Description

Indulge in these irresistibly soft and chewy salted caramel cookies, perfectly balancing sweet caramel and a hint of sea salt for a delightful sweet-salty contrast. This recipe combines rich caramel chips with optional chocolate chips for an extra layer of flavor, baked to golden perfection for a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

Add-ins and Toppings

1 cup caramel chips
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
½ tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
Dry Mix: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning throughout the cookie dough.
Creaming: In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender texture.
Wet Mix: Beat in the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract for enhanced flavor.
Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough which can make cookies tough.
Mix-ins: Fold in the caramel chips and optional chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough to distribute gooey caramel and rich chocolate pockets.
Shaping: Use a scoop or spoon to portion dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
Topping: Lightly sprinkle flaky sea salt over each cookie dough mound to enhance the sweet and salty contrast during baking.
Baking: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and centers look set but still soft.
Cooling: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they firm up nicely without breaking.

Notes

Using room temperature eggs helps the batter mix evenly and improves texture.
Softened butter is key for proper creaming; avoid melted butter.
You can substitute caramel chips with soft caramel candies chopped into small pieces if chips are unavailable.
For a richer flavor, feel free to add chopped toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Salted Caramel Cookies, Caramel Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sweet and Salty Cookies, Homemade Cookies, Dessert Recipes