Description
Delight in these soft and chewy Salted Caramel Cookies, perfectly balancing sweet caramel flavors with a hint of sea salt for a decadent treat. Featuring a buttery dough studded with luscious caramel bits, these cookies bake up golden with gooey centers, making them an irresistible dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 1 cup caramel bits or chopped soft caramels
- 1 teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly without sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to maintain an even batter consistency, then mix in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to ensure the leavening agent and seasoning are evenly distributed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can make cookies tough.
- Fold in Caramel Bits: Gently fold the caramel bits into the dough to evenly distribute the sweet, melty caramel pieces throughout each cookie.
- Shape Cookies: Using a tablespoon, scoop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Sprinkle Sea Salt: Lightly sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie dough ball to enhance the sweet and salty flavor profile.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden while the centers remain soft, indicating perfect doneness.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps them set properly without breaking.
Notes
- For an extra gooey center, slightly underbake the cookies by reducing bake time by a minute or two.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies for an added layer of richness and flavor contrast.
- Use soft caramel bits for the best melting results inside the cookies to achieve a luscious texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
