Double chocolate caramel cookies - these are not your average cookies. Soft and chewy double chocolate cookies stuffed with a perfectly soft and gooey salted caramel. It's all about the texture of the salted caramel next to the richness of the bitterness and sweetness of the chocolate.
These cookies use the same salted caramel filling as my salted caramel coffee cookies, and you will have enough caramel for both, making it a win-win situation for all.
More delicious cookie recipes include brown butter white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, peppermint white chocolate cookies, thick, soft, and fluffy sugar cookies, and Norwegian gingerbread cookies. I try to make these every Christmas!
For even more cookie ideas, head to my cookies category section.
Why you'll love this recipe
Picture biting through a crisp outer layer to unveil a lusciously gooey center of salted caramel, all enveloped in a double dose of chocolatey goodness.
The combination of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, paired with the richness of the salted caramel, creates a symphony of flavors and textures that will leave you yearning for just one more bite.
As you may or may not have noticed, I'm obsessed with the right textures. Something crisp, something smooth, and something fudgy all in one cookie makes this the ultimate texture cookie.
And I mean, who doesn't love chocolate and salted caramel?
Ingredients
Let's see what these chocolate caramel cookies are made of
- Room temperature butter: Ensures a smooth and even incorporation into the dough, contributing to a tender texture.
- All-purpose flour: The structural foundation of the cookies, providing the necessary gluten for structure.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Infuses a deep, chocolatey flavor and contributes to the dark color of the cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Leavening agents that contribute to the cookies' rise and texture.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor profile, especially crucial when dealing with sweet elements like chocolate and caramel.
- Sugar and brown sugar: Sweetens the dough, with brown sugar adding moisture and a subtle molasses flavor, and granulated sugar provides the crisp outer edges.
- Room temperature egg: Binds the ingredients together, contributing to the cookies' structure.
- Heavy cream or milk: Adds richness and moisture to the dough.
- Pure vanilla extract: Elevates the overall flavor with its warm and sweet aroma.
- High-quality chocolate: The star ingredient, offers a complex chocolate flavor. The combination of bittersweet and semisweet provides a balance of sweetness and depth.
- Salted caramel: The gooey surprise in the center, adds a burst of sweetness and saltiness. To get the perfect smooth salted caramel that doesn't harden and doesn't melt into the cookie, I recommend using my recipe for caramels.
Step-by-step instructions
Make sure you have made the salted caramel beforehand. If you want, you can go for store-bought but more often than not they are too hard, making it an unpleasant cookie once it cools.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (1): flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
In a large bowl, combine the room temperature butter with both sugars and cream using a hand or stand mixer for about 2-3 minutes or until creamy and combined (2).
To the sugar-butter; add the egg and pure vanilla extract (3). Then the heavy cream (4-5).
Being careful not to over-mix, add in the dry ingredients until just combined (6). Fold in the chopped dark chocolate (7). Chill for 2+ hours. 24-48 hours is even better.
Preheat oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
To make the cookies, take 1 tablespoon of dough and quickly shape it into a ball. Press it down with one finger and place one caramel inside.
Take another 1 tablespoon of dough and make another ball you press down. Place on top of the caramel and press the sides together to make sure no caramel will peep through.
Roll this again quickly into a neat ball. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough. Top each cookie with a little extra chopped dark chocolate for that beautiful chocolate chip effect.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges brown and no obvious wet parts in the middle. Sprinkle with more Maldon salt after baking. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet before cooling completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if desired!
Storage
I prefer to store these unbaked in the freezer. Place the baking sheet with the unbaked cookie balls in the freezer, and once solid, add them to a ziplock bag. Keeps well for 4 months in the freezer.
To bake, bake as normal but add 2-3 minutes to the bake time. Take the cookie balls out of the freezer while you pre-heat the oven.
You can also store baked cookies both in a cookie box (4 days) or in the freezer (4 months).
Recipe FAQs
Can I use salted caramel sauce instead?
No, you cannot. If you do use caramel sauce, it will seep into the cookie, not making a liquid center.
You need just the right consistency of the caramel to get a liquid center once warmed, and soft and gooey once the cookie has chilled.
When the caramel is cold and it is still soft enough not to be particularly harder than a chewy cookie, it's a good one.
A caramel heated up to around 230℉ (112℃) makes a perfect consistency, so I highly recommend using my recipe for salted caramels.
Cookie dough is a perfect make-ahead dessert because the dough will be even better the longer you let it sit (up to a certain point). I think 24-48 hours is the perfect amount.
The dough will be properly chilled, and the flavors have deepened and melded together, creating a tastier end result.
How can I prevent the caramel from leaking during baking?
Ensure that the caramel is well enclosed in the dough. See the photos in my step-by-step instructions. Make sure you can't see the caramel after you have shaped it.
If you're still having issues, try freezing the caramel before incorporating it into the dough.
A lot of things, but the main thing is the creamed sugar. If you use only granulated sugar, it will become a crisper cookie. Brown sugar has a lot of moisture in it, so it will become a softer, chewier cookie.
The perfect balance between a crisp outer edge and a soft and chewy center you get by combining the two sugars.
Expert tips
My number 1 tip for this recipe is to make the caramels yourself. It's not hard, it's just a little time-consuming and you need a candy thermometer. It will absolutely make the best cookies, and you know exactly what you've put into the cookies.
My second tip is to chill the cookie dough for 24 hours to make sure the cookie dough is properly chilled and the flavors melded together into perfect harmony.
My third tip is to also make salted caramel coffee cookies as you use the same caramel filling for those.
Anyway, enjoy the cookie season!
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter.
As thanks, you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year.
To keep the blog up and running this post may contain affiliate links, it will be at no extra cost to you, please read the disclosure for more information.
📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Double chocolate caramel cookies are soft and chewy double chocolate cookies stuffed with a perfectly soft and gooey salted caramel!
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (113 grams, room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (35 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 ounces dark chocolate (200 grams, 50/50 bittersweet and semisweet) - reserve some to top after shaping the balls.
- 16 salted caramel candies (see recipe in notes)
- Maldon salt, to top (optional)
Instructions
- Make sure you have made the salted caramel beforehand. If you want, you can go for store-bought but more often than not they are too hard, making it an unpleasant cookie once it cools.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the room temperature butter with both sugars and cream using a hand or stand mixer for about 2-3 minutes or until creamy and combined.
- To the sugar-butter; add the egg and pure vanilla extract. Mix. Then the heavy cream and mix again.
- Being careful not to over-mix, add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate. Chill for 2+ hours. 24-48 hours is even better.
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the cookies, take 1 tablespoon of dough and quickly shape it into a ball. Press it down with one finger and place one caramel inside.
- Take another 1 tablespoon of dough and make another ball you press down. Place on top of the caramel and press the sides together to make sure no caramel will peep through.
- Roll this again quickly into a neat ball. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough. Top each cookie with a little extra chopped dark chocolate for that beautiful chocolate chip effect.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges brown and no obvious wet parts in the middle. Sprinkle with more Maldon salt after baking. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet before cooling completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if desired!
Notes
Recipe for salted caramel candies. You can use store-bought too, but keep in mind that they need to be soft in order for the texture to be right when the cookies have chilled.
Storage tips: I prefer to store these unbaked in the freezer. Place the baking sheet with the unbaked cookie balls in the freezer, and once solid, add them to a ziplock bag. Keeps well for 4 months in the freezer. To bake, bake as normal but add 2-3 minutes to the bake time. Take the cookie balls out of the freezer while you pre-heat the oven. You can also store baked cookies both in a cookie box (4 days).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate, estimate for informational purposes only.