was I used my metal cake pan I think it was 13×9 only because I don’t have a metal 8×8 pan and they were done in 35 minutes. My daughter and I tried them because who bakes for others without first making sure it tastes good, and they were super yummy.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle!