Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
With their rich, buttery texture and delightfully gooey caramel surprise inside, these caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookies couldn’t be any more irresistible!
Chocolate chip cookies are near perfect all on their own, why mess with a good thing? I’ll tell you why! Because a soft, gooey caramel surprise inside each chocolate chip cookie takes them to a whole new level.
These cookies are sure to become everyone’s favorite, they certainly are a fave at our house! Serve them warm from the oven for oozing melted caramel centers, or let them cool and enjoy a bit of chewy caramel in every bite.
“My husband said they are the best cookies he has EVER had! 🙂 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Miss Reader
Table of Contents
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make these caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies
- Cookie tips
- More outrageous cookie recipes
- Get the recipe
Ingredients you’ll need
- Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter, but I love how using salted butter boosts the flavor and enhances that “sweet and salty” factor in these cookies.
- Brown sugar: I almost always bake with dark brown sugar for deeper flavor and increased moisture.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs and vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour, baking soda and salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Packaged caramels: Like Kraft Caramels or Werther’s Original Soft Caramels.
Tip: How to choose caramels for this recipe. I tested this recipe with several brands of caramel candy and they all worked with slight differences. Softer caramels like Werther’s will melt more into the cookie as it bakes, and firmer Kraft caramels will retain their shape and cookies will have a slight domed top.
How to make these caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies
I assumed I would have to make several adjustments to my chocolate chip cookie recipe to get these stuffed cookies to work, but they were perfect on the first try. Several batches later I can confirm that they are delicious and so simple to make! There’s no chilling required, and only a few extra minutes of work needed.
- Prepare cookie dough. This is a classic drop cookie recipe, meaning we’ll first cream the butter and sugars together, then add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, and then finally add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
- Portion cookie dough. I use a #40 medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoon) to get even cookies.
- Add caramels. Press a caramel into the center of each cookie dough mound and then use your hands to roll the dough around it so that it’s completely covered.
- Bake. In a 375°F oven just until the cookies start to turn golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Cookies that are still slightly warm from the oven with have a soft gooey caramel center, while cooled cookies will have firm chewy caramel centers. Both ways are delicious!
Cookie tips
- Caramels should be about 1/2-inch sized rounded cubes, and be completely covered with cookie dough. Roll caramels in your hand to round out the corners, which will make it easier to roll the cookie dough around them. Any visible caramel centers will melt out into a puddle during baking.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. So that any caramel that does seep out (usually on the cookie bottoms) won’t stick to the sheet pan.
- Make sure your butter is softened just to room temperature, but still offers resistance when you press it with your finger. Butter that is too soft will cause cookies to spread too much and these stuffed cookies may not work. See my tips for how to quickly bring butter to room temperature. I usually just let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before I start.
- Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the “spoon and sweep” method (more info through that link). If you measure by simply dipping your measuring cup into the flour, you’re likely ending up with too much flour, resulting in a dry cakey cookie.
- Flaked sea salt is my favorite way to add a little flair to baked cookies. Here’s the kind I use.
More outrageous cookie recipes
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- XL Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Get the recipe
Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (200 grams)
Butter , softened to room temperature - 1 cup (213 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cup (330 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (350 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- About 36 caramels , see Notes
- Flaky sea salt , for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed until pale, creamy, and mixture sticks to the sides of the pan, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl once or twice.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down bowl after each. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips.
- Portion into rounded tablespoons (I use a #40 cookie scoop, 1 ½ tablespoon) and place on prepared sheet pan, about 8 cookies to a pan.
- Press caramels into the center of each cookie round. Use your hands to push cookie dough completely over the caramel so it's covered and roll into a ball. Return to the cookie sheet.
- Bake until tops just turn brown, 9-10 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack too cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough and caramels.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with several brands of caramel candy and they all turned out delicious with slight differences. Softer “old-fashioned” caramels like Werther’s Original Soft Caramels will melt more into the cookie as it bakes, and harder Kraft Caramels will retain their shape and cookies will have a slight domed top.
- Caramels should be about 1/2-inch cubes. Cut caramels in half if needed. Roll them in your hands to round corners.
- Serve warm for melty caramel centers. Cookies can be rewarmed in the microwave for 15 seconds or in a 350°F for a few minutes. Cookies are also delicious with cooled chewy caramel centers.
Disclosure: This recipe was originally published in September 2019 in partnership with Challenge Dairy, Inc, a brand I still use and love.
Hi! The first time you write the recipe (without ingredient measures) you list a different oven temp then when you repeat the recipe in the “jump to recipe” location.
It should be 375°F in both places, sorry. Fixed!
Very good. However, cookie spread so much and was flat and caramel did not melt much.
Is cookie suppose to be flat?
I have mrs. Richardson’s carmel dessert sauce, can I make the cookies with that?
It needs to be a solid caramel candy, a sauce is too soft. I haven’t tested this recipe so see if it’s possible to make modifications to use a softer caramel filling. Sorry!
Hi, I’m making the cookies right now. The dough is really sticky, is this normal?
I used 1 c White Chocolate, 1 c Dark Chocolate, and 1 c Carmel Bits…… My husband said they are the best cookie he has EVER had!:)
Hi I was wondering why you don’t put a pinch of baking powder to recipe?
Hi, this recipe is so mouthwatering. Do you any recommendations on the brand of the caramels ?
My post has some suggestions!
Delicious! I used a 1/4 cup of shortening with the 1/2 cup butter. I have found cookies come out fluffier instead of flat and crispy with all butter.
THIS IS AMAZINGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello! I would like to ask why did my cookies came out very hard and slightly dry instead?
And also can I substitute the caramel stuffing with Nutella or peanut butter? Will the cookie still maintain its shape well?
Hi Michelle! It could be how you’re measuring your flour? Here’s the best way to measure flour so you don’t add to much. And you can probably fill with other things like nutella or peanut butter, but I haven’t tested it myself. Try freezing it, rolling it into a ball and then using it like the caramel in this recipe. Hopefully it works!
Hello! I would like to ask how long can these cookies last in room temperature in airtight container?
I’d say several days and possibly up to a week or even more.
Hi Annalise! I’m super excited to try this recipe but wondering what you would do/add to make these cookies super chewy!
Would substituting the granulated sugar for brown work? I’ve also read about cooking at a lower heat or putting the dough in the fridge – but don’t want to lose the essence of this yummy recipe.
thank you x
Hmm, you’re welcome to try those changes. I haven’t tested this recipe other than as written so I can’t give more specific advice. They’re pretty great as is though!
I was surprised that these required no chilling time. They really did retain their shape. I baked 8 on my extra large cookie sheet, my bake time was 8 minutes. (I think my oven needs to be calibrated). I let them cool for 5 minutes on my cookie sheet then placed them upside down on my cooling rack. I didn’t have to twist them to get them off the parchment paper.
I used coarse sea salt because that’s what I had and Kraft caramels. Oh yeah I also used Challenge Butter, I love it!
These are amazing, I know my friends are going to love them, thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, thanks for the feedback!!