Chocolate Caramel Cookies {Stuffed}

Quick and easy stuffed chocolate caramel cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, fudgy, bakery style, loaded with chocolate chips.

These cookies are a hit with everyone, anytime I make them. They are great as a homemade gift for Christmas holidays or you can just make a batch to enjoy as dessert or snack.

There is nothing like biting into a cookie and having a warm gooey center ooze out. The combination of textures and flavors is just magical. Since it's a season of magic with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years right around the corner, these are the perfect cookies to make for your family, guests, and those you love and appreciate! The combo of chocolate and caramel just can't be beat, so take a look at these Caramel Brownies, Chocolate Caramel Cake, and Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies to add to your holiday baking list.

How to make easy caramel cookies recipe from scratch?

1. Cream ingredients- Including butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
2. Add other wet ingredients- Including egg and vanilla extract .
3. Add dry ingredients- Including flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips- Chill.
5. Scoop and fill the dough- Roll into small balls, add caramel in the center, and fold cookie dough into a ball. 
6. Place on a baking tray- Lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake- Until edges are firm. 
8. Cool- Enjoy! 

Does caramel harden in baked desserts?  

The caramel stays liquefied in the cookie while warm, and will become a little more chewy as the cookie cools. It will only truly harden if the cookies become too cold.

Why are my cookies flat? Why did my cookies spread?

This can happen if there is not enough flour in the batter. Make sure to measure accurately to ensure that there is the correct amount of flour to hold the cookies together. Chilling and rolling the dough into balls will also help to ensure that the cookies do not spread too much and become flat while baking.

Why did my filling leak out of cookies?

This means the dough around the caramel was either too thin, or not sealed all the way around the caramel. Make sure to properly from the dough calls according to the recipe to prevent this.

Why are my cookies hard? How to soften hard cookies?

This usually means the cookies are over baked, or it could be from improper measuring of ingredients. There are different methods to soften hard cookies. You can microwave the cookies with a wet paper towel or you can store them in a cookie jar with a slice of bread, which is my favorite method. Simply, put a slice of bread in a cookie jar with the cookies overnight. By morning, the slice of bread will be hard, having transferred its moisture to the cookies and the cookies will be soft again.

What caramel to use in baking? 

I used store bought individually packaged chewy caramel candies. Make sure to buy the chewy/softer kind and not hard candies that people normally suck on.

Variations for chocolate caramel cookies

Salted caramel cookies- Add a pinch of sea salt to the caramel inside the dough for the perfect salty and sweet combination.

Add dried fruit– Such as cranberries or dried cherries.

Add chopped nuts– Such as pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, or peanuts.

Add shredded coconut– For added texture and sweetness.

Use a Rolo- In the center, instead of a caramel, for even more chocolate flavor.

Add a drizzle to the top- Such as a warmed nut butter or Powdered Sugar Glaze {Vanilla Cake Glaze}.

Try other chips- Such as dark or white chocolate, peanut butter, or even butterscotch chips.

Try other extracts- Such as maple, bourbon, or caramel.

Tips and techniques

Drizzles can only be added once the cookies are cool– Because otherwise they will melt and slide right off the cookies.

Don’t over mix dough– Because this will make your cookies tough instead of soft and chewy.

Line the tray with parchment paper– Because this prevents the cookies from sticking to the tray and breaking when you try to remove them.

Must chill dough– Because that makes the cookie dough easier to handle by making it less sticky. It also allows the cookies to hold their round shape and not flatten too much during baking.

How will I know the cookies are done? Use a spatula to gently touch the sides of the cookies. If they are firm, then they are ready. The centers should be slightly soft.

Use unsalted butter- To prevent the cookies from becoming too salty.

Don’t remove cookies from the tray immediately upon removing them from the oven– Let them cool on the tray. The residual heat from the pan continues baking them to perfection. Also, removing them while too hot will cause them to break because they are not fully set.

Storage of homemade cookies

Room temperature- In a cookie jar or sealed container for up to 3 days.

Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 5 days. You may want to heat them up a little in the microwave to soften the caramel when you eat them again.

Freeze- In a freezer safe bag or container for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave to enjoy them again.

More caramel desserts

• Homemade Caramel Corn {Caramel Popcorn}
• Caramel Frosting {3 Ingredients}
• Caramel Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
• Mocha Caramel Cookie Dough Truffles

Recipe