Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies Recipe
These Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies are rich and decadent treats featuring a perfect balance of bitter cocoa, sweet caramel, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Creamy butter and chocolate chips blend into a soft, fudgy dough that surrounds molten caramel centers, baked to a soft, chewy perfection. Chilling the dough enhances flavor and texture, making these homemade cookies a luxurious indulgence for chocolate lovers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 3 hours to overnight chilling)
- Cook Time: 12-13 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes to overnight plus 12-13 minutes baking
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cup (55g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Filling & Topping
- 18 chocolate-coated caramels, such as Rolos (or regular caramels)
- Flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Chill Prep: Begin by chilling your cookie dough for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight to ensure it is firm and easier to handle.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix Dry into Wet: With mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Once combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat in the milk and then the chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.
- Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, take the dough out and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop 2 tablespoons (40g) of dough per cookie and divide each scoop in half. Roll each half into a ball. Press a thumb indent into one ball, place a caramel candy inside, then top with the other ball and seal completely to enclose the caramel. Repeat for remaining dough and candies, wiping hands frequently to manage stickiness.
- Arrange and Salt: Place the filled dough balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly sprinkle each cookie with flaky or coarse sea salt.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 12–13 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft. If cookies don’t spread by minute 9, remove the baking sheet and gently tap it on the countertop 2-3 times to encourage spreading, then return to oven.
- Cool and Garnish: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Optionally press extra chocolate chips on top for an attractive finish. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely; cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Store: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is mandatory to handle the sticky dough and to develop flavor.
- Using room temperature ingredients ensures smoother mixing and better texture.
- If your cookies aren’t spreading well in the oven, gently tapping the baking sheet can help initiate spreading.
- Flaky sea salt on top balances the sweetness and enhances the salted caramel experience.
- For best flavor and texture, consume cookies within a week of baking.
- You can substitute plain caramels if chocolate-coated caramels like Rolos aren’t available.
Keywords: salted caramel cookies, dark chocolate cookies, caramel filled cookies, chocolate chip cookies, homemade chocolate cookies, dessert recipes
