These chocolate caramel cookies are a delicious and gooey chocolate treat for everyone! There’s nothing more indulgent than rich chocolate cookies dripping with caramel sauce. And they’re easy enough for the beginner baker.
Chocolate and caramel are two flavors that are just meant to go together. They are amazing separately but put them together, and you get an explosion of flavor! These cookies are drizzled with caramel sauce and crunchy toffee bits for a fantastic taste.
In addition, these cookies are all about contrasting textures, from the soft cookies to the sticky caramel to the crunchy candy topping. It all comes together to make an irresistible dessert. These decadent chocolate cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth with cookies just as tasty as you’d get from a bakery.
If you like these chocolate cookies, try my Andes Mint Cookies or Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies! Or make edible cookie dough for a fun treat.
Key Ingredients
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
Cocoa powder – Use either standard or Dutch-process cocoa powder. Dutch-process will give the cookies a more intense chocolate flavor.
Chocolate chips – These give the cookies an extra burst of flavor. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate or milk chocolate will work fine.
Chocolate frosting – Use either store-bought or homemade frosting for the cookies.
Caramels – Soft baking or eating caramels are used to make a sweet caramel topping. I used Werther’s originals.
Skor bits or Heath bits – These toffee bits are sprinkled on the cookies for a little bit of crunch. You can also crush some hard caramel candy.
The cookies also use basic pantry staples, including sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, butter, egg, vanilla, and cream.
How to Make Chocolate Caramel Cookies
1. Prep
When making cookies, it is always a good idea to take the butter out and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours. This will ensure the cookies have a light and airy texture.
Set the oven to preheat at 350 degrees F. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper when ready to bake. This recipe makes only a single cookie sheet worth of cookies.
2. Mix the Cookie Dough
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl a medium bowl. Mix it at medium speed with an electric mixer until it is creamy. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again to combine it all.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt to the mixing bowl. Mix it again until a soft dough forms. Finish by adding the chocolate chips and mixing briefly.
3. Bake the Cookies
Use a cookie scoop to make 8-10 large, round scoops of dough and drop the balls onto the cookie sheet. Bake them in the oven for 12 minutes.
At this point, the cookies should be firm around the edges and start to brown. If the middle still looks uncooked, return them to the oven for another 2-3 minutes.
Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet. If you try to take them off at this point, they might fall apart.
4. Add the Frosting and Caramel
Once the cookies are completely cool, add the frosting. I used a piping bag to pipe it on in a swirled pattern, like Crumbl cookies. But you can also just spread it with a knife.
To make the caramel sauce unwrap the caramels and put them in a microwave-safe bowl with the cream. Microwave it in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval.
Once the caramel is completely melted, drizzle it over the top of the cookies. Then sprinkle the Skor bits on top.
Serving Ideas
These delicious cookies taste amazing with a big glass of milk! They are also perfect as a Christmas cookie or any time of the year.
How to Store
These cookies keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container. If you need to stack, use parchment paper to keep the layers separate.
Can I Freeze Caramel Chocolate Cookies?
The cookies freeze best before they are frosted. Pack them in an airtight container and freeze them flat. Thaw them overnight on the kitchen counter and then add the frosting and caramel sauce.
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Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Topping
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
- 12 soft caramels
- 1 Tablespoon cream
- 1 Tablespoon Skor bits or Heath bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixer bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.⅓ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup white sugar
- Add egg and vanilla and mix well.1 egg, 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Then stir in chocolate chips.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, pinch salt, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup chocolate chips
- Use a cookie scoop to drop 8-10 large scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the dough balls at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are brown, and the middle looks set. If the center doesn’t look firm, return them to the oven for a few more minutes.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to cool completely.
- Once they are cool, spread the frosting over the top. You can pipe it on with a pastry bag or spread it on with a knife.1 cup chocolate frosting
- To make the caramel sauce unwrap the caramels and combine them with cream in a microwave-safe bowl.12 soft caramels, 1 Tablespoon cream
- Heat it at 15-second intervals, stirring, until the caramel is completely melted.
- Drizzle the warm caramel over cookies and sprinkle with Skor bits.1 Tablespoon Skor bits
Notes
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
