Soft, golden brown salted caramel stuffed cookies on a parchment-lined tray with gooey caramel centers and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt in warm natural light.

Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies

ByCassidy

If you love flavor-filled cookies with a sweet-salty center, these Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies are about to be your new obsession. They look simple on the outside, but once you break one open and see that molten caramel filling, it’s game over. They’re soft, chewy, and just the right mix of indulgent and cozy.

Soft, golden brown salted caramel stuffed cookies on a parchment-lined tray with gooey caramel centers and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt in warm natural light.

The dough itself has a brown sugar-rich base that bakes up soft with slightly crisp edges, making the perfect home for that gooey caramel center. You’ll roll the dough around soft caramel candies, chill them to help keep the shape, and bake them until golden and just barely set. Adding a pinch of flaky sea salt on the top sets this cookie over the top. I love how impressive these look, yet they are totally beginner baker-friendly.

Helpful Tips & Variations

  • Seal the caramel well: Any gaps in the dough can let caramel leak out while baking.
  • Use soft caramels: Hard ones won’t melt properly; Werther’s soft or Kraft work best.
  • Make them extra gooey: Slightly underbake for a molten center.
  • Chocolate drizzle: Add a drizzle of melted dark chocolate for a bakery-style look.
  • Mix it up: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or mini chocolate chips to the dough for texture.

Recipe: Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies

Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies
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Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies

Recipe by CassidyCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

servings
Prep time

50

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Calories

240

kcal

Delicious caramel stuffed cookies with a soft, chewy brown sugar base, topped off with a sprinkle of seat salt.

Ingredients

  • For the Cookies:

  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • For the Filling & Topping:

  • 16 soft caramel candies (like Kraft or Werther’s soft caramels)

  • 1–2 tsp flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

  • Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until glossy.
  • Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until a soft dough forms.
  • Stuff with Caramel: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten slightly in your hand. Place one caramel candy in the center and wrap the dough around it, sealing completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Chill: Place the stuffed dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly soft.
  • Finish: Immediately sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt. Let cool on the tray for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a rack — the caramel will set slightly as they cool.

Notes

  • Chill time matters; this helps keep the cookies thick and chewy.
  • Let the cookies rest on the pan; moving them too soon can cause caramel to spill out.
  • If your dough feels oily, it’s likely the butter was too hot; let it cool longer next time.
  • The cookies will continue baking slightly on the hot tray even after you pull them out.
  • For clean caramel centers, use room-temperature caramels, not straight from the fridge.

Storage & Freezing Tips

  • Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • To keep the caramel soft, add a slice of bread to the container.
  • Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months; thaw at room temp before serving.
  • Freeze unbaked stuffed dough balls on a tray until solid, then store in a bag or container. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

More Cookie Recipes

I hope you and your loved ones love these Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookies as much as my family and I do. If you make them, I would love to see them. Tag @cassandcrumb on Instagram and comment below what you thought. Happy Baking, friends!

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