Vegan Dark Chocolate Pretzel and Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies

 The cookies of your dreams are here. Your sweet and salty dreams!

Have you ever had one of those Take 5 candy bars? These vegan dark chocolate pretzel and caramel peanut butter cookies taste just like those! Except in cookie form! Super fluffy and perfect vegan peanut butter cookies studded with dark chocolate chunks, crushed pretzels and then drizzled with easy vegan caramel! Or if you are bold like me, you can just dunk them in caramel, which is way better than dipping cookies in milk!

These peanut butter cookies gave me a bit of trouble, first test was too dense, second was too crumbly, third test was absolutely perfect! Like a fine wine! These cookies are just the right amount of sweet and salty. Light and fluffy, with bits of crunchy and creamy. I almost died from eating too many of them.

Vegan dark chocolate pretzel and caramel peanut butter cookies are the cookies of your dreams! I shared a lot of them with people, and let me tell you, if those people used to hate me, they no longer do. My dream desserts are all sweet and salty. That is my favorite combo. I dream of kettle corn, chocolate dipped pretzels and chips and anything where salt meets sugar. 

Yes, I am incredibly boring and I dream about food. These peanut butter cookies are now running around in my dreams too. Since I am quite certain I have created the most delicious cookies of all time! Vegan dark chocolate pretzel and caramel peanut butter cookies are the S#$%@T! 

This recipe makes about 18 cookies so if you plan to share, you may want to double that! They will go quickly!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Vegan Dark Chocolate Pretzel and Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies

These vegan peanut butter cookies are light and fluffy and studded with dark chocolate and pretzels. Then drizzle with or dip into vegan caramel!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 18

Author: Lauren Hartmann

Ingredients

• 1 C. Peanut butter, smooth
• 1/2 C. Brown sugar
• 1/2 C. Cane sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 C. All purpose flour
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/3 C. Almond milk or other non dairy milk
• 1/2 C. Vegan pretzels, crushed
• 1/3 C. Vegan dark chocolate chunks(or chips)

Vegan Caramel

• 2 Tbsp. Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
• 1/4 C. Brown sugar
• 1/4 C. Cane sugar
• 1/4 C. Full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter and sugars. Now whip together with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. Until fully combined. 
• Now add the vanilla and whip until incorporated. 
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Now add the dry mixture to the peanut butter mixture a little at a time. Whipping together with your mixer. 
• Once you have added about half the dry ingredients, start adding the milk a little at a time, then alternating with the dry mixture until all of the dry mixture and milk have been fully incorporated. 
• The dough should hold together easily when you squeeze it together. Now, add in the crushed pretzels and dark chocolate. Stir to combine. 
• Now either line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non stick spray. Then take about a tablespoon and a half or so of dough, squeeze into a ball, then flatten out on your palm. Then place on the baking sheet. Repeat with all of the dough.  Leaving the cookies about 2 inches apart. 
• Now bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and they have risen. 
• While the cookies bake, make the caramel sauce. In a small sauce pan, melt the vegan butter on low. Now add the sugars and coconut milk. Whisk to combine. Bring the heat up to medium, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and leave on a low simmer for about 5 minutes until the sugars have dissolved fully and the sauce is getting thick (it will thicken as it cools too). Don't stir while it is simmering. 
• Now remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool for a few minutes while the cookies cool. 
• Once the cookies are cool, drizzle with caramel or dip into the caramel. Then eat them!!

Notes

If the dough is too dry to hold together, add a splash more non dairy milk.