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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These cookies are so good!!!
Has anyone tried these in high altitude?
I’m in Denver at 5200 feet and my cookies like to spread if I’m not using a High Altitude recipe 🙂
I made my own caramel toffees!!! Do you think it’ll work well?
I did the same thing, it worked GREAT, it was stretchy and chewy!!!
What kind of caramels do you use? I don’t see them listed.
I use any soft brand. You don’t want to buy the hard ones in the stores.
Hi Jocelyn! Just made these cookies. Right now they are cooling on the counter. They look and smell amazing. Looks like I have a winner of all of my chocolate chip cookie recipes. Thank you for sharing!! A big hug from the Netherlands.
Hooray I love these cookies so so much.
Words cannot described how incredibly delicious these cookies are. I made the mistake of not using wax paper and turned all my cookies into little piles of deliciousness for the first batch. The second batch was perfect! I am adding this one to my recipe book for sure and will bring it to my annual holiday cookie swap. THANK YOU so much for sharing!!!
Hooray thank you so much Nina! That makes me so happy that you enjoyed them so much.
Oh my goodness! While I am a decent cook, I am NOT an experienced baker. I followed the recipe exactly as written, and honestly had a difficult time abstaining from eating every single one on the way to my friends’ dinner party. I think these are AMAZING, and that sentiment was echoed by every person who was able to pry one out of my hands that evening. This will absolutely be my go-to recipe from here on! Thanks so much for creating this recipe and sharing!
Hooray I’m so so glad!!!
Quick question: I’m heading to a family get-together out of town and was wondering if I could mix and assemble the cookies ahead of time, freeze, then let them defrost as I drive and bake when I got to the event…anything I can do to save time but still have freshly-baked cookies would be awesome!
I am obsessed with sweets that are also salty and was looking for a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie. Of all the recipes that popped up I decided this was the best one and I was not wrong. It was a hit and I’ve already made 3 batches within a week. Definitely keeping this one in my files. The only thing I would change (and I do this with every cookie, cupcake, etc. recipe) is cut the sugar in half or match the sugar 1:1 with the amount of butter a recipe asks for. Everyone will thank you for it.
I agree! And/or decrease choc chips to 1/2 or 1/3 as these cookie are TOO sweet.
I’ve made these almost every 2 weeks since the beginning of Covid because all my family and friends keeps requesting them. I’ve tested different levels of sugars and have to admit that my original technique of halving the sugar of recipes, though tastes better, changes the texture too much and for a cookie, texture is so important. So now I use about 2/3-3/4 of the sugar in the recipe (1/3 cup granulated sugar + 1 cup of brown sugar) and it’s just right. Thanks again for this recipe!!!
This looks like a great recipe. I think that I may try freezing the caramels and then break them up into pieces/bits and fold them into the batter, much like the chocolate chips. Thoughts?
I think that sounds incredible.
I purchased caramel “bits” they are small caramel balls bigger than a pea but smaller than a marble…I wonder how these would work…
Oh that should be tasty. They will probably be smaller like chocolate chips. Let me know how it turns out.
Made the cookies and they tasted DIVINE! Only problem was they spread too much and the caramel oozed out. The cookies were out of shape – not a pretty sight! 🙁