Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cold butter; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar (tightly packed); 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3 ¼ cups flour (gluten free 1 to 1 or all purpose); 1 tsp baking soda; pinch sea salt (optional); 1 cup chocolate chips; 18 caramels (or chocolate caramels)

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by Addison LaBonte April 16, 2022

These caramel chocolate chip cookies are thick, gooey and sweet! They are easy to make and always a big hit. These caramel cookies feature a gooey caramel center and soft chewy edges!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These caramel chocolate chip cookies are so tasty!
This recipe is easy to make.
No dough chilling required.
Only one mixing bowl needed. Try these Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies too!
Caramels, chocolate caramels, Hershey kisses and peanut butter cups all work well.
The filling is gooey, creamy and melty!
Use gluten free 1 to 1 flour for gluten free.
Check out these Chocolate Filled Cookies for a very similar dessert!

Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for caramel chocolate chip cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.

Use cold butter right from the fridge. This is important! Cold butter helps the cookies not spread too thin while baking. Beat butter with sugars until no clumps of butter remain.

Both granulated sugar and light brown sugar add the sweetness. These cookies are not sickeningly sweet. I have not tried using coconut sugar, maple sugar, or a low carb sweetener for this recipe.

The eggs bind the dough together. For an egg free version, replace each egg with ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce. For this recipe, the 2 eggs equals ½ cup applesauce. See these Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies for more tips and tricks.

Vanilla extract adds a great classic cookie flavor.

Both gluten free 1 to 1 flour and all purpose flour work well. I am gluten free, so I used King Arthur gluten free 1 to 1 flour.

Baking soda helps these cookies rise while baking.

Add in a pinch of sea salt if using unsalted butter. Otherwise, feel free to omit.

Any type of chocolate chips will work well. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and semisweet chocolate chips are great options.

Lastly, any type of caramels work well for these caramel chocolate chip cookies. I prefer chocolate covered caramels! If you do not have caramels, feel free to add caramel chips to the cookie dough batter.

Taste & Texture

These caramel chocolate chip cookies taste like classic cookies with a chocolate caramel in the middle! They are the perfect amount of sweet.

These cookies are slightly thick, soft, and gooey. The caramels become melty and gooey while baking!

How to Make

Step 1

First, line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add cold butter, sugar and light brown sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until no clumps of butter remain.

Step 3

Add in eggs and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Step 4

Then, add in flour, baking soda and sea salt. Stir until a thick dough is formed.

Step 5

Fold in chocolate chips.

Step 6

Use a spoon to scoop out balls of dough. Flatten each ball of dough. Then, place on parchment lined pan.

Step 7

Place a caramel in the middle of each flattened ball.

Step 8

Then, place a smaller flattened ball of dough on top of the caramel. Use hands to fully enclose the caramel in cookie dough. Repeat for all dough.

Step 9

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until the cookie edges are slightly golden.

Step 10

Finally, remove from oven. Allow caramel chocolate chip cookies to cool on pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Use cold butter for best results. This helps keeps the cookies thick and soft.

Beat butter and sugars for 2 to 3 minutes. Beat until no clumps of butter remain.

Use either gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. This recipe calls for a lot of flour. This allows the cookies to be sturdy enough to hold in the caramel.

Fully enclose caramels in the cookie dough. Otherwise, the caramel may leak out while baking.

Do not over bake. These caramel chocolate chip cookies are meant to be gooey.

Flavor Variations & Add Ins

Consider adding these mix ins to your caramel chocolate chip cookies.

White chocolate chips

Mini chocolate chips

Chocolate chunks

Dash of cinnamon

Caramel chips

Consider replacing the caramels with these ingredients.

Hershey kisses

Reese’s peanut butter cups

Spoonful of chocolate chips

Dove chocolates

Spoonful of caramel chips

How to Serve & Store

Serve caramel chocolate chips once cool enough to handle. They are soft and gooey!

Serve with a glass of milk, mug of coffee or hot chocolate.

These are insane served warm with vanilla ice cream!

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

These cookies freeze well, but please note that the caramels become very firm while frozen. Be careful if you bite into these frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if you bake caramel?

The caramel filling becomes smooth and gooey in the oven.

Can I make these cookies without eggs?

Sure! Replace each egg with ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce. So for this recipe, replace 2 eggs with ½ cup applesauce.

Do I need to add sea salt?

No. Feel free to omit.

Can I use caramel chips instead?

Sure! This cookie dough is great by itself. You can add caramel chips to the batter instead of stuffing them with a caramel.