These Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies bake up with crinkly rims, soft–fudgy centers, and molten pockets of caramel wrapped in a deep cocoa crumb. A small dose of Dutch-process cocoa intensifies chocolate flavor without turning the cookie cakey, browned butter adds toffee complexity, and a quick freeze-ahead of caramel pieces keeps the filling plush instead of leaking. A brief chill controls spread, while a disciplined bake at 180°C / 350°F sets the edges and leaves the middle irresistibly gooey. Follow the weights, times, and temperature cues below for bakery-level results every time.
Ingredients & Measurements
- Yield: 18 large cookies (No. 24 scoop; ~3 Tbsp each)
- Browned Butter Base
- 170 g (12 Tbsp / ¾ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp milk (to replace moisture lost in browning)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Sugars & Eggs
- 150 g (¾ cup, packed) light brown sugar
- 120 g (⅔ cup minus 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- Dry Mix
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 30 g (⅓ cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder (sifted)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- Chocolate & Caramel
- 170 g (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- 85 g (3 oz) chopped dark chocolate (60–70%)
- 18 soft caramels (e.g., Werther’s soft, Kraft), each cut in half and frozen
- Finish
- Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon), for topping
Why freeze the caramel? Freezing slows melt so the cookie bakes through while the caramel stays thick and gooey—no empty tunnels or runaway puddles.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep pans and caramel (5 minutes + freeze time). Line 2 light-colored sheet pans with parchment. Unwrap 18 soft caramels and cut each in half; arrange on a small plate and freeze at least 30 minutes. Cold centers = controlled melt and gooey pockets.
- Brown the butter for toffee depth (6–8 minutes). Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt, then cook, stirring, until milk solids turn deep golden and the aroma is nutty, 6–8 minutes. Immediately scrape into a large mixing bowl (include browned bits). Stir in 1 Tbsp milk to restore lost moisture. Cool to warm, not hot—about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in sugars and flavor (1–2 minutes). Whisk brown sugar and granulated sugar into the warm brown butter until glossy and cohesive, 60–90 seconds. Whisk in vanilla.
- Add egg + yolk for chew (45 seconds). Whisk in the egg and yolk until slightly thickened and lighter in color, 30–45 seconds. This builds an emulsion that bakes up shiny and chewy rather than cakey.
- Combine the dry mix (30 seconds). In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine salt until uniform. Cornstarch tenderizes the crumb and helps edges wrinkle.
- Bring the dough together (1 minute). Switch to a spatula. Fold the dry mix into the wet in two additions just until no floury streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Dough should be soft but scoopable; if still warm/loose, rest 5 minutes to hydrate.
- Portion, stuff, and seal (10 minutes). Using a No. 24 scoop (~3 Tbsp), portion 18 mounds. Working one at a time, split a mound in half. Flatten both pieces slightly, press one frozen caramel half (or a whole caramel if you prefer extra goo) in the center, cap with the second piece, and pinch seams fully closed. Roll into a smooth ball. Repeat. Tip: Keep caramel frozen; work in small batches.
- Chill briefly for height (30–40 minutes). Arrange dough balls on a lined tray and refrigerate 30–40 minutes (up to 24 hours covered). This quick chill firms the butter so cookies bake thick with gooey centers—not flat.
- Bake to set edges, molten centers (12–14 minutes). Heat oven to 180°C / 350°F with a rack in the center. Place 6–8 chilled dough balls per sheet, spaced 7–8 cm / 3 in apart. Bake 12–14 minutes, rotating the pan at 8 minutes, until edges look set and slightly crinkled and centers are puffed and just matte. They should still seem a touch underbaked—carryover heat finishes them while keeping caramel soft.
- Pan-bang for ripples (optional). For dramatic rings, tap the tray gently on the rack at 10 and 12 minutes. This collapses the center slightly and creates glossy wrinkles.
- Finish with flaky salt (cool 15 minutes). Immediately sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt on each hot cookie. Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then move to a rack 10 minutes. Caramel will firm from molten to gooey as cookies set.
- Repeat & hold. Bake remaining cookies one sheet at a time for even color. Store airtight at room temperature 3–4 days. To revive goo, warm 3–4 minutes at 150°C / 300°F. Freeze unbaked stuffed balls up to 2 months; bake from frozen at 180°C / 350°F for 14–15 minutes.
Cooking Notes
- Dutch-process cocoa vs. natural: Dutch-process (alkalized) delivers a smoother, darker chocolate profile and pairs beautifully with caramel. If using natural cocoa, the cookies will be slightly lighter with a sharper cocoa edge—still excellent.
- Caramel choices: Soft, pull-apart caramels are ideal. Avoid hard candies (they liquefy and shatter) or sauce caramels (they ooze). For salted caramel lovers, use salted soft caramels and reduce the flaky salt topping slightly.
- Stuffing discipline: Keep caramel fully encased—no seams or peeking edges—or it may leak. If a ball won’t close, pinch on a tiny patch of dough from another mound.
- Why browned butter + milk: Browning builds nutty depth but evaporates water. Stirring in 1 Tbsp milk re-balances hydration so cookies spread correctly and stay chewy.
- Sugar balance: The split of brown to white sugar yields a glossy chew with crinkly rims. More brown sugar = chewier; more white sugar = crisper. Don’t reduce sugar drastically; it affects spread and texture.
- Chill window: 30–40 minutes gives height without dulling flavor. An overnight chill produces slightly thicker cookies and deeper notes; let dough sit 10 minutes at room temp before baking so it isn’t rock-hard.
- Altitude & spread: At high altitude, add 10 g (1 Tbsp) flour and shorten bake by 1 minute, then check; cookies can set faster and spread more.
- Gluten-free path: Use a 1:1 GF baking blend (with xanthan gum). If the dough feels stiff, add 1 tsp milk. Bake time is similar.
- Mix-ins & variations:
- Espresso Boost: Add 1–1½ tsp instant espresso with the dry mix to deepen chocolate.
- Double Caramel: Stuff a whole soft caramel per cookie for a more dramatic pull (increase bake by ~1 minute).
- Nutty crunch: Fold in 60 g (½ cup) toasted pecans with the chocolate.
- Doneness cues (most reliable guide): Pull when rims are golden and set, centers still puffed/soft. Overbaking toughens caramel and dries the crumb. Underbaked? Let cookies sit on the hot tray 2–3 minutes longer before moving to a rack.
Nutrition Facts (per cookie)
- Approximate calories: 270 kcal
- Total fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Dietary fiber: 2 g
- Total sugars: 22 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
Conclusion
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies rely on precision for that bakery finish: browned butter for toffee richness, a Dutch-cocoa base for deep chocolate, a short chill for height, and frozen soft caramels to create thick, gooey centers. Bake until edges set and centers stay plush, add a whisper of flaky salt, and you’ll get cookies that deliver shattery rims, molten middles, and a flavor profile that reads both nostalgic and grown-up. The technique is straightforward, the results are showy, and the recipe is engineered to be repeatable—every tray, every time.
