Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy chocolate chip cookies with a dollop of delicious homemade caramel on top!
Chocolate chip cookies are classic and delicious. I would literally never turn down a chocolate chip cookie. However, they can be improved! These cookies get a little facelift in the form of a giant dollop of homemade caramel. Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything I have been looking for in a dessert for my entire life!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar. Melted sugar is what creates caramel.
- Water. Water will give us a thinner caramel.
- Heavy cream. This is going to make your caramel nice and creamy. be careful when you add it because the caramel will bubble up!
- Butter. Butter adds to the overall flavor and creaminess of homemade caramel.
- Unsalted butter. I always make sure to use unsalted butter when baking because there is no “standard” for the amount of salt they can add to butter. So if you add salt to a recipe and then use salted butter you could end up with a very salty end product.
- Granulated Sugar. This will sweeten the cookie dough and make it chewier.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a softer texture to the finished product.
- Eggs. It will be easier to incorporate the eggs into the batter if they are at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla is a must in baked goods just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
- All-purpose flour. Measuring the flour correctly is very important. I suggest weighing your flour out (I use this scale). If you want to use a measuring cup, make sure you spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t use the cup to scoop directly from the flour.
- Baking soda. This will help the cookies to rise.
- Baking powder. This will also help the cookies to rise.
- Salt. Salt is a must in baked goods. It will help to balance out the sweetness and improve the overall flavor.
- Chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use whatever you prefer. If you’re wanting puddles of chocolate chop up a chocolate bar instead of using chocolate chips.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Homemade Caramel
Step 1: In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Let cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until the sugar turns a medium amber color.
Step 2: While the sugar cooks warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Be sure not to boil.
Step 3: When the sugar is ready slowly add the heavy cream. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk until butter is melted and smooth. Let cool.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
STEP 1: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully before adding the next. Pour in the vanilla and combine.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix.
STEP 4: Fold in the chocolate chips or the chopped chocolate. Cover the cookie dough and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 8: Make scoops of cookie dough about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons in size. Place at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. I bake my cookies for closer to 8 minutes because I like them nice and soft.
Step 10: Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use the back of a tablespoon to make an indention in the center of each cookie. Fill each indention with about 1 teaspoon of caramel.
Step 11: Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet.
Expert Baking Tips
- Chill the cookie dough. Chilling cookie dough prevents the cookies from overspreading. This can cause them to be thinner, and crispier, and change the overall flavor of the end product.
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold. Using an oven thermometer ensures that you are baking your caramel chocolate chip cookies at the perfect temperature.
- Don’t use cold ingredients. Ensure that all of your cold ingredients are at room temperature before making your cookies. The ingredients will combine much easier and you won’t have chunks of cold butter in your cookie dough, which can lead to greasy cookies.
- Weigh your ingredients. One of the most common baking mistakes that I see is measuring incorrectly, especially with flour. The best way to get accurate measurements every time is to weigh them with a kitchen scale.
- Use a cookie cutter to shape your cookies after baking. If you shake a cookie cutter around the cookies when they are fresh out of the oven they will be perfectly round and more visually appealing.
Recipe FAQ's
The butter was probably too warm when you baked the cookies. This is why I recommend resting the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
Definitely! This would cut down on the total time of making the cookies.
Storage Tips
ROOM TEMPERATURE
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
REFRIGERATOR
If stored correctly in an airtight container the Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
FREEZER
I recommend scooping the cookie dough, freezing it on a baking sheet, then transferring them to an air-tight container. That way you can pull out one or two cookies whenever you’d like them. I leave them sitting out at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then bake them normally. The dough will last up to 2 months.
You can also bake the cookies and then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
For Caramel:
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
For Cookies:
- 1 ½ stick (170 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cup (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (340 grams) chocolate chopped or chocolate chips
Instructions
For Caramel:
- In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Let cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until the mixture turns a medium amber color.
- While the sugar cooks warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat.
- When the sugar is ready slowly add the heavy cream, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add butter. Whisk until melted and smooth. Let cool.
For Cookies:
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully before adding the next. Add the vanilla and combine.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredietns. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate.
- Cover the cookie dough and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Make scoops of cookie dough about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons in size. Place at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. I bake my cookies for closer to 8 minutes because I like them nice and soft.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use the back of a tablespoon to make an indention in the center of each cookie. Fill each indention with about 1 teaspoon of caramel.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet.
Notes
- Chill the cookie dough. Chilling cookie dough prevents the cookies from overspreading. This can cause them to be thinner, and crispier, and change the overall flavor of the end product.
- Don’t use cold ingredients. Ensure that all of your cold ingredients are at room temperature before making your cookies. The ingredients will combine much easier and you won’t have chunks of cold butter in your cookie dough, which can lead to greasy cookies.
- Use a cookie cutter to shape your cookies after baking. If you shake a cookie cutter around the cookies when they are fresh out of the oven they will be perfectly round and more visually appealing.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tommy says
These are the best cookies i have ever tasTed in my entire Life, no doubt! 100% recoMmend making these!
Lisa Fitzgerald says
This is the mOst amazing recipe ! Buttery and soft cHOcolatey cookies with homemade caramel ! Will definItely be making these again . So glad that i tried this recipe . Thank you
Lisa Fitzgerald says
This is the mOst amazing recipe ! Buttery and soft cHOcolatey cookies with homemade caramel ! Will definItely be making these again . So glad that i tried this recipe . Thank you
Lisa says
These cookies are amazing ! Buttery and chocoLatey with a burst of caramel! Will definItelY be making Rhese again ! Thank you
Lisa Fitzgerald says
These Cookies are amazing ! Soft Buttery, chocoLatey cookies with homemade caramel . I definItEly will be making these again ! So good 😊
Roomie says
They Were amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe! I have a question about the caramel, how do you keep it runny when putting it ontop Of the cookies? 🙂
Ellie Haley says
So glad to hear you liked them! If you’re looking for a runnier caramel you can add more heavy cream. This recipe is meant to set up a be a bit firm
Anonymous says
I tried these cookies and omg omg they turned out so amaZing! So many people are asking for this recipe joe! Love it. Will try more recipes for Sure🥰
Ashley b says
Yum!! These cookieS are everything you would want in a ChocoLate chip cookie and then some! I took the extra step to use chopped CHOCOLATE and i love the way it makes the chocolate flavor spread throughout the cookie rather than in CONSOLIDATED spots. It was Also So Exciting to make caramel from scRatch! It is so soft and delicious and will now be my go-to rather than buYing store bought 🙂