Caramel cookies are soft and chewy cookies made with sweet and salty caramel. These salted caramel cookies are topped with an easy to make caramel glaze and flaky salt. They’re the best cozy cookie.
Jump to:
Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft, chewy and cozy cookie. My Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Apple Butter Cookies, Honey Cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Chai Cookies and Chewy Molasses Cookies, are just a few cookie recipes I love from the blog. I know you’ll love these salted caramel cookies because:
- Layers of cozy flavors and textures. From the soft and chewy drop cookies made with salty sweet caramel to the creamy salted caramel glaze, these caramel cookies will delight your senses.
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is bring the butter and egg and egg yolk to room temperature, mix the ingredients, chill while the oven preheats, then scoop, bake, glaze and eat.
- The perfect salty sweet cookie. These cookies with caramel are filled with vanilla and caramel flavor. They’re the soft, chewy and coziest cookies that are guaranteed to make your whole house smell incredible.
Ingredients
This caramel cookie recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
Caramel Cookies
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, light brown sugar, sugar, caramel, an egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract.
Caramel Glaze
Gather powdered sugar, salted caramel and milk or heavy cream.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these sweet and chewy cookies with salted caramle if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these soft and chewy caramel sugar cookies, gluten free, by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based on weight (240 g) rather than volume in cups.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Make sure both are fresh and in date.
- Cornstarch: Using cornstarch helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much, as well as giving them an extra chewiness.
- Unsalted Butter: Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
- Light Brown Sugars: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies refined sugar free.
- Caramel: Feel free to use store bought or homemade caramel. I love the salted caramel from Trader Joes.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: This recipe has not been tested without an eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
How To Make
Learn how to make caramel cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the cubes of butter, light brown sugar, sugar and caramel on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter, sugars and caramel are smooth and well combined. On low, cream in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 20-30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the caramel cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 9 - 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are slightly puffed. Cool the chewy caramel cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- While the cookies cool, make the salted caramel glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar with caramel and heavy cream or milk until smooth and well combined. Once the cookies have cooled and firmed up, evenly spread with caramel glaze on top. Repeat with all baked caramel cookies, allow about 30 - 45 minutes for the glaze to set. If you like, top the wet glaze with a few flakes of flaky salt and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions up to mixing the dry ingredients into the wet and decide which storage method meets your needs.
- Store: Store: Place the baked salted caramel cookies in an airtight container in a single layer. Store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. To store unbaked cookie dough in the fridge, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in an air tight container for 1 - 2 days. Before baking, allow the chilled cookie dough to sit at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before scooping into balls and baking.
- Freeze Cookie Dough: Prepare the salted caramel sugar cookies through the resting/chilling step. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then scoop the dough into balls onto small lined baking sheet or large plate. Freeze the balls for 20 minutes then transfer them to a freezer proof container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough balls in the fridge overnight and proceed with the cookie recipe as written starting with the baking step.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Place each of the baked cookies without the glaze in a freezer proof container in a single line with parchment paper between each layer. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw the cookies by setting them out at room temperature for a few hours or until thawed. I recommend leaving the cookies plain if you plan on freezing them. Top the thawed cookies with the salted caramel glaze and enjoy.
M’s Expert Tips
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Chill the cookie dough. Chilling the cookie dough creates a softer and chewier cookie that has less chance of spreading too much.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
- Fully cool the cookies before topping with the glaze. The caramel cookies need to be completely cooled to top with the caramel glaze. These cookies taste especially delicious with a sprinkle of a few flakes of salt.
FAQs
What are caramel cookies?
This caramel cookie recipe is similar to a chocolate chip cookie or other drop cookie recipe. However, some salted caramel is mixed in with the butter for a subtle caramel flavor in the cookie itself. Top the caramel cookies with a caramel glaze even more caramel flavor.
Can I make these cookies with caramel smaller or larger?
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for about 8 - 9 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 12 - 14 minutes.
Do these salted caramel cookies need to be chilled?
Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and prevent the cookies from spreading too much. This cookie recipe with salted caramel needs a quick chilling time to get the best results.
Other Caramel Recipes to Try
If you try this Caramel Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Caramel Cookies Recipe
Caramel cookies are soft and chewy cookies made with sweet and salty caramel. These salted caramel cookies are topped with an easy to make caramel glaze and flaky salt. They’re the best cozy cookie.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 - 2 large baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop
- 1 small mixing bowl to make the glaze
Ingredients
Caramel Cookies
- 2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (76 g) salted caramel (homemade or store bought)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Glaze
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) salted caramel
- 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon flaky salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour , 2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the cubes of butter, light brown sugar, sugar and caramel on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter, sugars and caramel are smooth and well combined.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cubed, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, ¼ cup (76 g) salted caramel
- On low, cream in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 - 60 minutes.1 large egg, room temperature, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 20-30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the caramel cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart.
- Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 9 - 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are slightly puffed. Cool the chewy caramel cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- While the cookies cool, make the salted caramel glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar with caramel and heavy cream or milk until smooth and well combined. Once the cookies have cooled and firmed up, evenly spread with caramel glaze on top. Repeat with all baked caramel cookies, allow about 30 - 45 minutes for the glaze to set. If you like, top the wet glaze with a few flakes of flaky salt and enjoy.1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) salted caramel , 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) milk or heavy cream, 1 tablespoon flaky salt for topping, optional
Notes
Store: Place the baked salted caramel cookies in an airtight container in a single layer. Store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. To store unbaked cookie dough in the fridge, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in an air tight container for 1 - 2 days. Before baking, allow the chilled cookie dough to sit at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before scooping into balls and baking.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
Leave a Reply