These Chocolate Caramel Cookies – or more accurately, Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – are a cookie that I crave every single time I see these photos.
They are legitimately mouthwatering. As much as I love every single cookie recipe on this website, there are a few that are extra special for me.
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
That warm caramel is everything! Trust me when I tell you these cookies are even more impressive in person with their gooey caramel and melting chocolate wrapped up in a chewy cookie that is perfectly crisp on the edges.
They are best when served warm, but I loved them the next day, and the next, and even frozen, straight from the freezer.
I’ll admit that food bloggers are often guilty of claiming every other recipe they post is their absolute favorite or labeling so many things “the very best.”
I’m guilty of this myself, as some recipes are so good I can’t help myself. (Raspberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls, Brownies, or Monster Cookie Bars to name a couple!)
And who can resist buttery, crispy butterscotch chocolate chip cookies triple-loaded with chocolate chips and oatmeal? They are perfect for snacking or sharing.
These caramel chocolate cookies though? Oh baby, they deserve that “best” labeling. These cookies are guaranteed to make you stop and say, “WOW.”
Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate caramel cookies are one of those recipes I could go on and on about how good they are.
They’re thick and soft, packed with as many chocolate chips as the dough can hold, and stuffed with soft melted caramel – assuming you’re eating them warm.
Warm from the oven is definitely the best way to enjoy these. However, if you find that a few snuck by and cooled down before you could eat them, don’t stress it.
Just pop the cookies in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up and soften the caramel again.
Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies
Oh, and the secret to making them extra pretty, is to press a few additional chocolate chips on the top of the warm cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Other than stuffing the cookie dough balls with caramel, this is a pretty standard cookie recipe. Basic cookie ingredients combined in a traditional order with a bit of chilling time.
This recipe requires that chill time though, so don’t skip it. The cold, firm dough is what keeps them from spreading too much when filled with caramel.
Chocolate Caramel Cookies Recipe
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll tablespoons of the dough around the caramel candies. Chill for at least 20 more minutes to firm them up.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set. Do not overbake the cookies. They should look slightly doughy when they are taken out of the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Stuffed Cookies
These cookies would be perfect for an afternoon snack, a midnight snack with milk, as a gift for neighbors or even on a Christmas cookie tray.
They’re pretty much the answer to everyone’s cookie dreams.
You might also want to try the Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles from Yellow Bliss Road or the Caramel Stuffed Nutella Cookies from The Recipe Critic.
If you just can’t get enough caramel-stuffed cookies, these Caramel Stuffed Pretzel Cookies are a salty-sweet combination that no one can resist.
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 18 soft caramel candies (I used Werther's Original Soft Caramels cut in half)
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll tablespoons of the dough around the caramel candies. Chill for at least 20 more minutes to firm them up.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set. Do not overbake the cookies. They should look slightly doughy when they are taken out of the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
{originally published 11/13/16 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/23/23}
Jackie says
After making this recipe twice now, I’ve had to add about a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil both times due to the batter being super dry when I begin to mix it. They come out exactly as pictured and totally delicious!
Cindy A says
Are you using salted or unsalted butter?
Anita says
Wow! These are delicious!
Joann says
These do look delicious, but I do have a question. In a post above the lady said she had to add some oil cause the dough was dry, you ask if she was using salted or unsalted butter. Which should you use salted or unsalted? Thanks for any help you can give me. Have a wonderful weekend.
Mallory says
I use salted butter, in regards to the comment about the dough being dry, I’m guessing that it wasn’t from not enough fat or oil, but because of incorrectly measured flour. Always spoon and level the flour when you measure, never scoop it out with the measuring cup. Even though that is the popular way to do it.
d says
Why would you use salted butter if there is salt in the recipe?
Mary says
Sometimes you need a little extra salt. Feel free to use unsalted and increase the salt a bit more.
Jordan says
What if I don’t want to add the caramel to all the cookies?
Mary says
You can skip the caramel, Jordan. They’ll still be delicious!
Nancy says
You mentioned that you cut each caramel in half. Do you use both halves in each cookie or just one of the halves?
Mary says
Hi, Nancy. I use one half in each cookie. Happy baking!
CM says
Recipe for 18 cookies calls for 18 caramels. Why, if you only use 1/2 caramel in each cookie? Will they turn out if I make them without chocolate chips?
Mary says
That’s just a mistake. You’ll want to have a few extras on hand though, in case you wind up with a few extra cookies in the batch or decide to snack on the caramel while you’re baking. I’m guessing they’ll work without the chocolate chips, though they might turn out a bit more dry without all that lovely melting chocolate in them.
CM says
Thank you. I’ll probably snack on the extra caramels : )
Loni Munsch says
what if i dont have time to chill the dough before baking?
Mary says
The cookies will likely spread considerably if the dough is too warm.
Becca says
It’s missing white sugar. It tasted off. I did forget to chill the dough but I just decided to put the caramels in the dough, which kind of worked. Super sweet in a bad way
Mary says
Hi Becca, there are many cookie recipes that only use light brown sugar. I’m sorry to here that they weren’t a hit for you.