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Chewy Salted Caramel Cookies

Chewy salted caramel cookies with a gooey caramel center are baked into soft, brown-butter dough and finished with flaky sea salt. Each cookie is portioned around caramel candies so the middle stays stretchy and amber while the edges set at 350°F.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cookie dough
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel center and topping
  • 20 soft caramel candies
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl until evenly combined.
Make the dough
  1. Beat melted and cooled unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and combined.
  2. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until glossy and fully incorporated.
  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until a soft dough forms, with no dry flour remaining.
Fill with caramel
  1. Wrap a spoonful of dough around each soft caramel candy, sealing completely so the candy is fully enclosed.
  2. Arrange the filled cookies on a sheet pan, leaving space between each one.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
Finish with salt
  1. Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking while the cookies are still warm so it adheres.

Notes

Pro tip: For cookies that don’t spread too much, freeze the dough balls for 10 minutes before baking, then bake straight from the freezer. Store baked cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months (thaw at room temperature). For a dairy-light option, use a plant-based butter that measures 1:1 for baking, keeping the caramel candies the same.