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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best chocolate chip cookies with a soft caramel center and salted caramel topping. This is one of the best cookie recipes you’ll ever eat – soft and chewy and so delicious, made with simple ingredients.
I love cookies – especially my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I also love caramels and salted chocolate chip cookies, so I decided to combine the three together. These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies have crisp edges and are stuffed with a soft caramel. Then I placed more caramels on top of the hot cookies, followed up with flaky sea salt.
The hint of salt with the sweetness of the cookie, chewy caramel, and the chocolate are an explosion of delicious flavor – the perfect balance. You’re going to love this easy recipe!
How to make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- My best cookies all start with melted unsalted butter. I also use granulated sugar and brown sugar and all-purpose flour. Because they use melted butter they can be stirred right up in a large bowl. You can use an electric mixer if you want.
- I use semisweet chocolate chips but you can use any kind you like: milk chocolate or even bittersweet chocolate.
- Once you have your cookie dough, you’ll scoop balls of dough using a cookie scoop and place them on a prepared baking sheet. They may need to chill while you prepare the caramels.
- Be sure to use soft caramels. I used Werther’s soft caramels which also come as chewy caramels so be sure to get the soft ones. Cut each in half to wrap inside each cookie dough ball.
- Once the caramels are wrapped inside, you must chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake the cookies until light golden brown around the edges.
- While the cookies are still hot, press additional pieces of the caramels onto the top of each cookie, then sprinkle with flaky or coarse sea salt.
Variations
- Use any kind of chocolate chips – dark chocolate chips would be fantastic!
- I do not recommend using Kraft caramel bits – they’re chewy, not soft.
- You can also use kosher salt to dust the tops.
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Expert Tips
- For best results, be sure to press caramel pieces on top the warm cookies so they stick.
- I also often add extra chocolate chips on top the warm cookies.
- I cut each caramel piece into 4-6 little caramel pieces to press on top.
- If your dough has been chilling more than an hour, or if you’re baking from frozen, you may need to press the dough lightly with the palm of your hand to start it flattening.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Chewy and soft chocolate chip cookies with gooey caramel and a touch of sea salt. They’re sweet, salty, and totally irresistible. These are the BEST cookie recipe ever!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (170g) chocolate chips
- 20 soft caramels (see note)
- Flaky sea salt (for garnish)
Instructions
- Stir melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Stir in egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
- Stir in flour until just mixed, then stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon size cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. No need to space; they need chilling.
- Chill about 10-15 minutes, or until you can handle the dough but it’s not hard. While chilling, prepare the caramels. Unwrap about 10 caramels (half of however many dough balls you have) and cut them in half.
- Once dough is cold enough to handle, press half a caramel into the center of each ball and wrap the dough around it. Make sure the caramel is completely covered.
- Chill dough again for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Space cookies 2-3-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes or until they are light golden brown around the edges and have lost their glossy sheen.
- While they’re cooking, cut remaining caramels into small pieces (about 4-6 pieces each).
- Press about 3 caramel pieces onto the tops of the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle hot cookies with sea salt. Let cool before removing from cookie sheets.
Recipe Notes
- If you’ve chilled them longer than an hour or are baking from frozen you may need to press them with the palm of your hand a bit to get them to start spreading.
- You can freeze baked and cooled cookies or cookie dough balls in an airtight container.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Melt unsalted butter in a large bowl. Stir in both sugars until smooth, then stir in large egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in all-purpose flour then fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill 15 minutes, or until you can handle the dough.
- Cut soft caramels in half and wrap one half in each cookie dough ball. Place back on cookie sheet and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Bake cookies until light golden brown. Immediately press a few pieces of caramel on top hot cookies and sprinkle with salt.
