Sea Salt Caramel Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Buttery cookies filled with soft caramel and topped with flaky sea salt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 1 1/2 cups soft caramel candies, chopped into small pieces
10 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the chopped caramel candies until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are still soft.
09 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt while warm.
10 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between chewy caramel pockets and crisp edges creates the most irresistible texture in every bite
  • That final sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes these cookies utterly addictive and impossible to stop eating
02 -
  • Underbaking slightly is the secret to that perfect chewy center, so pull them out when edges are golden but middles look soft
  • Work quickly when sprinkling the flaky salt because it sticks best to hot cookies right out of the oven
03 -
  • Chop your caramels while they're cold straight from the fridge for cleaner cuts and less sticky mess
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for evenly browned cookies if your oven has hot spots