Easy, stuffed, soft, chewy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. They are big, like bakery style cookies!
*Thank you Vital Proteins for sponsoring this post so that I can make these salted caramel chocolate chip cookies. As always, all opinions are my own*
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I make a batch of these pretty much every week but this time, I did something different and stuffed them with caramel. They are so soft and chewy and when that filling oozes out, it will be a party in your mouth. These cookies are also huge, just like bakery cookies! I love them just as much as my Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Cake Mix) and especially my White Chocolate Chip Cookies (Cake Mix).
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Key ingredients
- Flour- Your typical all-purpose flour works best.
- Sugar- Both, brown and granulated sugar, need to be used in this recipe to create the perfect chewy texture.
- Butter- Be sure it is unsalted.
- Chocolate chips- You can use milk chocolate or semi-sweet.
- Vanilla extract- Pairs well with warm flavor and aroma.
- Leavening agents- These include baking powder and baking soda to help the cookies rise.
- Caramel- I like salted caramel, but you can use your favorite choice.
- Cashews- These are optional and can be omitted or they can be replaced with other nuts.
Variations
- To make cookie bars- Spread this cookie dough in an 9 inch square pan and push little caramel pieces into it (Use a pair of scissors to cut soft caramel into smaller pieces). Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are firm and golden brown. Once they cool down, use a sharp knife to slice bars.
- For a sweet and salty flavor combination- Mix in some roughly chopped pretzels.
- Instead of stuffing caramel- You can also mix in ½ cup caramel bits into the dough.
- To make mini cookie cups- Omit the caramel stuffing. Once the dough is ready, follow my tutorial in this post on How to Make Cookie Bowls. Spread the dough in individual openings of a cupcake pan and bake for 10-15 minutes. After removing the cupcake pan from the oven, press down the center of the cookie cups with the back of a spoon. Let them cool down. Then, fill each cookie cup with caramel filling. You can fill them with ice cream, gelato, Chocolate Fudge Sauce or even Caramel Frosting.
- Make cookie sandwiches- By placing Whipped Cream, ice cream, or frosting in the middle of two cookies, like my Best Cream Cheese Frosting or Marshmallow Frosting.
- Ice the top of each cookie- Using Caramel Frosting (3 Ingredients), Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, or a simple Powdered Sugar Glaze (Vanilla).
- Other add-ins options- You can try stuffing these cookies with other kinds of nuts like pistachios, pecans or walnuts. You can also put in sprinkles, toffee, shredded coconut, candy pieces, and white chocolate or peanut butter chips.
- For additional flavor- Use browned butter.
How to make easy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies recipe from scratch?
Start off by creaming together butter and sugars. Mix in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Chill the dough. Then, make little dough balls and stuff each ball with caramel. Chill again for a few minutes. Bake and enjoy!
1. Cream butter and sugar- Until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in- Egg and vanilla.
3. Dump dry ingredients- Into wet mixture.
4. Stir in- Chocolate chips.
5. Chill dough- In the refrigerator.
6. Stuff caramels- Into the center of dough balls.
7. Place dough balls- On cookie sheet, chill.
8. Bake- And enjoy.
Tips and techniques
- Egg and butter must be at room temperature- Since it blends together more smoothly and evenly.
- Both baking powder and baking soda are needed- Don't replace one with the other.
- Granulated and brown sugar are both used- Don't replace one with the other.
- I used salted caramel- But you can also use regular caramel candies, if you like.
- I like to add some collagen peptides- To give these cookies a boost of nutrition. If you don't have that, you can omit it.
- Recipe can easily be doubled- In order to serve a larger crowd.
- When the cookies come fresh out of the oven- Push a few chocolate chips on top of each cookie before they have a chance to cool down. It just makes them look prettier and one can truly never have enough chocolate chips.
- Allow cookies to cool on the pan- For a few minutes because you want them to continue baking from the residual heat.
By the way, to give these treats a supplemental boost, I added Vital Proteins collagen peptides. I love this product. It's odorless and colorless and won't change the flavor of your recipes. I have been using it about 4 months now in my baking and cooking and I am starting to notice a difference in my nails and my hair. I have also used collagen peptides in these Fudgy Vegan Eggless Brownies and this Easy Raspberry Mousse and even these Carrot Cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
If the dough isn't chilled first this can happen. Be sure you fully cover the caramel and seal it in the dough.
This can often happen if ingredients aren't measured correctly. For example, too much butter or wet ingredients.
This happens when they get over-baked or if you added too much flour.
Storage
- Refrigerate- Place in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze- Place in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw and enjoy. You can also freeze the cookie dough, thaw, and bake per instructions below.
- Room temperature- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Make ahead- These can be made 1-2 days in advance.
