If there has ever been a better 'pick me' cookie, then I haven't eaten it yet. These Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies scream 'pick me' at you from a table full of desserts. They are the one cookie everyone reaches for, and the salty flakes on top keep them coming back for more.
Modeled after New York's Magnolia Bakery's big salty chocolate chip cookie with caramel studded throughout, you just might want to double this recipe from 6 cookies to make 1 dozen.
I had a cookie just like this in New York a few weeks ago. There are hundreds of bakeries in New York, but I went to my old stand-by: Magnolia Bakery.
I originally went to the bakery for a chocolate cupcake with the prettiest purple frosting, but I came out with the cookie that everyone in line in front of me ordered. I mean, let's be real: I also had the cupcake. When have I ever not had the cupcake? But, when everyone else in line in front of you orders a big chocolate chip cookie with a generous amount of salt plus caramel chunks, you follow suit! It was heavenly. I knew I had to recreate it at home for you.
How to Make Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make this recipe, I started with my usual recipe of 1 dozen chocolate chip cookies, but I left out the shortening so the cookies would spread more. The Magnolia Bakery cookies had crisp edges, which usually means all butter, no shortening.
Plus, at least a dozen of you a day ask me if you can substitute the shortening in that recipe for butter, so yes, you can. Your cookies will spread more and be crisper and flatter. I think it's a good thing when it comes to these salted chocolate chip cookies.
This recipe makes 6 cookies, because this is a small batch baking site, but I almost always test my recipes doubled because I know you will ask. And yes, you may double this recipe to make 1 dozen cookies, but be sure to double it exactly: use two egg yolks, not the whole egg! The recipe is also conveniently listed with weight measurements, making doubling even easier!
The Ingredients
- Butter. We need half a stick (or 2 ounces/ 57 grams of unsalted butter).
- Brown Sugar. Three tablespoons (packed) of brown sugar. You can use either light or dark brown sugar here, both work well, but dark brown sugar has slightly more molasses so the cookies will be slightly darker.
- Granulated Sugar. Just two level tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Egg Yolk. We are just using the egg yolk for this cookie and not the whole egg! This is because the egg yolk is primarily made up of fat, which makes for a chewy, rich cookie. The egg white is just protein and moisture, but we do not need it in such a small batch of cookies.
- Vanilla. I believe the best quality vanilla extract makes the best cookies, so I use a Bourbon-aged vanilla extract.
- Flour. We need ½ cup (or 60 grams) of all-purpose regular flour. The best way to measure flour is with a scale, but if you must use cups, fluff it, scoop it into the cup and then level the top with a knife.
- Instant Espresso Powder. The key to making chocolate chip cookies tastes better than everyone else's (including the bakeries) is to use instant espresso powder in the dough. It's just a small amount (¼ teaspoon) but it brings a depth of flavor that enhances the chocolate.
- Baking Powder. Just a ¼ teaspoon of baking powder helps these cookies spread out and bake evenly in the oven.
- Chocolate. The best type of chocolate to use is a chopped bar, because it melts inside the cookies, while chocolate chips stay firm. However, you can use either. You need ⅓ cup of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, your choice.
- Caramel. I really recommend using artisan/ homemade/ all-natural caramels for this recipe. These type of caramels are made with heavy cream and plenty of butter, so they melt evenly in these cookies, and they stay soft as the cookie cools. The packaged caramels (Kraft Brand), have a tendency to harden when the cookies cool. It is okay though, you can use the Kraft ones, but chop them into smaller pieces and serve the cookies warm, not cold. But again, if you want the melty caramel affect for these cookies, and if you like the way they look in the photos, you need to use high-quality real caramels. I like the Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel caramels or buying caramels from a chocolate chop.
- Salt. We need a big pinch of salt for the dough, and a flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top to serve. The sea salt on top is optional, however, but the salt in the cookie dough is not. Never be afraid of adding salt to a dessert--it balances the sweet flavors!
The Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375, and have ready a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the softened butter and both types of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, at least 1 minute.
Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and beat again just to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugars, and beat just until combined and no streaks of flour are visible.
