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Chewy Salted Caramel Cookies

Chewy salted caramel cookies with thick brown-sugar dough and melted caramel centers. Bake until the edges turn deep golden-brown while the centers stay soft and underbaked-soft, then finish with flaky sea salt.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chill 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
brown sugar, packed
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
large eggs
  • 2 large eggs
vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
soft caramel candies, unwrapped
  • 20 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream
flaky sea salt, for topping
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt together until evenly combined.
Cream and combine wet ingredients
  1. Cream the unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the large eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Make caramel filling
  1. Melt the soft caramel candies with the heavy cream until smooth and glossy, stirring until fully melted.
Assemble cookies
  1. Scoop dough, flatten it, place a spoonful of melted caramel in the center, and fold dough around it to seal completely to prevent leaking.
  2. Chill the sealed dough portions for 30 minutes to help the cookies bake up thicker.
Bake
  1. Arrange dough portions on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden.
  2. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies while warm, then let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

For thicker, chewier cookies, chill the dough 30 minutes before baking. Seal the caramel fully inside the dough so it doesn’t leak during baking. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend designed for cookies.