More easy cookie recipes
- Peppermint Filled Cookies (Stuffed)
- Chocolate Rolo Cookies (Stuffed)
- Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies (Cut Out)
- Nutella Cookies
- Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg Large, Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 3 tablespoon Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Optional, Can be omitted
- ½ cup Chocolate chips Semisweet
- ⅓ cup Cashews Roughly chopped, Can be replaced with any other nuts of your choice or can be omitted altogether too
Filling
- 12 Salted caramel candies
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and collagen peptides.
- Dump the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts (if using).
- Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour so that the dough is easier to handle.
- Scoop out a small portion of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball and then flatten it on the palm of your hands. Place a small caramel candy in the center. Then, roll the dough into a ball and place it on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper. By the way, it really helps to wear disposable plastic gloves in this step since it prevents the dough from getting warm and sticking to your hands.
- Place this tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Do not skip this step or else your cookies will spread while baking.
- Then, remove the trays from the freezer and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and firm along the edges.
- Let these cookies cool down to room temperature before digging in!
Video
Notes
- Some other add-ins include other flavors of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, pretzels, toffee bits, shredded coconut, sprinkles.
- All ingredients must be at room temperature because they blend together smoothly this way.
- Use browned butter for additional flavor.
- Don't over-bake the cookies because that will dry them out. The cookies will continue baking in the pan as they cool from the residual heat.
- If you can't find salted caramel, sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top of the caramel candy before you finish rolling the cookie dough ball.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Brenda
I love our recipes, my family love my small choc. Treats, now I will try to make yours, Many thanks
Abeer Rizvi
I hope you like them
jessie
Well, this is now my preferred protein delivery system! Yum.
Abeer Rizvi
hahahaha!
Karly
Heaven. Pure. Heaven. I mean come on, I'm drooling just from the photos! Cannot wait to try this!
Abeer Rizvi
I hope you like them!
cookie
Hi Cakewhiz,
I never heard or use Vital Proteins collagen peptides but I want to try.
Hopefully the Vita store is selling it. (Canada is my country)
Thank you for the recipe.
Abeer Rizvi
You can also find it on Vital Proteins website and even Amazon. Hope you like this recipe.
Calli g
Do you have to use the protein? Like will it mess up the consistency?
Abeer Rizvi
You can omit that. It won't change anything. I just like to add it for a nutritional boost.
Natasha Ayers
This sounds amazing!! Thanks, also, for getting to the point in your recipe. I really appreciate the great content and meaningful info on getting these cookies just perfect. SO many recipe blogs out there drone on and on with meaningless nonsense before getting to the point of the recipe, and it makes reading their blogs absolutely painful. So, just thought I'd share my appreciation for your writing in there! Cannot wait to try this!
Abeer Rizvi
Awwww thanks! I appreciate that. I have older posts where I might have been wordy since I was trying to figure out my writing style but it was just not me and did not reflect my personality at all. I want all the information immediately without any "fillers." Hehehe.
Chris
It says these can be stored for 2 days at room temp. Can I freeze some?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, absolutely. Make sure to wrap them tightly in saran wrap or freezer bags after they have baked and cooled down. Can be stored for up to 1 month.
GAIL WEST
Just tried making these cookies for the first time..I know we are not supposed to eat batter any more , but hey, I'm old school and used to eat it as a kid..So, I did and the batter is awesome..My husband had some to and loved it...I forgot the last step. (Putting the cookie sheet in the freezer before baking) so the batter is spreading...I will have to remember that next time....The batter has spread and is now the whole length of the cookie sheet... I'm going to add extra chocolate chips on top when they come out.. They just came out of the oven..My husband and I went a head and tryed one hot... His response was "oh wow..this is excellent ". I deffintly agree..I have a feeling that I will be remaking them before the week is over..
Abeer Rizvi
I am so happy you guys enjoyed them and yup! You need to freeze them. I do that for most of my cookies because it's one of the best ways to prevent spreading...heheh.
Kristen Chidsey
I absolultely love that you made these with cashews as well. So good!
Abeer Rizvi
I adoreeeee cashews!
Jocelyn
Looks great!!!
Megan
That caramel sauce looks delicious!
Ashley
Wow! These look epic!
Sabrina Modelle
That flavor combo- you're killing me! Caramel, cashews, & chocolate. To die for!
Abeer Rizvi
hahaha! Gotta love chocolate and caramel together.
Krystal
Can you leave the dough refrigerated for longer?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, that shouldn't be a problem.
Erricka
Hi, what size/brand caramels did you use. Also how an cashews (nuts) did you place in the middle of Center. How large should I roll each ball of cookie dough?
Thanks a ton!
Abeer Rizvi
If you are making big cookies, use a whole caramel candy (I used Werther's soft caramel). If you are making smaller cookies, cut the caramel in half and use half in each cookie. As for cashews, that's a personal preference. Some people add 1-2 whole cashews. I like to roughly chop them and add a little less than 1/2 tbsp in each cookie.
bobbie hall
making these great looking cookies . giving them out to different people on different days. will these be ok to store for 5 days?
Abeer Rizvi
5 days is too long. They wouldn't stay fresh that long.