I seriously put my foot in these salted caramel chocolate chip cookies when I developed them, boos. They’re a sweet tribute to all those days I spent baking cookies in Big Mama’s Mississippi kitchen. I use my tricks of the trade to keep the dough chewy, then add a gooey caramel surprise in the middle of each chocolate chip cookie and a healthy sprinkle of flaky salt on top. Get into these babies, y’all!
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Video Tutorial
How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
These step-by-step photos show how to make cookies with caramel and chocolate, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies Recipe
1. Cream the butter and sugars, then add the eggs and vanilla
Beat the butter with both sugars on high until light and fluffy. Add the whole egg, then the egg yolks one at a time, beating until each one is mixed in. Finish with the vanilla.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together first. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry mixture in three intervals, mixing just until the last streaks of flour disappear.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips and chill the dough
Stir in the chocolate chips until they are spread throughout the dough. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. If you can wait 2 hours, even better!
4. Stuff the cookie dough with soft caramels
Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size portions. Press an unwrapped caramel into the center of one piece, then place another piece of dough right on top.
PRO TIP: Make sure those caramels are SOFT, boos. Kraft Caramels or Werther’s Original Soft Caramels are my faves. Hard caramel candies won’t melt enough, and caramel bits won’t give you the same gooey pull.
5. Roll and seal the stuffed cookie dough balls
Roll the two pieces together into one larger ball, making sure the caramel is completely covered. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake the caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies
Bake until the edges are set but the centers still look a lil underdone. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while they’re warm, then let them set on the pan before moving them.
PRO TIP: Pull these babies closer to 11 minutes for chewy caramel cookies or let them go closer to 14 for a crisper edge.
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Full Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 20 individual wrapped SOFT caramels make sure they are soft!
- Sea salt for garnish
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
How to Store
- Room Temp: Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the stuffed cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed.
- Reheating: Microwave one cookie for about 8 to 10 seconds or warm it in a 300°F oven or air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it sit for a sec before biting in because that caramel center gets hot!
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Soften the butter, but don’t melt it. It should give a lil when you press it but still hold its shape. Greasy or melted butter will make the cookies spread.
- Measure the flour right. Fluff it, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag can pack in too much and leave you with dry salted caramel cookies.
- Seal the caramel in completely. Make sure there aren’t any cracks or caramel peeking through the dough, or it can leak out while the cookies bake. If the dough gets too sticky while you work, pop it back in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Start every batch on a cool pan. A hot baking sheet starts melting the butter before the cookies even hit the oven, which can make them spread too much.
Recipe Help
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.
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.
Your butter was probably too warm, the dough didn’t chill long enough, or you put it on a hot baking sheet. Chill the dough for the full hour and make sure each pan is completely cool before adding the next batch.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
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OK, so necessity made me mess with your recipe. I had no caramels, so I used Torani caramel sauce and made a hole with the handle of a wooden hole to pour about 3/4 tsp. into. Then I kind of smoothed a piece over the top. I couldn’t roll them at this point since the sauce would have leaked out. I dropped a few grains of salt on top of the sauce before I added the dough cookie top. From my Christmas baking I had salted caramel chips. Personally, I think they were butterscotch chips with some salt in them. The brand was store-brand Kroger. Even though I made these changes, these were amazingly delicious. I do wonder if I could away with a bit less sugar…maybe use 1/3 cup white and 1 1/3 cup brown. I thought they were just a bit on the too sweet side. Nevertheless, the recipe is going into my cookie book. Now that I’ve found your blog, I will subbing and next-up to try, your lemon white chocolate chip cookies. Thank you.
Hi Erica, I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I think you could definitely lessen the sugar a bit and play with it until you get the amounts you like but only go down maybe a tablespoon then try another tablespoon. Too many changes in amounts can change the texture of the cookies.
I’m making these for an office cookie swap, and I was wondering, would it be bad to leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight?
Hi Chrissy, you should be fine leaving the dough in the fridge overnight!
These are good cookies! What I will do next time is to chill the caramels and somehow chop them into bits as I don’t care for the hunk of caramel in the center. I would love to taste the caramel throughout. When I warm them a bit before eating the caramel is nice and gooey just as the picture presents. And ice cream just adds the “wow” factor. Definitely a keeper!
These cookies look devine! I finally tracked down some caramels (my local stores haven’t carried them in years in bulk and I was only lucky because it’s Halloween season I’m told) . Just set out my frozen butter and soon my eggs and will put together the dough. I am patient. I will wait until tomorrow to bake them as they come together today and overnight in my fridge. Sweetie, please believe that I will contact you tomorrow evening after dinner to let you know how these went. I can’t wait! I have started to follow you and I look forward to your posts! Take care!
I can’t wait to hear how they turned out for you Ann!
I love Caramel so much that I could DRINK it….therefore, I MUST make these for this upcoming holiday weekend! I think that the Easter Bunny may like to enjoy one of these. I, on the other hand, will eat the rest.
Anything i can replace the gluten free mix with ? Cannot find those ingredients in my small town, only have whole wheat and i guess oat flour which i can make in my nutri bullet. help! these look delicious !
Hi Taste USA, let me know if things worked out.
l made a double batch of cookies and surprised my co-workers. Raves all around. I have to measure out my dough balls twice unsure I had the right size. The huge cookies were appreciate, they looked as good as your photo’s, mine were picture perfect too. Lost a couple when the caramel oozed out on the cooling racks, but that’s fine, those are my private stash. Next time I’m move cookies and all to the parchment to the cooling racks.
Hooray Judi! I’m so glad they turned out well for you. They are quite delish aren’t they?
These look ridiculously good! The amount of caramel that you packed in these beauties is impressive!