Stir in the chopped chocolate by hand. Use strong kitchen scissors to snip each caramel into 3-4 pieces.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces, and add 3 pieces of the chopped caramel on top of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to set up, and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Salty Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips:
- Caramel - For the best results, I really recommend all natural caramels. This means caramels made from ingredients you can pronounce, not something that is shelf-stable for a decade. I buy homemade caramels from a chocolate shop, or I use Trader Joe's Fleur De Sel caramels. However, you can use the pre-made caramel candies (Kraft) that you use for making caramel apples, but please note that the caramel pieces on top might harden too much when cooling. To combat this, you can lower the oven temperature to 350 and eat them right when they come out of the oven. Just snip each caramel into 3-4 little pieces before pressing them into the cookie dough. But for the absolute best results: real, homemade artisan caramel candies will be your best choice here.
- Chocolate Chips - Instead of chocolate chips, which are meant to hold together even when baked, I opt for chopped chocolate in this cookie. When you chop the chocolate, tiny bits of it get dispersed throughout the dough. The overall result is more melty, delicious chocolate in each bite.
Storage:
These cookies are best eaten warm right from the cooling rack, because the caramel is melty and soft. You can store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can freeze the dough for future baking, but do not freeze it with the caramel pieces. Snip and add the caramel just before baking. You can also freezer already baked cookies, but defrost on the counter for several hours until the caramel is soft again.
Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted caramel chocolate chip cookeis with chocolate chunks, espresso powder, melty caramel and big flaky salt.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (39 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chopped chocolate
- 5 caramel candies, cut into 18 pieces
- For serving: large-flake salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer of medium speed the butter and both sugars, about 1 minute.
- Once creamy, add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine.
- In a small separate bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until just combined, or until no streaks of flour remain.
- Meanwhile, chop the chocolate chunks into smaller pieces, being careful to save all the fine bits. Add this to the dough and stir to evenly distribute.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, and make large balls of dough by rolling it between your hands. Space the cookies evenly on a baking sheet.
- Press 3 pieces of caramel candy close to the center of each dough ball. Be careful not to press the dough balls flat. Also, since the cookies will spread quite a bit, it's best to keep the caramel pieces very close together.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Sprinkle the cookies generously with salt. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Double: You can double this recipe exactly, but use two egg yolks (and never the whole egg)!
Caramel: For the best results, I really recommend all natural caramels. This means caramels made from ingredients you can pronounce, not something that is shelf-stable for a decade. I buy homemade caramels from a chocolate shop, or I use Trader Joe's Fleur De Sel caramels. However, you can use the pre-made caramel candies (Kraft) that you use for making caramel apples, but please note that the caramel pieces on top might harden too much when cooling. To combat this, you can lower the oven temperature to 350 and eat them right when they come out of the oven. Just snip each caramel into 3-4 little pieces before pressing them into the cookie dough. But for the absolute best results: real, homemade artisan caramel candies will be your best choice here.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 384mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 4g
Debbi says
Christina, I made your mini cheesecake with the coconut crust this weekend and I ate more then my fair share. OMG, it was soooo good.
Christina Lane says
The loaf pan cheesecake, Debi? YAY! Glad you liked it :)
Janay says
I made these tonight! They didnt spread and were a little dry and crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Side Note: I totally still ate them.. never waste a cookie.Never.
They were tasty as all get out. It was the consistency that was amiss. Yours look divine.
Christina Lane says
Hi Janay! I'm so sorry this happened to you! Oh gosh, any number of things could have happened. A dry cookie usually means overbaked..but sometimes that's just because you scooped the cookies smaller than I did.
A crumbly cookie...this is stumping me! Did you make any substitutions in the ingredient list? Did you use oil instead of butter? Let's get to the bottom of this! :)
Sarah says
I loooove Magnolia's salted caramel cookies. They are some of the best cookies I've ever tasted, which is why I wanted to try and make them at home.
I have to say that this recipe does not hit the spot for me. It tastes *nothing* like the real cookie and to be honest this recipe isn't very good, period. They had a weird consistency for one thing. I'm just glad this recipe made a small batch, so not too many cookies went to waste.
Christina Lane says
It sounds like you had a recipe flop. Others have made them and liked them. Sorry.