Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) Headshot By Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
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I seriously put my foot in these Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies when I developed them. My followers are gone legit crazy for them! I use my tricks of the trade to keep the dough chewy then I add a gooey caramel surprise in the middle and a healthy sprinkle of flaky salt on top. Seriously you have no idea how many of my followers are addicted to these cookies. And soon you will be too.

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Salted caramel chocolate chip cookies on a baking pan with one broken in half with the caramel oozing out.

Video Tutorial

Ingredient Notes

  • Cornstarch: Don’t leave this out. It makes the texture chewier and lighter. If you just use flour, the cookies will be denser and heavier.
  • Butter: Unsalted or salted is fine. Just leave out the salt in the dough if you use salted.
  • Sugar: Granulated and brown sugar but we use more brown for a softer cookie. Make homemade brown sugar with white sugar and molasses.
  • Caramels: They must be the soft chewy caramels or they won’t melt in the middle.

How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Add the butter and both the granulated sugar and the brown sugar to the bowl of your mixer.
  2. Cream them together on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time beating after it’s added until it’s fully incorporated. Add the pure vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
  4. Turn the mixer down to low and add the whisked flour mixture in three separate intervals. Beat after each addition until it’s well combined.
  5. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl.
  6. Stir them into the dough and then place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour but two hours is even better.
A collage of making salted caramel chocolate chip cookie dough from mixing the butter and sugar, adding the eggs, the flour, and then chips.

Shape and Bake Cookies

  1. Scoop the cookie dough into balls about the size of a tablespoon. Add an unwrapped caramel to the center of each ball of dough.
  2. Add another ball of dough on top to cover the caramel. Roll these together to form one larger ball of dough. Place the cookie balls on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet making sure they are at least 1 1/2 inches apart and bake in the oven.

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A collage of images showing the cookie dough with caramel on top and then rolled into a large ball.
A salted caramel chocolate chip cookie broken in half with caramel oozing out on the baking pan.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Salted caramel stuffed inside chocolate chip cookies finished with a little sea salt. Just stuff the caramel chews in the cookie dough and bake.
4.51 from 167 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Course: Dessert
Servings: 20 large cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Individual wrapped SOFT caramels make sure they are soft like the ones I list above
  • Sea salt for garnish
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda and put aside.
  • In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and both granulated and brown sugars and cream together for 3-4 minutes on high until light and fluffy.
  • Next add in eggs one at a time beating until incorporated. Then add in pure vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
  • Turn down your mixer to low and add in flour mixture in three intervals beating after each addition until well-combined. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips.
  • Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Two hours is even better.
  • Scoop cookie dough in balls the size of a tablespoon. Add an unwrapped caramel to the center of 1 ball of dough then add another ball of dough to cover the caramel. Roll into one larger ball of dough
  • and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 1 1/2 inches apart.
  • Bake 11-14 minutes. Cookies may seem a little undone but remove from oven if you like them soft and chewy. If you want them more crisp, bake 14 minutes or longer.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store your baked cookies in an airtight container in a cool dark place in your kitchen. I find the pantry or a cabinet works great. You can enjoy them right from the container or you can reheat them in the oven or air fryer for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave for a few minutes if you want them slightly warm.
They will last up to 3-5 days when stored at room temperature. After that, I recommend freezing any leftovers to keep them fresh for up to three months.
Freeze your baked cookies by placing them in an airtight freezer bag and squeezing out all the air.  You can also freeze the raw cookie dough shaped into balls for up to three months. Thaw out the cookie dough balls overnight in the fridge and then bake in the oven as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2.1mg
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Recipe Tips

  • Crisp or Chewy Cookies. Cook for a shorter amount of time for a chewier cookie or longer if you prefer them more crisp.  
  • Chill the Cookie Dough. This helps the butter solidify. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Use a Cookie Scoop. That way your cookies will be evenly sized.
  • Sprinkle Salt While Cookies are Warm. The cookies will be slightly soft so the salt will adhere a bit better.

Recipe help

Can I use caramel bits or chips instead of the individual caramels?

You can but it ain’t my fave. The chips or bits don’t soften enough to create the ooey-gooey center I love in these.

How can I make sure my chocolate chips don’t sink into the dough when baking.

Just before baking, press 3-4 extra chocolate chips on the top of each cookie ball so that when they are baked you have visible chocolate chips on the top of each cookie boos.

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!

 

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Filed Under:  Cookies, Dessert and Baking, Oven

Comments

  2. I was so looking forward to this recipe. I followed it to the letter, baked for 14 minutes, but even after cooling they would not release from the baking mat. They taste fine but are unfit for gifts, which was my plan. I threw out the remainder of the dough rather than fight with the final outcome. Two stars for the good taste. Hubby said he’d polish them off.

    Reply

    1. Oh huh… I am not sure why they wouldn’t release from your baking mat, that sounds like something is wrong with the mat, not the recipe.

    2. These cookies are delicious. I watched the video first and that helped me to form the cookies correctly. I think if the caramel isn’t centered, it may leak out the bottom and cause sticking. I’m want to make these again using Rolos. A softer caramel would be even more amazing!

  4. Can we make this without the chocolate chips and make homemade caramel to give that salted caramel flavor. Also can i chill it before baking them.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessica, great questions you can omit the chocolate chips. As long as your caramel is of a solid, soft consistency, like the wrapped ones you get at the store and not runny it should work. As far as chilling you can do that too!

  5. I am begged to make these cookies over and over again and again and again!!!
    Thank YOU for such a fabulous recipe!

    Reply

  6. Everyone LOVED these, myself included. I found it easier to measure out the dough for one cookie, flatten it, place the caramel in the center, then wrap the dough around it. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  7. Hi I use the Kraft caramel’s but the caramel always seeps out of the cookie and makes a mess and doesn’t look appetizing. What would cause this?

    Reply

    1. Are you using enough cookie dough per cookie and making sure that it’s sealed all the way around?

4.51 from 167 votes (87 ratings without comment)

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