Sea Salt Caramel Cookies (Printable)

Buttery, chewy cookies studded with melting caramel and finished with flaky sea salt for perfect sweet-salty balance.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 1 1/2 cups soft caramel candies, chopped into small pieces
10 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the chopped caramel candies until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are still soft.
09 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt while warm.
10 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The caramel pockets turn into gooey surprises in every bite, making these cookies feel like a special occasion even on a Tuesday
  • That finishing sprinkle of sea salt is what makes people stop mid-bite and try to figure out your secret ingredient
  • The dough comes together in under twenty minutes, but your friends will think you spent all afternoon on them
02 -
  • Chilling the dough for thirty minutes before baking helps prevent excessive spreading, though I'll admit I've baked plenty of batches without this step when cookie cravings hit hard
  • Use a sharp knife to chop caramels and spray it with cooking spray periodically, as these sticky candies will gum up your blade quickly
  • The cookies might look underbaked when you pull them out, but that's exactly how they should appear for that perfect chewy texture
03 -
  • When measuring flour, fluff it with a spoon before scooping and leveling, or your cookies might turn out dense and cakey
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion here, they ensure your cookies bake evenly and have the right texture
  • If your caramel pieces are large, press a few extra bits onto the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking for maximum caramel exposure

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