Description
These chewy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies combine a rich blend of brown and granulated sugars with chunks of homemade hard caramel and dark chocolate for a decadent, sweet-and-salty treat. Perfectly soft and chewy with a subtle crunch of caramel pieces, these cookies are enhanced by a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to balance the sweetness.
Ingredients
Hard Caramel
- 1 batch 5-Minute Hard Caramel (liquid sugar cooked until golden bronze, cooled and chopped into chip-size pieces)
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/2 cups (330 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 16 tablespoons (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon (19 g) real vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 ¼ cups (439 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (255 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or chips
- Sea salt flakes for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Hard Caramel: Follow the instructions for making hard caramel by cooking liquid sugar until it turns a golden bronze color. Pour the caramel onto a prepared pan and spread with a spatula to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/8 inch. Let it cool and harden completely before chopping into chocolate chip-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line several baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure even baking and easy cookie removal.
- Cream Sugars, Butter, and Vanilla: In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is light in color and has a fluffy texture.
- Add Eggs and Leavening Agents: Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until well combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
- Incorporate Flour, Chocolate, and Caramel: Add the all-purpose flour and mix just until barely combined, leaving some streaks of flour visible. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate and hard caramel pieces until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop the Cookie Dough: Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out 2-tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave approximately 2 inches (5 cm) of space between each dough ball to allow for spreading.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 11 minutes. Once time is up, remove the sheet and gently nudge the cookies back into round shapes using the edge of a silicone spatula. Return them to the oven for an additional 1 minute. The cookies will appear slightly underbaked.
- Cooling and Finishing Touches: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies while still warm to enhance the salty-sweet flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For best texture and flavor, use room temperature eggs and butter.
- Chopping the caramel into chip-size pieces allows them to melt slightly but still retain some crunch in the cookies.
- Be careful not to overbake; the cookies should look slightly underbaked when removed from the oven for maximum chewiness.
- Sprinkling flaky sea salt on top adds a beautiful contrast but is optional based on your preference.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
