I’ve perfected Salted Caramel Cookies that are soft and chewy with molten caramel tucked inside and a finish of sea salt that begs a closer look.

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I’ve been chasing the perfect Salted Caramel Cookie for a long time and finally landed on something that makes me stop talking and just eat. These are soft and chewy, the kind that pull apart and reveal molten caramel, and yes they kinda act like Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies if you squint.

The dough uses good all-purpose flour and a hit of light brown sugar so the texture and flavor feel right, and I always top them with flaky sea salt for that sweet and sharp finish. If you like a little surprise in a cookie this one will mess with your expectations in the best way.

Ingredients

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All-purpose flour: Gives structure, mostly carbs and little fiber, makes cookies tender and bready.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness, fat and calories, makes cookies soft and flavorful, not healthy daily.
Light brown sugar: Sweet with molasses notes, adds moisture and chew, high in sugar though.
Egg and yolk: Provides protein, binds ingredients, adds moisture and chew, helps browning.
Semisweet chocolate chips: Gives chocolate flavor and some antioxidants, mostly sugar and fat, very sweet.
Caramel bits: Extra chewy pockets of sugar and fat, intense sweetness, not nutritious at all.
Flaky sea salt: Tiny salt flakes balance sweetness, enhance flavors, add a crisp salty finish.
Cornstarch: Lightens texture, helps cookies stay soft, mostly carbs, no real nutrients.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups (285 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup soft caramel bits or about 12 soft caramels, unwrapped and chopped

flaky sea salt for sprinkling, about 1/2 teaspoon

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, and have a wire rack ready.

2. Whisk together 2 1/4 cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 1 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape sides.

4. Add 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, beat until combined and smooth. Dont overmix, just get it homogenous.

5. Fold the dry mix into the wet mix until just combined. Stop when you still see a few streaks, overworking makes tough cookies.

6. Stir in 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup soft caramel bits (or ~12 chopped soft caramels). Tip: if using chopped caramels, toss them quickly in a teaspoon of flour or freeze them 10 minutes first so they dont completely melt into the dough.

7. Chill the dough 30-60 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies. If you’re impatient, scoop dough and chill the scoops 10-15 minutes on a tray instead.

8. Scoop about 2-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten tops and press a few extra chocolate chips and caramel pieces on each mound so they look pretty after baking.

9. Bake 10-13 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look soft and puffy. Rotate pans halfway if needed. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt over each batch so it sticks.

10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 8-10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, or reheat briefly to revive the gooey caramel when serving.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 350°F / 175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets, plus parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Wire cooling rack
4. 2 mixing bowls, one for dry stuff and one for wet stuff
5. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale for best accuracy
6. Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter (you can use a sturdy whisk if needed)
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding, scraping and mixing
8. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon and your hands to portion dough
9. Small knife and cutting board for chopping caramels, plus a small bowl to toss them in flour so they dont melt into the dough

FAQ

Q: How long should I chill the dough and do I really need to? A: Chill at least 1 hour, overnight is better. Chilling firms the butter so cookies don’t spread, and it deepens the flavor. No time? Pop balls in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes and you’ll be ok.

Q: My cookies spread into flat discs, what went wrong? A: Usually the butter was too soft or the dough was warm, or you didn’t measure flour right. Fix it by chilling the dough, using cooled baking sheets, spooning flour in and leveling, and baking at 350°F until edges are set but centers still look a little soft.

Q: How do I keep the caramel gooey but not a melty mess? A: Use soft caramel bits or chop soft wrapped caramels. Don’t overbake the cookies, remove when centers are slightly underdone, and press a few extra caramel bits or chocolate chips on top right out of the oven so they melt just enough. If you want less run, chill dough balls first and bake on a parchment lined sheet.

Q: Can I swap ingredients like butter, sugars, or chocolate? A: Some swaps work fine. Salted butter is ok but reduce added salt. Dark or milk chocolate chips are fine in place of semisweet. Brown sugar adds chew, so don’t replace it all with granulated or cookies get drier. Margarine or coconut oil will change texture, so stick with butter for best results.

