Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The dreamiest caramel chocolate chip cookies. They’re perfectly soft & chewy, made with brown butter, and full of chocolate chips & gooey caramel pieces.

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I’ve got a great classic recipe for you today. Imagine the perfect cookie: one that’s full of flavor, has the perfect texture, and is packed with chocolate and caramel. These homemade Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with brown butter which pairs so well with the caramel and without a doubt takes them to the next level.

I’ve always been a huge fan of caramel. The warm, sweet flavor of caramel is so addicting. I need it in my cookies, my iced latte, brownies — honestly, anything and everything. So, I just knew that I needed to create the perfect homemade Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe…and I’m pretty sure I nailed it.

Read on for the full recipe for these amazing Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Now, to make the perfect Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies we will be using brown butter for the base of our cookie dough. If you’ve never made brown butter, don’t let that deter you from trying this recipe — it’s super easy to do!

Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan or pot on the stove over low to medium heat. Let the butter melt completely, stirring it frequently to ensure that it doesn’t stick or burn. After the butter has melted, it will begin to bubble as it browns. The butter will start to get darker in color and you will see golden flecks — these are the toasted milk solids which give the brown butter it’s delicious, nutty flavor. Stir frequently throughout this entire process as you don’t want the milk solids to stick and burn. As soon as the butter starts to turn a golden, amber color, remove it from the heat. Place the brown butter in a glass jar or bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes before you begin assembling the cookie dough.

The rest of the cookie dough comes together easily. A few key tips to ensure success:

1. Set your eggs out about an hour before baking so that they’re at room temperature. If you forget (like I often do), run them under some room temperature water to warm them up a bit first.
2. Do not overmix your dough! When adding in your dry ingredients, fold them in with a rubber spatula until a few flour streaks remain. Then, gently fold in in your chocolate chips. At this point, there shouldn’t be any flour streaks and your toppings should be just combined into the dough.
3. Let your dough chill for 25 minutes. Since we’re using melted brown butter, we don’t need to chill the dough for too long, but just enough that the cookies don’t lose their shape and bake up flat.
4. When shaping your cookie dough balls, shape them so that they’re more of a cylinder than a round dough ball. They should be taller than they are wide. This little trick helps the cookies bake up taller.
5. I highly recommend using Werther’s Soft Caramels. I’ve made this exact recipe using different brands and they just don’t turn out the same. Obviously, they’re still delicious, but the Werther’s Soft Caramels melt better and create the dreamiest pools of caramel. Only place the caramel pieces on the tops of each cookie dough ball (not the sides).

I promise, these cookies are so easy to make and the best part: they’re ready in less than an hour. So, you really don’t have an excuse to not make them.

Other caramel recipes you may like:

• Caramel S’mores Brownies
• Gooey Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Caramel S’mores Stuffed Cookies
• Easy Take 5 Bark

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cornstarch
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Mini semisweet chocolate chips
• Werther’s Soft Caramels
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need (linking my favorites below!)

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Spatula
• Whisk
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cookie turner
• Cooling rack

How to make these dreamy Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

On low to medium heat, brown 1 cup of unsalted butter. Let the butter cool for 10 minutes.

While the butter is cooling, combine 2¼ cups flour, 1½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the brown butter until it is smooth and combined.

Add 2 tsp vanilla and 2 eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and lighter/paler in color.

Add the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the dough has chilled, scoop out 12 equally-sized dough balls.

I highly recommend using Werther’s Soft Caramels. Unwrap the caramels, cut them into 4 pieces, and roll each into a ball. Place 3 to 4 caramel pieces into the tops of the cookie dough balls. Avoid placing the caramel pieces towards the bottom of the dough ball as they could burn or stick to the pan. Then, roll each cookie dough ball in extra mini chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the cookie dough balls on the sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops of the cookies still look slightly wet.

As soon as they come out of the oven, shape the cookies with a spoon or bowl. Top with extra chocolate chips and flaky sea salt.

Let the cookies rest for about 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once on the wire rack, let the cookies cool and set for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• When measuring dry ingredients, use a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method. While it is more accurate to measure dry ingredients by weight (grams), I bake using volume measurements (cups). This recipe can easily be converted using an online conversion calculator, like this one from Inch Calculator. For the spoon and level method, before scooping out dry ingredients, use a spoon and run through them, fluffing them up and removing any clumps. Then, spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and use a flat top tool to level off the top and remove any excess.
• Do not overmix your cookie dough. Overmixing can lead to dry, crumbly cookies which we do not want. Fold your dry ingredients in with a rubber spatula until just a few flour streaks remain. Then, fold in your chocolate chips. By the time the chocolate chips are distributed throughout the dough, there won’t be any flour streaks remaining.
• Baking times are simply a suggestion. Ovens and oven temperatures can vary, so it’s best to use the baking time listed as a guide, rather than a set rule. The cookies are done baking when the edges are set and lightly golden. The tops of the cookies will look slightly wet and that’s okay! The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan after they’re removed from the oven.
• Only place the caramel pieces on the tops of the cookies — do not place them on the sides or bottom. While baking, the caramel pieces will melt and create gooey puddles. It’s best to keep these puddles in the middle/center of each cookie.
• I highly recommend using only Werther’s Soft Caramels for this recipe. I’ve tried this recipe with other brands and the caramels do not melt as well while baking. The Werther’s Soft Caramels create the best caramel puddles in each cookie.

FAQs

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes! Just store the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or storage bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the cookies, set them out on the counter so that they come to room temperature prior to consuming. You can also heat them up in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Can I make smaller or larger cookies?

Absolutely, but there are a few things to keep in mind: 1) you will need to adjust the bake time. Keep the baking temperature the same. For smaller cookies, reduce the bake time by 1-2 minutes. For larger cookies, start by adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time. 2) Remove or add caramel pieces, depending on the size. Remember to keep all of the caramel pieces on the tops of the cookie dough balls.

Do I have to chill the dough?

I highly recommend chilling the dough for a few reasons. First, we’re using melted butter, so we want to make sure the cookies don’t spread too much while baking. Chilling the dough helps ensure that the cookies maintain some of their height and bake up tall. Second, chilling the dough helps the flavors develop even more, creating the most delicious brown butter, caramel, and chocolate flavor profile. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Can I make this dough in advance?

Yes, you can make the dough up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Take the cookie dough out at least 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to baking so that the dough is soft enough to scoop. Do not add the caramel pieces until you are ready to scoop and bake the cookies.

How to store

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, set the cookies out in advance (about 30 minutes to 1 hour) and let them soften and come to room temperature before eating.

Seriously, these are the perfect homemade Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. The brown butter and caramel provide such delicious flavor and that flaky sea salt on top just takes them up a notch. I hope you all love them as much as I do!

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock or #itsbrunchoklock.