Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pretzel M&Ms

A while ago, Joe came home from work with a bag of pretzel M&Ms. I didn’t even know such a product existed, but I was incredibly eager to try them, since the salty-sweet flavor combination of pretzels and chocolate is one of my very favorites. Needless to say, we all loved them. They’ve since become a staple snack in our house, to the point that every night after dinner Andrew runs to the cupboard where they’re kept and asks for a few for dessert: “Numa-numa-num, peese?” he queries, and there’s just no way I can resist his sweet little voice.

I decided to use some of the M&Ms to make us some cookies. I was thinking of something like a monster cookie, only using the pretzel version of M&Ms instead of the plain ones. But then I decided on a peanut butter cookie base instead, because the only combination I love more than chocolate and pretzels is chocolate, pretzels, and peanut butter.

I was really happy with how these cookies turned out. They have great peanut butter flavor and a wonderful salty-sweetness from the chocolate and pretzels. Like the M&Ms themselves, I think these cookies are quickly going to become a staple in our house!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pretzel M&Ms
source: adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pretzel M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.

3. Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzel M&Ms.

4. Roll into balls about 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly because they do not flatten much while cooking.

5. Bake for 14 minutes.