These chewy salted caramel cookies are rich and decadent. A sweet, buttery cookie is dotted with caramel and chocolate chips and dusted with a sprinkle of salt. You won’t be able to stop at just one.
I love caramel, I also love chocolate, and the two of them pair exceptionally well. I knew that there had to be a way to get them into a cookie. So I got to work. (Someone had to do it).
These chewy salted caramel cookies are born from a chocolate chip cookie, but I have to tell you, they are better!
For this recipe I chose to increase the ratio of brown sugar to white sugar. What this does is naturally give the cookie a richer, more caramel like flavour. The other secret is butter, REAL butter. Please don’t skip that step, it makes a difference.
Next I went to my bulk aisle at the grocery store to seek out caramel. What I settled on were the soft vanilla caramels. As they are they are a bit big for cookies, so I chopped them into smaller pieces (and snuck a few as a snack along the way).
The rest is easy. If you can make chocolate chip cookies, you can make these.
HOW TO MAKE CHEWY SALTED CARAMEL COOKIES
To begin, we need to cut the caramels into smaller pieces. This takes a bit of work, but it is totally worth the trouble. Grab a sharp knife and some muscle power and cut the caramels into 4 pieces each.
After you’ve cut the caramels, the rest is just like any other cookie.
Start by mixing the sugars and butter, then you will add the eggs and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour and then stir in the caramel and chocolate chips.
You will want to chill the dough for about 20 minutes before scooping onto a cookie sheet. These cookies spread quite a lot due to the high content of brown sugar and the use of melted butter, (it is also these things that make the cookie extra rich).
I like to use a cookie scoop to help ensure even cookie size and baking, but you can drop by heaping tablespoon if you don’t have one.
Now pop the cookie sheet into a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 13 minutes seems to be about perfect for me, but depending on your oven it may take a little longer, or they may cook a bit quicker. They should still be a bit soft when you take them out of the oven, they will firm up as they cool.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes then remove them to a cooling rack. Make sure you grab some while they are warm, this is the BEST way to enjoy them!
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
THINGS TO KNOW & HELPFUL HINTS
- What if I can’t find caramels? I generally find these soft caramels in the bulk section of the grocery store. But if you can’t find them the baking section usually has toffee bits with the chocolate chips and they work well.
- Aren’t they too salty? You need to be very careful and only add a tiny sprinkle of salt to the top or they will be too salty for sure. However, if you are worried about it, you can leave the salted tops off. They are still delicious.
- My caramel got really chewy. The caramel does get a bit chewy after they cookies cool (which I love), more so if they are kept in a cold area, like a fridge or freezer. These cookies are best stored at room temperature to prevent that. However, if you want your caramel extra soft, try popping these in the microwave for a few seconds. You will not be disappointed.
- Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark? You can, the recipe will work just fine. However, the dark brown sugar adds extra richness and caramel like flavour.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Salted caramel oat squares
Chocolate chunk cookie brownie bars
Bakery style cranberry lemon scones
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter melted
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 1.5 Cups Dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2.5 Cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¾ Cups Soft caramels cut into quarters
- 1 Cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Start by unwrapping and cutting the caramels into quarters. Set the caramel pieces aside.
- Melt the butter and place it in a large bowl. Add the sugars and vanilla and using a hand mixer, mix for about 1 minute until well mixed and has become lighter in color.
- Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute longer
- Add the flour and first portion of salt and mix just until it has all come together, about 30 seconds. It will look dry at first, but it will come together.
- Stir in the caramels and chocolate chips. Then place in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the batter firm up.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone liner, or spray well with non stick spray. The caramels will stick to the pan as they melt otherwise. (I prefer the parchment paper for extra easy clean up)
- Using a 1.5 inch cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the pans, leaving room to spread, at least 2 inches. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can drop by heaping tablespoon.
- Sparingly sprinkle some of the coarse salt on top of each cookie. (You can omit this step if you choose)
- Place in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes until cookies are golden. They should still be a bit soft and will continue to set when the cool.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Karen
Thursday 21st of November 2019
Omg these look amazing! I cannot wait to try them!