Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

A close-up of a stack of broken open cookies with melty chocolate and gooey caramel dripping out.

4.73 from 36 votes

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with tons of chocolate chips and stuffed with gooey pieces of caramel. These cookies are super thick and soft with crisp edges, and come together in no time in just one bowl!

Prep Time30

Cook Time12

Chill Time2

Total Time2 42

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Easy Cookie Recipes, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: cookies

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

14.5 tbsp salted butter, melted & cooled slightly 206 grams
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed 163 grams
3/4 cup granulated sugar 156 grams
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed 390 grams
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 380 grams
35 pieces werther's soft caramels See note below

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep: Unwrap your caramels, and leave 15 of them whole for stuffing inside the cookies. Slice the rest into 2-3 pieces each. Those will be used on top of the cookies.
Make the Cookie Dough: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugars well. Add the vanilla and eggs and whisk until well combined and smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a dough forms (it may be a bit crumbly at first, but keep mixing until it comes together). Stir in the chocolate chips last.
14.5 tbsp salted butter, melted & cooled slightly, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract , 2 large eggs, at room temperature , 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Rest the Dough: This recipe used to reqiure a 2 hour chill, but now requires just a 20 minute rest in the fridge or freezer before scooping the balls and baking! (See more make-ahead tips below.)
Prep Cookie Dough Balls: Form the dough into balls 90 grams each. Flatten each dough ball, and place a caramel candy in the center, and then wrap the dough around it to encase it. Press 1-2 of the sliced caramel pieces on top of each cookie dough ball, along with a few extra chocolate chips
35 pieces werther's soft caramels
Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 365° F. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place about 5-6 cookie dough balls on a sheet, leaving room for them to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The centers of the cookies will look a tad underdone, but the edges should be set when gently tapped, and will be lightly golden brown. Immediately place a round cutter around the outside of each cookie and swirl the cookie within it to "scoot" them into perfect circles. This also helps them appear thicker, and helps re-contain any that spread a bit more in the oven. They'll set up to the perfect soft-baked texture as they cool.
Serve + Store: Let cookies cool on the pan until they're not too hot, then dig in while they're warm! Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 4-5 days or longer in the fridge. Re-warm in the microwave or oven for warm, gooey perfection.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Once you've got your dough scooped into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, covered with a clean kitchen towel. Once solid, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. Cookies can be stored this way for about 2-3 months, and can be baked straight from frozen! Follow the baking directions as listed above.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cookie dough can be portioned, stuffed with caramel, and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking.

Notes

Note about Caramels: No, I don't recommend another brand of caramels. This is pretty much the only one that stayed soft and didn't bake into a rock hard tooth hazard as the cookies baked. You could drizzle on salted caramel sauce after the cookies are baked if you can't find this brand of caramels.

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