Salted Caramel Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with caramel, finished with a sprinkle of coarse salt. This sweet-and-salty cookie is one you’ll bake again and again.
Move over chocolate chip cookies—there’s a new favorite: Salted Caramel Cookies.
In my town a recent trend is late-night bakeries selling warm cookies past midnight, often catering to students. A warm cookie is hard to resist, so I set out to recreate my favorite bakery-style salted caramel cookie at home.
These cookies are inspired by a shop called “Baked.” Instead of buying expensive bakery cookies every week, I adapted my favorite chocolate chip cookie dough and swapped in salted caramel baking chips. I’ve used salted caramel chips from common brands and then stuffed each cookie with half a soft caramel and finished them with coarse sea salt.
The result is soft, chewy cookies bursting with caramel flavor. I don’t even miss chocolate—yet I love chocolate—so that says a lot. Neighbors who tried these were enthusiastic; they kept asking for more.
They’re almost as easy as classic chocolate chip cookies—the extra steps are unwrapping the caramels and cutting them in half. Totally worth it. Fair warning: these are addictive.
Salted Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon, & level)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 10–12 oz (284–340 g) salted caramel baking chips
- 4.51 oz (128 g) bag Werther’s Soft Caramels (about 18 rectangles)
- Coarse sea salt or kosher salt for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 1 minute.
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Fold in the salted caramel baking chips, reserving a few to press on top of the cookies if desired. Mix gently on low for about 30 seconds. If the dough seems crumbly, add 1 Tbsp milk and mix until it comes together.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment, a silicone mat, or lightly grease. Scoop dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart (12 small cookies or 8 large cookies per tray).
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Unwrap the caramels and cut each in half. Press half a caramel into the center of each dough ball so it’s level with the dough. Top with reserved baking chips if you set some aside.
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Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, depending on cookie size, until edges are just beginning to brown. Immediately sprinkle coarse salt over the hot cookies. Let cool 1 minute on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
Notes
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FAQ’S
The best version uses salted caramel baking chips, soft caramels tucked into the centers, and a finish of flaky or coarse salt.
Werther’s Original Soft Caramels are suitable for baking. They can be cut and added to bars or melted with cream for a dipping sauce.
Soft homemade caramels are made with butter, corn syrup, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat while stirring until the mixture thickens and reduces.