Our caramel chocolate chip cookies are made with milk and dark chocolate and tons of gooey, sweet caramel. This cookie dough is mixed up by hand in one bowl and is made with brown butter which gives this finished cookie with a chewy texture and even more caramel flavor. The chocolate chip cookie dough can be made ahead of time for easy baking. You can even scoop and freeze the cookie dough - store the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag and have cookie dough in your freezer ready to bake. This easy cookie recipe will have warm cookies in your belly in no time at all!
This is the perfect cookie for all of you caramel and chocolate lovers out there. These chocolate chip caramel cookies have crisp, buttery edges and the gooey, chocolatey caramel middles and will quickly become your new favorite cookie. If you love cookies with crispy edges and tons of flavor, be sure to also check out our Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 7 perfect cookies) or my favorite chocolate chip cookie, the Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- these chocolate chip cookies are filled with milk and dark chocolate chips and plenty of gooey caramel
- made with brown butter, these cookies have some serious nutty, caramel flavor - brown butter chocolate chip cookies are the best!
- this cookie dough can be frozen for future baking
- this cookie dough can be mixed up in one bowl in less than 15 minutes - I always appreciate a cookie dough that can be mixed-up by hand and I think you will too!
🍫 Ingredient Notes
brown butter - brown butter is SO easy to make and will elevate the flavors in any baked good. It's especially delicious in a cookie recipe. Instructions and all of my favorite tips for making brown butter are below.
chocolate chips - I used a combination of milk and semi sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. If you prefer more of the dark chocolate, you can use more dark chocolate chips in place of the milk chocolate or vice versa.
caramel - use soft, chewy caramels for this recipe - I went with Werther's Soft Caramels and cut each one into 4-5 little caramel pieces. Some caramel bits that you buy at the store end up being harder and less chewy so definitely start with a nice, soft caramel
🍋 Variations
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies - sprinkle your favorite flaky sea salt over the tops of your finished cookies right after adding the caramels and chocolate chips to the top.
Switch Up the Chocolate - You can use any combination chocolate that your prefer for this recipe. Try adding all dark chocolate chunks a dark chocolate caramel cookie. Use all milk chocolate for a sweeter batch of caramel chocolate cookies.You choose the perfect combination for you!
🧈 Substitutions
Werther's Soft Caramels - you can use any other brand of soft caramel or you can even try making your own soft caramels using this Homemade Caramels recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch.
🥣 Instructions
Be sure to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions.
Combine the brown butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the eggs and sugar. Whisk until light and fluffy. Whisk the salt into the batter.
Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and caramel.
Scoop the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roll the dough between your hands and tuck in any pieces of caramel that you see sticking out.
Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes @ 350°
Remove cookies from the oven. Add a few chocolate chips and caramel pieces to the top of each cookie.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
🍪 My Favorite Cookie Baking Tricks and Tips
Use a Cookie Scoop - My cookie scoop might be my favorite baking tool. Use a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop for this recipe. The scoop guarantees cookies that are evenly sized and makes scooping the cookie dough very easy.
Bake With Brown Butter - Brown butter really creates the best flavor when you are baking. It adds a caramel, nutty flavor to your baked goods and should truly be added to just about every baking recipe in my opinion. Brown butter is the way to take your baking projects to the next level.
⭐️ Cookie Baking Questions
Store-bought caramels work well for this cookie recipe. You are welcome to make your own homemade caramels but any brand of soft caramels will work well for this recipe.
The best way to prevent the caramel from melting and leaking out of the cookies is to tuck the pieces of caramel into the cookie dough. After you scoop the cookie dough, use your hands to tuck the caramel into the dough. Roll the dough into a nicely shaped ball and place on the baking sheet.
You can use caramel bits instead of soft caramels but I find that these bits harden are are not soft and chewy in the baked cookies. I prefer soft caramels over the caramel bits.
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Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter browned and cooled
- ¾ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup soft caramels cut into quarters
- ¼ cup extra caramel pieces and chocolate chips to add to the tops of the cookies
Instructions
For the Brown Butter
- Place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter becomes bubbly, fragrant and nutty smelling - swirl and stir as needed
- Watch closely for small brown bits to begin forming on the bottom of the pan - this will happen around 5 minutes
- As soon as you begin to see brown bits in the butter, remove the butter from the heat
- Transfer butter to a large bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes before proceeding with the recipe
For the Cookies
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- Add the sugars to the cooled brown butter and mix until nice and fluffy.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla. Whisk again until light and fluffy.
- Whisk in the salt.
- Fold in the dry ingredients.
- Add chocolate and caramel to the cookie dough. Fold gently until the add-ins are all well distributed through the dough.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover the finished dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- After one hour, scoop the dough and arrange the balls of dough on a parchment lined quarter sheet pan. Return to the refrigerator for an additional hour of chilling time.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and the middles should just start to brown lightly.
- Immediately add additional chocolate and caramel to the tops of the cookies. Push down gently so that the chocolate and caramel sink into the cookies a bit.
- For best results, allow cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 5-6 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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