Published: · Updated: by Stephanie Simmons
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Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are your new favorite cookie! They’re loaded with chocolate chips and stuffed with gooey caramel pieces. These cookies are super thick and soft with crisp edges, and come together in no time, in just one bowl!
this recipe
Published: Sept 2022. Updated: May 2023.
I mean, how can anyone resist that stack of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies! Get me a glass of milk and watch me dive into that pile! These are the best cookies – you’ll instantly fall in love and forget all about regular chocolate chip cookies. They have the perfect balance of salty and sweet
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies – These cookies are super soft, thick, and chewy with crisp edges.
- Chocolate and Caramel– Chocolate and caramel are a match made in heaven! Melty chocolate chips and pools of gooey caramel mingle together in these cookies.
- Easy to Make – These cookies take almost no time to whip up, thanks to store-bought caramel candies – and are made in one bowl for ease.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full ingredient list is found in the recipe card below.
- Salted Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer. Make sure to use room temperature butter, not cold butter.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds depth of flavor and keeps these cookies soft.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar helps balance the flavor of the brown sugar.
- Chocolate Chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Caramel – Use Werther’s soft caramels for this recipe. They’ll stay soft in the oven and taste fabulous.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Chocolate Chips – Feel free to use dark or milk chocolate chips, or even chunks if you prefer.
- Caramel – For best results, I recommend the type of caramels mentioned above. Homemade caramel sauce will cause the cookie to melt everywhere, and other brands like kraft caramels bake up too firm to chew. However, I think caramel bits will work if you need an alternative.
How to Make this Caramel Cookie Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough. Start with your wet ingredients. Cream together your butter and sugars with an electric mixer or stand mixer in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla, and then add the dry ingredients last. Mix in the chocolate chips – don’t just stir them in, use a mixer so they get well dispersed.
Step 2: Roll Into Balls & Chill the Dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls that are about 100 grams each. Use a scale for precision, but this is about 3 slightly generous tablespoons worth. Flatten each ball out, and press one caramel candy into the center.
Step 3: Stuff with Caramel. Wrap the dough back around the caramel so it’s encased. Chill the stuffed dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
Step 4: Bake Cookies. Bake the cookies on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Let them cool about 10-15 mins on a wire rack, then dig in!
Enjoy these cookies while they’re warm and gooey from the oven, with a sprinkle of sea salt on top and a glass of cold milk. This delicious recipe is sheer perfection!
Expert Success Tips:
- Beautiful Cookies – To make your cookies look bakery-worthy, press extra chocolate chips into the tops right when they come out of the oven. And, use a round cutter to scoot the cookie into a perfectly round shape.
- Caramels – Don’t be tempted to mix caramel pieces into the bowl of dough. It will create too many pockets of melty caramel in the cookies while they bake and you’ll end up with delicious puddles on your cookie sheet.
- Oven Thermometer – Anoven thermometerwill tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale –Afood scaleis the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
Can I Freeze the Dough?
Yes! Freeze cookie dough balls, covered with a kitchen towel. Once solid, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Cookies can be stored this way for about 2-3 months, and can be baked straight from frozen!
Can I double or halve this cookie recipe?
Yes, feel free to scale the recipe up or down.
Can I Add Nuts?
These would be delicious with chopped pecans, in my opinion. Feel free to try cashews or walnuts as well. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
Can I Make Smaller Cookies?
Yes, make dough balls 60-70 grams in size for a smaller cookie and a larger yield. Place only 1 caramel piece on top of each cookie ball. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Can I use a different type of caramel?
I don’t recommend other caramel candies, as they get very hard once they’ve been baked. These stay nice and chewy. Another option would be to just bake these as chocolate chip cookies, then drizzle on my salted caramel sauce once they’re baked and slightly cooled.
Recipe Variations:
- Caramel Skillet Cookie – If you’d like to mix the caramel pieces into the dough, you can do that and bake it as a skillet cookie. Add to a well-greased 10-inch oven safe skillet and bake at 350 degrees F for 14-18 minutes (the edges will appear set and a toothpick inserted into the center will pull out moist crumbs).
- Chocolate – Use whatever type of chocolate you like best – chunks, dark, milk, etc. You can even add caramel chips.
- Salted Caramel Cookies – Don’t want the chocolate chips? Swap in caramel chips or butterscotch chips!
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Enjoy these cookies warm from the oven! Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-6 days, or in the fridge longer.
- Cookie Sheet –These are my favoritecookie sheets, I’ve used them almost every day for 6 years and they’re still in great shape.
- Cookie Scoop –Usethis cookie scoopto make your cookies the size I did. It’s technically an ice cream scoop, but it’s the perfect size for large bakery-style cookies.
- Silicone Baking Mat –I lovesilicone baking matsbecause they’re reusable and dishwasher safe.
- Round Cutters – Use this set of round cutters for rounding cookies, cutting donuts or biscuits, and much more.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes to Love:
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- S’mores Skillet Cookie
- One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies
- S’mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Cookie Dough Bites
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Best Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Stephanie Simmons
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are your new favorite cookies! They're 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!
4.97 from 26 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 42 minutes mins
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 428 kcal
Ingredients
- 14.5 tbsp salted butter, melted & cooled slightly 206 grams, or 1/2 cup + 6.5 tbsp
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 161 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 156 grams
- 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 390 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 35 pieces werther's soft caramels
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.
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!
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
Bake the Cookies:Preheat your oven to365° F.Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper orsilicone baking mats. 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. 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.
Keyword Easy Cookie Recipes, Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Comments
Kaitlin says
Can you freeze them after they’ve baked?
Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Kaitlin! Yes, that should work just fine. Let them cool completely at room temperature first, then wrap pairs of cookies with the flat bottoms together in plastic wrap. Keep these all in a freezer container or bag, and thaw on the counter for a few hours before eating. Please let me know how you like this recipe!
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Alexa says
Does it matter if it’s light or dark brown sugar?
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Alexa! Either will work just fine in this recipe. I prefer the extra bit of depth of flavor that dark brown sugar gives. Let me know how you like the cookies!
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Peachymomma says
These were good. I made my dough balls 45 grams and stuffed them with 1/2 a soft caramel. They were still large cookies and seemed to spread more than I expected. After checking the recipe, I realized that I refrigerated my dough before forming them into balls. If I make these again, I will refrigerate the stuffed dough balls as I hope this will prevent them from spreading as much.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear you enjoyed these cookies! You can also freeze the stuffed dough balls for about 30 minutes, or until solid, and this will help with that as well.
Reply
Karrie says
90 g is a HUGE cookie. Is that correct?
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Karrie! Yes, 90 grams is correct. You could go down to 60 grams if you want a smaller cookie! I recommend using 2/3 or half of a caramel piece in the center since it’s less dough to contain it. Please let me know how you like these cookies!
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Stacy says
Does anything with the recipe need to be altered if you leave the caramel out and just use the salted caramel sauce to drizzle on at the end?
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Stacy! No, it should work just the same. You can make the cookies smaller if you like though, since they don’t need to contain the caramel candies. Please let me know how you like this recipe!
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DEBORAH MCCLAIN says
I would like to triple this recipe. Do I use the same measurements?
Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, you would triple all the measurements. Let me know how you like the cookies!
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Bailey says
This is a great recipe! Although, when I made the cookies oversized with a full caramel inside, they became heavy in the middle and fell apart. They turned out much better and easier to eat when I made the cookies smaller with only half a caramel in the center. I would highly recommend flattening out the dough a little and making sure the top caramel is pushed into the dough so that it doesn’t melt off of the cookie. Once they were out of the oven, I sprinkled some flaky sea salt and it was delicious! I’m definitely going to make these again with some nuts and caramel apple caramels!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Bailey! Glad you enjoyed these cookies. I wonder if they needed just a tad longer of a bake time in your oven. I did just update the recipe to tweak the cookie dough so the cookies are a bit sturdier, but still nice and chewy & soft. I hope you try them again!
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Haley says
I LOVE this recipe!! Made them twice in one week because my husbands asked me to make them again for him to bring to an event. We preferred them as half size cookies (I think a tablespoon and a half) and flakey salt on top. I’m going to make another batch and freeze them so I can just pull out a couple at a time. Seriously such a solid recipe!!!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for the rave review, Haley!
Reply
Gabri says
Great recipe!! I tried it with normal measurements and got 15 delicious cookies, but instead I tried to measure the second time with the metric measurements and I only got 12 cookies 🙁 Not sure if the measurements are accurate?Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Gabri! That is odd, thanks for letting me know. I’ll measure them again the next time I make this recipe. Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Reply
Jenn says
Do you ever add flake maldon salt to the top? If so, before or after baking? Thanks!
Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Jenn! Yes, I almost always sprinkle a little maldon flaky sea salt on the cookies after they’re baked. Let me know how you like this recipe!
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Karen Cavin says
I was excited to make these cookies. I followed the recipe exactly. Mine turned out flat!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Karen! 🙂
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Chantell says
Ooey gooey goodness! These turned out perfectly, will absolutely make them again. Followed the recipe to a T.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Chantell!
Reply
Katherine Thomas says
I converted some of the ingredients to metric. For the flour it was 332 grams. The cookies mixed up very wet, no way to put the balls in a container. I weighed each ball to 100 grams, a 1/4 cup cookie scoop worked just about perfect. I got only 13 cookies. Baking for 10 minutes on 325 degrees convection was not enough. Please post metric measurements. Tasted great.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Katherine! I weigh my flour at 130 grams per cup, but that would bring the total for this recipe to 347 grams, which isn’t far off from what you got, so I don’t think that would make the dough that much wetter. I usually chill the dough for 20-30 minutes before scooping into balls to help stiffen it up so it’s easier to work with. I will add that not to the recipe – apologies that it wasn’t in there already, I thought I had added it to all my cookie recipes. As for the bake time, I don’t bake on a convection setting so I can only base my bake times off of 350 degrees F in a standard oven. Glad they tasted great even with a few hiccups!
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English says
Can you use caramel spread instead of soft caramel candies?
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Stephanie Simmons says
I don’t recommend that for this recipe, unless you want to leave out the caramel candies and drizzle the caramel spread over the baked cookies.
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Natalie says
Followed the recipe to a T but sadly they spread out in the oven to make one giant cookie. I ended up having to make the cookies much much smaller. The dough itself is delicious! But I think the ratio of butter or something maybe is off.
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Natalie! How long did you chill the dough? I re-tested these and had no issues.
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Madison says
These were THE BEST cookies ever!! I made them for a class, and even weeks later I’m still getting asked about them. I’ve been asked how much the cookies would cost if I sold them, everyone wants to get their hands on them!!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for the rave review, Madison! 🙂
Reply
Melanie says
These are my new “be my friend” cookies. They are amazing! We really like how they stay soft and they’re not TOO sweet. They’re also very simple to make. Definitely a hit in our house and with our friends.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear you liked these, Melanie! ☺️
Reply
Angel says
This is a great recipe but make sure you follow it exactly and not cut corners!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Angel! 🙂
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sally says
delicious cookieReply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Sally!
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