These Caramel Cookies are decadent and chewy! These soft-baked cookies are filled with a gooey two ingredient caramel and finished with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Caramel cookies. Yeah. You read that right. Caramel cookies. These are INSANE. A soft, chewy, caramel flavored cookie filled with a gooey caramel center. What are you waiting for? Let’s make some cookies!
Ingredients
Caramel sauce and butterscotch pudding add caramel flavor to the dough and keep the dough soft and chewy. For more caramel flavor, we’re making a 2 ingredient caramel to fill each cookie!
Caramel Cookies
- Butter – adds flavor and tenderness. In this cookie recipe, butter is kept chilled which results in a very thick cookie. Using unsalted butter allows you to control how much salt goes into the recipe. If salted butter is the only butter available, simply reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon per 1/2 cup butter called for.
- Brown Sugar – contains molasses which yields a rich flavor and moist, chewy cookie. Dark brown sugar is approximately 20% molasses and light brown sugar is 10%. Dark brown sugar is called for in the recipe, but either can be used.
- Granulated Sugar – adds sweetness to the cookie while also encourages spreading and caramelization. This is what allows the outsides of the cookie to become just the right amount of crispy on the outside edges.
- Caramel Sauce – provides caramel flavor, sweetness, and chewiness to the cookies. I used Smucker’s Caramel Ice Cream Topping, but feel free to replace with something similar; you’re looking for a texture that is pourable, but isn’t super runny.
- Egg – helps bind the cookie together while also adding a chewy texture. Because we’re using cold butter, you’ll need to use cold eggs. Same temperature ingredients combine better. Not all eggs are the same size; today’s recipe calls for large eggs, so be sure to check the carton!
- Vanilla Extract – adds a sweet flavor and depth. Without it, the cookies will taste bland. Pure vanilla extract is always preferred, but imitation will be fine in a pinch. Pure vanilla is made with vanilla bean, water, and alcohol whereas imitation vanilla is made without vanilla beans. Imitation is cheaper and often does not taste any different than pure vanilla extract in baked goods, so the choice is yours! I prefer pure vanilla extract, because it’s actually made with vanilla beans.
- All-Purpose Flour – a good base for all different kinds of baked goods, especially cookies. The amount of flour added in a recipe will produce different textures — more flour = drier cookie that will hold its shape whereas less flour = chewy. Drop cookies, like today’s recipe, is somewhere in the middle. These cookies will hold their shape, but aren’t dry; they are perfectly soft, yet chewy!
- Butterscotch Pudding Mix – made primarily with cornstarch and sugar. Instant pudding adds an additional sweet, caramel-y flavor and keeps the cookies tender. If you don’t have butterscotch pudding, try vanilla or another similar flavor instead.
- Salt – a must for any sweet treat! Salt enhances other flavors in the cookies while also balancing out the sweetness from the sugars and pudding mix.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – our leavening agents. Why use both? The combination of the two gives the best “lift” to the cookies while maintaining a pleasant flavor. Too much baking powder and you’ll end up with a bitter cookies.
Caramel Filling
- Caramel Candies — melts with the heavy cream to create a soft, chewy caramel center that fills the cookies. I used 3 (5 oz) packages of Werthers Original Chewy Caramels.
- Heavy Cream — thins out the caramel candies to create a thick, yet chewy texture. Half-and-half may be used in a pinch, but it might not be quite as thick and creamy.
- Maldon Sea Salt — used for garnish, flaky sea salt provides a delicate crunch and salty flavor to contrast the sweet, gooey-ness of the caramel filling and cookies.
Pro tip
Don’t make the caramel filling in advance; it starts to harden as it cools. Make the caramel after the cookies are cooled and ready to be filled.
How to make
This is a pretty standard cookie recipe, but be sure to use a stand mixer. Because we’re using cold butter, you need the extra power.
Caramel Cookies
- Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy using a stand mixer, then beat in caramel sauce, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Add in flour, instant pudding, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and beat again, until incorporated.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out 32 dough balls — place 8 onto silicone mat lined baking sheets.
- Chill, then bake at 350 degrees F until golden, about 15 minutes.
- Use the back of a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to make an indent in the middle of each cookie, then cool completely before filling with caramel.
Caramel Filling
- Microwave unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a 4 cup liquid measuring cup until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the idents of the cookies, then immediately sprinkle with maldon sea salt.
- Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled in the fridge.
Pro tip
Don’t stack the cookies to store them. These are so sticky; it’s best to store them in a single layer.
Variations
These cookies are perfect as it, but if you’d like to mix it up a bit, try these other variations!
- Leave out the salt. If sweet and salty isn’t your thing, omit the maldon sea salt!
- Make them turtle cookies. Stir 1 cup each chocolate chips and chopped pecans into the cookie dough, then drizzle the finished cookies with melted chocolate and an extra sprinkle of chopped pecans.
How to store
Leftover cookies will last in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. We prefer these cookies chilled in the fridge. Do not stack the cookies; these need to be stored in a single layer.
To enjoy again, thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then enjoy chilled, room temperature, or warmed in the microwave.
– Jennifer
Caramel Cookies
These Caramel Cookies are decadent and chewy! These soft-baked cookies are filled with a gooey two ingredient caramel and finished with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 32 cookies
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Caramel Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes (1 cup = 2 sticks)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup caramel sauce (I used Smucker’s Caramel Ice Cream Topping)
- 2 large eggs cold
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour spoon and leveled
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Caramel Filling
- 3 (5 oz) packages store-bought caramels unwrapped (I used Werthers Original Chewy Caramels)
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- Maldon sea salt for garnish
Instructions
Caramel Cookies
- Place butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Beat until light and fluffy, this takes a while, because the butter is cold.
- Scrape down the sides, then beat in caramel sauce, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Add in flour, instant pudding, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and beat again, until incorporated.
- Line 4 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out 32 dough balls — place 8 onto each prepared baking sheet, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then baked the chilled dough balls for about 12-15 minutes.
- Use the back of a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to make an indent in the middle of each cookie.
- Cool slightly, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely before filling with caramel.
Caramel Filling
- Place the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream into a 4 cup liquid measuring cup.
- Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the microwave is smooth.
- If the caramel becomes too thick as you work, reheat in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until liquid again.
- Pour the mixture into the idents of the cookies, then immediately sprinkle with maldon sea salt.
- Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled in the fridge.
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
STORING
Room Temp:3-5 Days
Refrigerator:10 Days (preferred)
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then enjoy chilled or warm
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Notes
Do not stack these cookies for storage - the caramel is too sticky.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Caramel Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 196 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 189mg8%
Potassium 68mg2%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 237IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: caramel cookies, caramel dessert, easy cookie, salted caramel