Q: How should I store or freeze the dough and baked cookies? A: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days with parchment between layers. Scoop dough, freeze on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, add 1 to 2 minutes to baking time. Baked cookies freeze up to 2 months, reheat briefly in the oven or microwave to revive gooeyness.

Q: Can I make these eggless or vegan? A: You can try a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg) or a commercial egg replacer, but cookies will be a bit more cake like and less chewy. For vegan use vegan butter and make sure caramel bits are dairy free, expect texture differences though.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All-purpose flour: swap for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, use the same weight (285 g). Cookies might be a bit more crumbly, chill the dough longer so they don’t spread too much.
Unsalted butter (226 g): replace with chilled refined coconut oil, 1:1 by weight. It’ll be a touch crisper and may have a faint coconut note, so chill the dough before baking to keep shape.
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk: use a flax “egg” plus a bit of extra fat — mix 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp water (let sit 5 minutes) for the egg, then add 1 tbsp applesauce or neutral oil to mimic the extra yolk. Cookies will be slightly denser and less rich, but still good.
Caramel bits (1 cup): replace with 1 cup chopped soft caramels or use 3/4 cup toffee bits plus 1/4 cup extra chocolate chips for that sweet, chewy hit without melting into a puddle.

Pro Tips

1) Chill the dough longer than you think if you want thick, chewy cookies. I usually do at least 1 hour or even overnight, it firms up the butter so the cookies dont spread out too much and the flavor actually gets better.

2) Protect the caramels so they dont disappear into the cookie: toss chopped caramels in a teaspoon of flour or pop them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before stirring in. This keeps little gooey pockets instead of one sad caramel puddle.

3) Measure flour like a grown-up: spoon it into the cup and level it off, dont scoop with the cup or youll end up with dry tough cookies. Also dont overmix once you add the flour, stop when you still see a few streaks.

4) Salt and timing matter: sprinkle flaky sea salt right after they come out so it sticks, and take them off the sheet after 8-10 minutes so they finish firming up on a rack. If they cool and get a bit too firm, zap one in the microwave 6-8 seconds to revive the gooey caramel.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I've perfected Salted Caramel Cookies that are soft and chewy with molten caramel tucked inside and a finish of sea salt that begs a closer look.

Servings

servings

Calories

263

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (set to 350°F / 175°C)
2. 2 rimmed baking sheets, plus parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Wire cooling rack
4. 2 mixing bowls, one for dry stuff and one for wet stuff
5. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale for best accuracy
6. Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter (you can use a sturdy whisk if needed)
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding, scraping and mixing
8. 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon and your hands to portion dough
9. Small knife and cutting board for chopping caramels, plus a small bowl to toss them in flour so they dont melt into the dough

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (285 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup soft caramel bits or about 12 soft caramels, unwrapped and chopped
flaky sea salt for sprinkling, about 1/2 teaspoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, and have a wire rack ready.
Whisk together 2 1/4 cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl cream 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 1 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape sides.
Add 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, beat until combined and smooth. Dont overmix, just get it homogenous.
Fold the dry mix into the wet mix until just combined. Stop when you still see a few streaks, overworking makes tough cookies.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup soft caramel bits (or ~12 chopped soft caramels). Tip: if using chopped caramels, toss them quickly in a teaspoon of flour or freeze them 10 minutes first so they dont completely melt into the dough.
Chill the dough 30-60 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies. If you're impatient, scoop dough and chill the scoops 10-15 minutes on a tray instead.
Scoop about 2-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten tops and press a few extra chocolate chips and caramel pieces on each mound so they look pretty after baking.
Bake 10-13 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look soft and puffy. Rotate pans halfway if needed. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt over each batch so it sticks.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 8-10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, or reheat briefly to revive the gooey caramel when serving.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.