Gooey Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Take your homemade cookies to the next level with these brown butter chocolate chip cookies that are loaded with Oreo cookies and gooey caramel pieces.

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Caramel just brings me back to childhood…is that random? When I was little, my dad got me hooked on Goetze’s Caramel Creams (can’t forget the Cow Tales too!). Does anyone remember those? They’re not as common to find as M&Ms or Hershey’s bars, but some convenience stores carry them. If we were out and I got to choose a snack, I always went for the caramels. The original/vanilla were my favorite — that vanilla cream filling was perfectly sweet and paired so well with the chewy caramel. I actually have pretty good self control around candy these days, but if there are caramels around me, I’m definitely getting into those.

As I began baking more frequently, I tried out so many new recipes. Eventually, I stumbled upon caramel chocolate chip cookies and my life was forever changed. Two of my loves (chocolate chip cookies AND caramel), what could be better? Of course, that question is meant to be more of a challenge for me: how can I make caramel chocolate chip cookies even better? The answer: add Oreos.

These homemade cookies have a brown butter base and are packed with chocolate chip cookies, Oreo cookies, and caramel pieces. They’re soft and chewy and have such a great flavor profile — that nutty, brown butter flavor paired with the semisweet chocolate and caramel…it’s perfection. You need to make these.

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

These Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies are destined to be your new favorite homemade cookie. The good news: they’re SO easy to make!

Yes, this recipe does call for brown butter and you will thank me for it. Brown butter and caramel just belong together. Brown butter on its own has a nutty, toffee/caramel flavor. So, when we add it to a caramel cookie recipe, that caramel flavor intensifies. I don’t know about you, but that sounds heavenly to me.

I know that most of us want quick and simple recipes (and I’m totally with you!), but taking the extra 5 minutes to brown butter really is a game changer. It’s such an easy way to elevate your homemade bakes! All you’ll need to do is get a medium, light-colored saucepan or pot and set it on the stove over low to medium heat. Personally, I use a lower heat setting because I don’t want the butter to burn. Initially, the butter will just melt as usual. Once the butter has fully melted, it’ll start bubbling and have a foamy layer on top. Stir frequently. Within a few minutes, you’ll notice that the milk solids will begin to toast (this is what gives the brown butter its flavor) and the butter will start to change from a yellow color into a deep amber/golden color (this is why you MUST use a light colored pan so you can see the color changing). Once you see this color, remove the butter from the heat. I usually transfer my butter to a glass bowl or container to completely cool, and so I can check and make sure the butter is browned properly and not burnt. Let the butter cool for 10 minutes before you begin assembling the dough. And, that’s it — you just browned butter!

The cookie dough comes together very easily. Since we are using melted brown butter, you will need to chill the dough for 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps deepen the flavors and results in taller, thicker cookies. After the dough has chilled, you’ll begin assembling the cookie dough balls and adding the caramel pieces. I HIGHLY recommend using Werther’s Soft Caramels for this recipe (and all caramel cookie recipes). They bake up the best — I have tried others and have not had good results. The Werther’s caramels will melt while baking and create perfect gooey caramel puddles.

Before adding the caramel pieces to the cookies, you’ll need to cut each caramel into about 4-5 smaller pieces and roll each into a ball. Then, place the caramels on the top of each cookie dough ball — I do not recommend placing the caramels on the sides or the bottom. As I mentioned above, these caramels will melt and you want those puddles to stay on the top instead of leaking out the sides or sticking to the bottom.

Then, you’ll bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes. Remove them from the oven, top with flaky sea salt, and let them cool. And, that’s it! These cookies are super easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cornstarch
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Mini semisweet chocolate chips
• Oreos
• Soft caramels (I only recommend using Werther’s)
• Flaky sea salt

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

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

How to make these gooey & delicious Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

On low to medium heat, brown 1 cup of butter (2 sticks). You’ll want to remove the butter from heat when the top is foamy and the butter is amber/golden brown in color. Set aside to cool.

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 1 cup chopped Oreo cookies.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes. You don’t want to chill the dough for too long or it’ll be difficult to wrap the dough around the caramel pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

Cut each caramel into 4-5 smaller pieces, then roll each into a ball. Place the caramel pieces into the tops of the cookie dough balls — do not place them on the sides or bottom as they could run or stick to the pan.

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, bowl, or circular cookie cutter. Top with extra Oreo cookie pieces, mini 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, it’s always recommended to use a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method. While it is more accurate to measure 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. 
• In order to ensure your cookies have a soft and chewy texture, be careful to not overmix your cookie dough. When adding in dry ingredients, only mix until a few flour streaks remain, then gently fold in your toppings. 
• Be careful to not overbake your cookies. These cookies are done when the edges are set and a light golden color. The tops will still look wet and not fully set — and that’s what we want them to look like! The cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet even after you remove them from the oven. If overbaked, you will lose some of the soft texture we’re going for.

FAQs

Can I freeze these cookies?

Absolutely! Store the cookies in a freezer-safe storage bag or container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the cookies, set them out for about 20-30 minutes and let them come to room temperature before eating. You can also heat them up in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

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 about 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 bake the cookies.

Is it required for the dough to chill?

If you want your cookies to be tall and thick — YES! Most of my recipes using melted butter (browned or regular) will call for chill time. We aren’t baking flat cookies here!

Can I make these cookies smaller or larger?

Yes, but you will need to adjust the bake time accordingly.

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 (30 minutes to 1 hour) and let them come to room temperature before consuming.

Soft, chewy, gooey, and loaded with chocolate, these Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies are such a fun twist. I hope you all love this combination as much as I do!

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