Irresistible Easy Salted Caramel Cookies Recipe
Delight in these irresistible easy salted caramel cookies featuring a tender, slightly sticky dough swirled with luscious homemade salted caramel ribbons. Perfectly soft with golden edges and topped with a pinch of flaky sea salt, these cookies offer a delightful balance of sweet and salty with every bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 29 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra for topping
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Salted Caramel
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Salted Caramel: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter. Stir in ⅓ cup light brown sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles. Slowly whisk in ½ cup heavy cream and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, and let the caramel cool slightly while you prepare the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt until evenly distributed and no lumps remain.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a handheld mixer, beat ¾ cup softened unsalted butter with ¾ cup packed light brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and about three to four minutes long.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until incorporated; avoid over-mixing.
- Incorporate Dry Mix and Swirl Caramel: Gradually add the dry-ingredient mixture to the butter mixture, stirring on low speed until a cohesive dough forms. The dough will be slightly sticky. Drizzle the warm caramel over the dough and fold it in with a spatula, creating ribbons without over-mixing.
- Portion and Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop dough onto the sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the tops look set while the centers remain soft.
- Finish and Cool: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on each warm cookie. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Ensure the egg is at room temperature to help with even mixing and texture.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding the caramel to maintain the swirled effect.
- The cookies will look soft when done; they will firm up as they cool.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To enhance the salty contrast, sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking while cookies are still warm.
Keywords: salted caramel cookies, easy cookies, caramel desserts, soft cookies, homemade cookies, sweet and salty cookies
