Description
These Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies combine rich dark chocolate brownie batter with a gooey homemade salted caramel center, topped with flaky sea salt for the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness. Bite into a glossy, crackly cookie exterior with a soft, fudgy middle and delicious caramel surprise.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Brownie Cookie Dough
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- 6.5 oz dark chocolate bar (60–70% cocoa), chopped
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Salted Caramel Topping
- 11 oz soft caramels (1 bag), unwrapped (e.g. Werther’s or Kraft)
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cookie removal.
- Melt butter and chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the cubed salted butter and chopped dark chocolate together in 30 second increments, stirring between each until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Beat eggs and sugars: Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, and egg yolk together on medium-high speed until pale, fluffy, and thick ribbons form when lifting the whisk, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add chocolate mixture: With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture. Beat until well combined and no yellow streaks remain.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold these dry ingredients into the wet batter until smooth and glossy, similar to brownie batter.
- Scoop the dough: Use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making about 16 cookies total. Space them comfortably across two sheets to bake quickly and evenly for the best shiny, crackly tops.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 8 minutes, until the tops are shiny and cracked but centers remain soft.
- Shape and indent cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, use the rim of a round cookie cutter or glass to gently nudge each cookie into a perfect circle. Press a shallow indent into the center of each cookie using the back of a small spoon while still warm. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Prepare caramel topping: While cookies cool, combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between intervals until the caramels are fully melted and smooth. Let caramel cool for 5 minutes until thick but still pourable.
- Fill cookies and finish: Spoon the caramel into the indent of each cooled cookie. Sprinkle each generously with flaky sea salt. Allow caramel to set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature eggs to help achieve a fluffy batter.
- Use a good quality dark chocolate with 60-70% cocoa for rich flavor.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies should be soft in the center when done.
- The caramel should be warm and slightly cooled so it holds its shape without melting the cookies.
- Flaky sea salt can be substituted with coarse kosher salt if needed, but flaky salt provides the best texture and flavor contrast.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep the caramel soft.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
