Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies – Irresistibly Chewy & Sweet-Salty Perfection

Introduction

Looking for the ultimate indulgent cookie? Your search ends here with these Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies—soft and gooey inside, crispy on the edges, with pockets of rich caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt that elevate every bite. They’re the ideal homemade treat for celebrations, holiday baking, or comfort-food cravings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Sweet-salty magic: Caramel, chocolate chips, and sea salt create an unforgettable flavor trio.

• Multiple textures: Chewy centers, crispy edges, and caramel pockets await.

• Flexible & forgiving: Use store-bought or homemade caramel shards, and skip chilling for a quicker bake.

• Crowd-pleasing: Perfect for cookie exchanges, gift boxes, or after-dinner treats.

• Recipe tested: Inspired by classic Allrecipes and Delish puddle cookies facebook.com+1facebook.com+1delish.com+4delish.com+4instagram.com+4, improved with expert baking strategies from Epicurious and Simply Recipes simplyrecipes.com.

 Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix-ins:

• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 18 caramel candies (e.g., Werther’s Original), unwrapped and each cut into about 4–6 pieces

Finishing:

• Flaky sea salt (Maldon or kosher), for sprinkling

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep & Preheat

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

3. Cream Butter and Sugars

Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3–5 minutes). The mixture should be pale, airy, and hold a ribbon-like stream—this adds chewiness and depth because brown sugar introduces moisture and molasses notes allrecipes.com+15allrecipes.com+15facebook.com+15epicurious.com.

4. Add Eggs & Vanilla

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between. Add vanilla extract and mix until smooth and fully incorporated.

5. Combine Dry & Wet

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter mixture on low speed. Mix until just combined—avoid overmixing to prevent gluten development and tough cookies foodandwine.com.

6. Add Chocolate Chips

Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula. You can reserve an extra handful to press on top later for a gallery of melty chocolate on each cookie.

7. Shape & Press in Caramel

Use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to portion dough balls, spacing them 2”–3” apart. Press 3–4 caramel pieces into the center of each mound, keeping them compact so the caramel creates gooey pockets without leaking too much instagram.com+15allrecipes.com+15allrecipes.com+15.

8. Bake to Chewy Perfection

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until cookie edges are golden and the centers remain slightly soft. The caramel will bubble gently. Avoid overbaking—cookies continue to set as they cool on the tray.

9. Sea Salt Finish

Immediately after baking, sprinkle each hot cookie with flaky sea salt. This enhances the caramel-chocolate flavor and adds that luxe sweet-salty crunch .

10. Cool & Serve

Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully. Serve slightly warm for maximum gooeyness, or at room temperature.

 Pro Tips for Next-Level Cookies

1. Butter matters: Use room-temperature butter, or even brown some butter for nutty aroma epicurious.com.

2. Chill for chewier texture: Rest the dough 1–24 hours to enhance flavor and slow spread .

3. Milk powder hack: Add 1–2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk powder for creamy richness simplyrecipes.com+1bonappetit.com+1.

4. Even chocolate distribution: Hand-chop some chocolate to vary chunk sizes reddit.com+3epicurious.com+3allrecipes.com+3.

5. Avoid overmixing: Stop as soon as dry streaks disappear for tender cookies delish.com.

6. Use quality salt: Flaky salt on top brings out flavor—don’t skimp .

 Serving & Storage Suggestions

• Serve warm with a glass of cold milk or coffee.

• Room-temperature cookies stay soft and chewy for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

• Freeze dough balls (pre-baking) for up to 3 months—bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes bake time .

• Freeze baked cookies fully cooled; reheat gently in microwave (10 seconds) or oven (300 °F, 5 min).

 Variations & Customization Ideas

• Extra gooey: Press extra caramel bits on top of warm cookies before cooling.

• Brown-butter caramel twist: Brown the butter prior to creaming for deeper flavor.

• No dairy alternative: Use vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate.

• Nutty combo: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for texture.

• Espresso hint: Add ½ tsp espresso or coffee powder to the dry mix for mocha notes simplyrecipes.com.

FAQ

Q: Can I use caramel sauce instead of candies?
Potentials: sealed caramel pockets? Convert sauce into hardened shards (see “hard caramel” method) to avoid spreading .

Q: No caramel candies on hand—substitute?
Try caramel chips or chopped store‑bought caramels. Soft candies may melt more—adjust bake time.

Q: Cookies flattened too much?
Chill dough before baking, use parchment, and ensure oven is fully preheated.

 Trusted References

• Classic salted caramel chocolate chip cookies with caramel-in-mid-press method: Allrecipes delish.com+11allrecipes.com+11facebook.com+11reddit.com+2displacedhousewife.com+2delish.com+2

• Puddle-style caramel cookies that melt in your mouth: Delish sarahsdayoff.com+15delish.com+15instagram.com+15

• Chocolate chip cookie perfection tips from Delish: ratio of sugars & chilling delish.com

• Browser updates with salted caramel & pecan twist: Allrecipes variations allrecipes.com+2allrecipes.com+2allrecipes.com+2

• Enhance cookies with baking secrets: browned butter, milk powder, flaky salt epicurious.com+1simplyrecipes.com+1

 Final Thoughts

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies blend classic chocolate chip cookie charm with rich caramel pockets and a savory salt finish for an irresistible treat. With tips from top food sites and small tweaks, they deliver restaurant-worthy flavor with effortless comfort—just what readers on brandirecipes.com crave.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies servings: 24 prep_time: 20M cook_time: 12M total_time: 32M category: Dessert, Cookies cuisine: American keywords: salted caramel chocolate chip cookies, caramel chip cookies, salty sweet cookies, chewy cookies, dessert cookies

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies combine soft‑chewy chocolate chip dough with gooey caramel pockets and a sprinkle of sea salt. They’re the ultimate sweet‑and‑salty cookie—perfect for family treats, parties, or anytime you’re craving comfort.

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Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• ingredients:
• - 2 ½ cups all‑purpose flour
• - 1 tsp baking soda
• - 1 tsp coarse kosher salt plus extra for sprinkling
• - 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• - 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• - ½ cup granulated sugar
• - 2 large eggs at room temperature
• - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• - 1 ½ cups semi‑sweet chocolate chips
• - 18 unwrapped caramel candies such as Werther’s, each cut into 6 pieces
• - Flaky sea salt for finishing

Equipment

• Equipment:
• Mixing bowls
• Electric mixer
• - Baking sheets
• - Parchment paper
• - Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

1. instructions:
2. **Preheat & Prep**: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. **Dry Mix**: Whisk flour, baking soda, and 1 tsp kosher salt in a bowl.
4. **Cream Butter & Sugars**: In another bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (3‑5 min) :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
5. **Add Eggs & Vanilla**: Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract until combined.
6. **Combine**: Gradually add dry mix into butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
7. **Add Chips**: Fold in chocolate chips.
8. **Form Cookies**: Scoop 2‑Tbsp dough balls and place on baking sheets spaced 2″ apart.
9. **Press Caramel**: Gently press 3 caramel pieces into each dough ball, keeping them close together :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
10. **Bake**: Bake 12 minutes or until edges are golden but centers are slightly soft.
11. **Finish with Salt**: Immediately after baking, sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt.
12. **Cool**: Let cool on baking sheet for 5 min, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

notes:
Use room‑temperature eggs and butter for best texture. The combination of brown and white sugar gives a chewy center and golden edges :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. For deeper caramel flavor, gently brown the butter before creaming. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.

nutrition:
calories: 220
carbohydrates: 28g
protein: 2g
fat: 11g
fiber: 1g
sugar: 18g