Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies

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Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies combine everyone’s favorite flavors! Basic chocolate chip cookies with the addition of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt are certain to make you swoon.

Angled view of Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies on a silvery blue background.

Everyone loves classic chocolate chip cookies. Am I right? And most everyone I know loves salted caramel.

So, why not combine the two?

That’s exactly what I did with these cookies and it turned out to be a great recipe!

I took my butterscotch toffee cookies recipe, it’s my favorite, and made minor changes to create a new cookie flavor that is absolutely fabulous.

This salted caramel cookie recipe came out soft, chewy, slightly salty, and packed full of chocolate chips.

If you need an eggless recipe, give my eggless chocolate chip cookies a try! You can add caramel bits too!

Overhead view of Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies on a grayish blue background.

The dough does need to be chilled once it’s mixed up so make sure to allow time for this. I like to make the dough the night before I plan to bake the cookies. It saves so much time by doing it this way.

Whip up the cookie dough, roll the dough into balls, and refrigerate them on a baking sheet until you’re ready to bake them. So, so easy!

Baking soda is used instead of baking powder so the cookies have the classic chocolate chip cookie texture.

I used soft caramel candies that I cut into small bits. You can also use caramel chips if you can find them in your area.

Just before baking the cookies, dip the top of the balls into coarse sea salt. The sea salt will stick to the unbaked dough and then set in place as the cookies bake.

I like this method better than sprinkling the cookies with salt after they’ve baked.

Side view of Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies on a grayish blue background.

I’m sure you are going to enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It has a wonderful sweet and salty flavor with chewy caramel.

And the best part about it is, the cookies stay soft and fresh for days!

It’s been a week since I baked them and the ones remaining in my ziplock bag are still soft and chewy.

Tips for making salted caramel chocolate chip cookies

  • Don’t overbake the cookies! Remove them from the oven once they are lightly browned around the edges but look just undercooked in the middle.
  • Chill the cookie dough. Letting the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight will meld the flavors and help to keep the cookies from spreading too much.
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Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies

4.49 from 105 votes
Overhead view of Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies on a grayish blue background.
Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies combine everyone’s favorite flavors! Basic chocolate chip cookies with the addition of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt are certain to make you swoon. Made with basic cookie ingredients, this recipe comes together rather fast. The dough does require chilling, so time should be allotted for that. But the wait is so worth the reward!
Jen Sobjack
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 32 minutes
Serving Size 30

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (105 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (100 g) soft caramel candies, cut into small pieces
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
  • Beat the butter and both sugar sugars together in a large bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer on low speed just until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture just until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and caramel pieces.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1 and ½ to 2 tablespoon sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Gently press the top of each dough ball into the sea salt and return to the baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown and just under done. Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make ahead tip

  • The cookies will keep for up to one week stored at room temperature in an airtight container. The dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature and continue with step 3, skipping the instruction to refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed.

Notes

  • Soft caramel candies: Avoid wether’s soft caramels as they are too soft and will melt out of the cookie. I use Kraft Classic Caramels and cut them into about 6 pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

28 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is my go to cookie, they freeze extremely well. If I don’t have the chips called for in the recipe, I put in butterfinger chips, or whatever I think will go well together. Never Disappointed!!

  2. My husband and I are obsessed with these cookies. I actually accidentally made them because I found some Ghirardelli caramel chocolate chips at the 99 cent store and found this recipe. We love it didn’t change a thing, I think I might try and find some finishing salt, I don’t know if that’ll make it stick better, but they really are good.

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing your feedback.

  3. 5 stars
    these look amazing I need to try these!!

  4. 5 stars
    these look amazing I need to try these!!

  5. How do you keep them from sticking to your baking pan and to the cooling rack? Thank you!

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat will do the trick!

  6. lithenna_ says:

    5 stars
    Oh, these cookies look absolutely amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

  7. lithenna_ says:

    5 stars
    Oh, these cookies look absolutely amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

  8. Del's cooking twist says:

    5 stars
    Wow, chocolate + salted caramel inside a cookie? I say yes! Can’t wait to try your recipe 🙂

  9. Del's cooking twist says:

    5 stars
    Wow, chocolate + salted caramel inside a cookie? I say yes! Can’t wait to try your recipe 🙂

  10. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says:

    I’m in LOVE with the sweet and salty flavors going on in these gorgeous cookies, Jen! Caramel and chocolate chips is seriously the most winning combo in a cookie!

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      Thanks, Sarah! I agree, sweet and salty is the best!

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