Description
These Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies combine rich dark chocolate with a gooey caramel center and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Chilled dough ensures easy handling and a soft, chewy texture with a decadent chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cup (55g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 18 chocolate-coated caramels, such as Rolos (or use regular caramels)
- flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preliminary Note: Plan for at least 3 hours of chilling the cookie dough, preferably overnight, as colder dough handles better and shapes more easily.
- Cream the Butters and Sugars: In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and pure vanilla extract and beat on high speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Beat until just incorporated and the dough becomes thick.
- Add Milk and Chocolate Chips: Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, then beat in the milk followed by the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory to handle the sticky dough effectively.
- Prepare for Baking: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before shaping.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Shape Cookies with Caramel Center: Scoop 2 tablespoons (40g) of dough and divide it in half. Roll each half into a ball. Make a thumb indent into one ball, place a chocolate-coated caramel candy inside, then top with the second ball and seal the edges to enclose the caramel. Repeat for all dough and caramels. Clean hands periodically to handle sticky dough.
- Arrange and Salt: Place the stuffed dough balls 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly sprinkle each cookie with flaky or coarse sea salt.
- Bake: Bake for 12–13 minutes until edges look set and centers appear soft. If cookies aren’t spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and gently bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3 times to encourage spreading. Then return to bake until done.
- Cool and Finish: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Optionally, press a few more chocolate chips onto the warm cookies for decoration. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely; cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Store: Store leftover cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Chilling the dough for at least 3 hours is crucial to handle the sticky dough properly.
- Using chocolate-coated caramels like Rolos provides easy caramel centers; regular caramels can be used but may be messier.
- Pressing extra chocolate chips on top after baking is optional but adds to the cookie’s visual appeal.
- Lightly banging the baking sheet helps trigger spreading if cookies don’t spread early during baking.
- Cookies will appear soft in the center when done but will firm up as they cool.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: salted caramel cookies, dark chocolate cookies, chocolate caramel cookies, chewy chocolate cookies, homemade chocolate cookies
