Introduction

These salted caramel chocolate chip cookies offer a perfect blend of sweet and salty flavors with a gooey caramel center. Soft-baked with rich chocolate chips and a buttery dough, they make an irresistible treat for any occasion.

The image shows a group of round chocolate chip cookies arranged on a black metal cooling rack placed on a white marbled surface. Each cookie has a golden-brown base with lots of small dark chocolate chips spread evenly throughout. Swirled caramel is visible on the tops of the cookies, adding a glossy amber layer that contrasts with the cookie dough. A small sprinkle of salt flake tops the caramel, giving a slight sparkle to each cookie. Around the rack, there are scattered chocolate chips and caramel pieces, with a small white bowl filled with coarse salt to the side. Two white glass milk bottles are partially visible in the foreground. The overall look is warm, sweet, and inviting, with soft textures and shiny caramel highlights. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

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
35 pieces Werther’s soft caramels

Instructions

Step 1: Prep your caramels by unwrapping all pieces. Leave 15 whole for stuffing inside the cookies and slice the rest into 2-3 pieces each for topping.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in both sugars until combined. Add vanilla extract and eggs, whisking until smooth and well blended, about 30-60 seconds.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough forms, even if slightly crumbly at first. Mix in the chocolate chips last.
Step 4: Rest the dough by chilling it in the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes before shaping.
Step 5: Form dough into balls weighing about 90 grams each. Flatten each ball, place a whole caramel candy in the center, and wrap the dough completely around it. Press 1-2 sliced caramel pieces and a few extra chocolate chips on top of each dough ball.
Step 6: Preheat oven to 365°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange 5-6 cookie dough balls per sheet, leaving space between for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers look slightly underdone.
Step 7: Immediately after baking, place a round cutter around each cookie and gently swirl to round and thicken them. Let cool on the pan until warm and set before serving.
Step 8: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 4-5 days or refrigerate for longer freshness. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven for a soft, gooey texture.
Step 9: For freezing, freeze dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze up to 2-3 months and bake straight from frozen following the same baking time. Dough balls can also be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking.

Tips & Variations

Use a kitchen scale for accurate dough ball sizing to ensure even baking.
Swap Werther’s caramels for your favorite soft caramel candies if desired.
To add a nutty crunch, consider mixing in chopped toasted pecans or walnuts with the chocolate chips.
For extra gooeyness, slightly underbake the cookies and let them finish setting as they cool on the baking sheet.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks to maintain freshness. To enjoy warm and melty cookies, reheat in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. Cookie dough balls freeze well for 2-3 months; bake directly from frozen to enjoy fresh cookies anytime.

How to Serve

A stack of four thick chocolate chip cookies is placed at the center of the image on a white marbled surface, with one cookie on top partially broken, revealing gooey, melted caramel and dark chocolate chunks inside. The cookies have a golden brown texture with visible melted chocolate pieces embedded throughout, and some salt flakes sprinkled on top. In the background, there is a blurred white bottle and more cookies, all set against a dark backdrop. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use salted butter or unsalted butter?

Salted butter is recommended here as it enhances the salted caramel flavor, but if using unsalted butter, add a pinch of extra salt to the dough to balance flavors.

Do I have to chill the dough before baking?

Chilling the dough for 20 minutes helps the cookies hold their shape better and improves texture, but if you’re short on time, you can skip this step and bake immediately for softer edges.