Description
Indulge in these decadent Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring a perfect balance of rich dark chocolate chips and gooey caramel centers, all enhanced with a touch of flaky sea salt. With a delightful texture from ground oats and a hint of cinnamon, these cookies offer a sophisticated twist on a classic treat, perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (40g) old fashioned oats
- 1 cup (132g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Add-ins
- 1 cup (180g) dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Werther’s soft caramels, chilled (cut in half)
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Chop the Caramels: Ensure the Werther’s soft caramels are chilled for easy cutting. Unwrap and cut each caramel in half until you have about 1/2 cup of caramel halves. Return the chopped caramels to the refrigerator, but keep 1/4 cup of whole caramels at room temperature to soften for later use.
- Pulse the Oats: Place the oats in a food processor and pulse 5-6 times to partly grind them, leaving a mix of finely ground bits and larger chunks which will add texture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the partially ground oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Set this mixture aside.
- Combine Sugars and Butter: In a large bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted unsalted butter until fully combined and smooth.
- Add Vanilla and Egg: Whisk the vanilla extract and the large egg into the sugar and butter mixture, ensuring a smooth and homogeneous batter.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips: Gradually fold the dry oat and flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then, fold in the dark chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let it firm up and develop flavors.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Set the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Scoop and Add Chilled Caramel Halves: Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), place 4 uniform cookie dough balls onto the prepared sheet. Press two halves of the chilled caramel into the center of each cookie ball and mold the dough around them to enclose the caramel. Optionally, sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on top for garnish. Return any remaining dough to the refrigerator.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges turn golden brown but the centers remain slightly soft and underbaked.
- Prepare Room Temperature Caramel Disks: Tear the reserved room temperature caramels in half and flatten each half into a thin disk shape. Once cookies come out of the oven, place one caramel disk onto each cookie’s melted caramel center.
- Add Final Touches and Cool: The warm cookies will slowly melt the room temperature caramel disks, doubling the caramel goodness. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt for that perfect sweet-salty balance. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
- Cool and Enjoy: Allow cookies to cool for about 20 minutes. This lets the caramel set slightly while keeping the cookie soft. Serve and enjoy the delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Notes
- Chilling the caramels makes them easier to cut and handle without sticking.
- Partial grinding of oats adds a wonderful texture different from traditional all-flour cookies.
- Do not overbake; soft centers ensure melty caramel and tender cookies.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Flaky sea salt on top enhances the caramel and chocolate flavors beautifully.
- Room temperature caramels melt better on the freshly baked cookies for extra gooeyness.
