Salted Caramel Choc Chip Cookies

Name: Salted Caramel Choc Chip Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 12 cookies
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly; 3/4 cup packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cake flour; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp kosher salt, divided; 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips; 5 oz soft caramels, unwrapped and finely chopped; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for tossing caramels)

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 14 February 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Brown butter cookies with chocolate chips and dustings of sea salt. Soft caramel bits folded or melted on top for gooey surprise. Chilled dough, toasted edges, chewy centers. Classic comfort meets caramel kick.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 12 min

Total: 32 min

Servings: 12 cookies

#cookies #baking #caramel #brown butter #chocolate chip #sea salt #dessert

Before You Start

Start with browned butter, that smell filling the kitchen — deeper than plain melted, more nutty. Feel confident letting butter cool slightly; too hot and eggs scramble, too cold and sugar won’t dissolve right. Caramel dilemma — fold them in tiny bits dusted with flour or avoid mess and melt on top after baking? Learned that the size and toss-in-flour trick keeps caramel chunks inside dough, but sometimes they sneak out, so I often press softened caramel puddles right on freshly baked cookies. Chilling dough isn’t optional — cold dough means cookies spread less and chew more, texture sings. Look for edges that go golden and crackle slightly while center stays shiny, not raw but still soft. Salt on top may seem extra but it’s the handshake between sweet and savory, vital balance. Trust senses over clock, cookie dough doesn’t lie.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 oz soft caramels, unwrapped and finely chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for tossing caramels)

About the ingredients

Brown butter is a game changer — watch for nutty brown specks, not black smoke. Use unsalted butter always, control salt yourself. Cake flour adds delicate softness; sub with all-purpose but expect slight chew change. Cornstarch keeps cookies tender, but if none, add a teaspoon of tapioca starch or omit. Caramel can be tricky — soft caramel candies chopped tiny work best, preventing huge molten puddles. Tossing them in flour keeps pieces separate and dough manageable. For a twist, swap normal caramels for flavored ones like sea salt or bourbon-infused caramels to add surprise layers. Chocolate chips can be dark or milk — bittersweet for balance, milk chocolate for decadence. Sea salt topping mandatory, coarse flake types recommended; regular table salt is too sharp and harsh. Store these cookies tightly sealed to keep softness—no freezer, they lose that brown butter smell once frozen.

Method

brown butter gently in saucepan over medium heat until amber nutty smell and tiny browned specks appear; pour into bowl and let sit 10-15 min until warm but not hot, coating spoon when dripped
unwrap and dice caramels small, toss pieces in 2 tbsp flour to prevent clumping and oozing; set aside for folding in or skip if melting later
combine all dry stuff in bowl: all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt; whisk to blend evenly
whisk sugars and brown butter in large bowl until creamy and homogenous; add eggs one at a time, vanilla; beat till incorporated but not fluffy, just mix
fold dry ingredients into wet until no streaks of flour; careful not to overmix — tough cookies worse than flat ones
stir in chocolate chips and caramel pieces gently; if caramel too soft or risky, skip and melt on top after baking
chill dough at least 30 min; firm dough drops flatter so you get soft edges and chewy middle, enhances flavor development too
heat oven to 370°F; lining sheets with parchment or silicone mat prevents sticking and easy cleanup
form dough balls with 2 Tbsp scoop or hands; place on trays with space — cookies spread fast with butter browned, watch edge color, not just time
bake 8-10 minutes — until edges turn golden brown and centers set but still look a bit gooey or shiny, poke slightly and feel spring back gently
remove pans promptly; if caramel oozed out, swirl cookie gently with a glass or round cutter larger than cookie to smooth edges and collect caramel back inside
sprinkle sea salt flakes on warm cookies; contrast punches caramel and chocolate, don’t skip this final step
cool on rack before eating; warm cookies soft but fragile, too cool and caramel firms up with chewy texture; perfect for that messy fork-napkin wipe

Cooking tips

Brown butter carefully — watch and smell for nutty aroma, teeth ready to catch burnt edges. Let it cool so you don’t scramble eggs when mixing. Caramel bits tossed in flour avoid one massive sticky blob; tiny pieces melt in pockets versus running everywhere. Dry mixture combined separately avoids uneven rising or big salt pockets. Whisking sugars and butter well makes dough creamier and smoother, traps some air for puff but don’t overbeat or cookies toughen. Folding flour in with gentle strokes keeps gluten development low, chewy but tender. Chilling dough firms fats before baking, prevents cookies from becoming flat pancakes. Bake at 370°F; ovens differ, look for edges golden and slightly cracking but centers still shiny — you want the snappy crust with gooey middle. If caramel escaped, swirl cookie with a round glass immediately; it rounds off rough edges and tucks caramel back in before cooling hardens it. Salt flakes added warm dissolve slightly, blending flavors. Cool completely on wire rack to finish firming texture but eat while still soft and warm for max pleasure.

Chef's notes

💡 Brown butter slowly, medium heat; look for amber color and nutty aroma. Don’t rush or get black specks; burnt bits bitter. Cooling is key — too hot scrambles eggs, too cool no sugar dissolve. Watch spoon drip; buttery but not hot.
💡 Caramel bits tossed in flour stop them melting into one goopy blob. Chop finely, toss in some flour just before folding. Helps keep dough workable; otherwise caramel escapes while baking, sticky mess. Can skip if melting on top after baking instead.
💡 Dry ingredients mixed separately; flour types combined with baking soda, baking powder, salt. Whisk well so salt scattered evenly. Avoid salt pockets which can ruin balance. Cornstarch or tapioca starch keeps cookies tender rather than tough.
💡 Mix sugars and brown butter till creamy but avoid overbeating. Eggs added one at a time with vanilla helps incorporate without fluff. Folding dry ingredients gently avoids gluten overdevelopment; tough edges from tough dough, flattening too much.
💡 Chill dough minimum 30 mins. Firm dough flattens less, yields chewy center with soft edges. Skip chill and cookies spread too thin, more brittle. Look for golden edges with shiny middle; timing varies oven to oven. Use senses over timer.

Common questions

How to know when brown butter is ready?

Watch color amber, smell nutty. Tiny browned specks appear. If black smoke, too late. Pour off quickly but still warm not hot, else scramble eggs mixing in. Smell guides better than time.

Can I substitute cake flour?

Yes, all-purpose works but cookies denser; less tender. Cornstarch helps soften if no cake flour. Tapioca starch an alternate if no cornstarch. Texture changes but not huge. Worth experimenting if you lack specific flour.

Why does caramel leak out sometimes?

Pieces too big or not coated in flour fail to hold in dough. Dough too warm or thin spreads too much letting caramel ooze. Pressing caramel pools into cookies just out of oven can fix. Melting on top option if too messy.

Best way to store these cookies?

Airtight container at room temp keeps softness about 3 days. Fridge stiffens and dulls flavor. Freezing reduces brown butter aroma, cookie loses texture quirks. Separate with parchment. Warm gently to soften if cold.