The Cookie Dough: Buttery and Rich

The cookie dough for these salted caramel cookies is made with just a few simple ingredients, but the result is a rich, buttery base that provides the perfect backdrop for the caramel. The dough comes together easily by creaming together softened butter and sugar, then incorporating vanilla extract, flour, and salt. This mixture forms a soft, slightly crumbly dough that’s easy to shape into uniform balls.

The dough is chilled for 30 minutes to help it firm up and make it easier to handle. This step also allows the butter to solidify a bit, which helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking. The result is a crisp yet tender cookie with a golden, slightly firm edge and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center.

The Caramel: Gooey and Glossy

What truly makes these cookies stand out is the homemade caramel that fills the thumbprint centers. Making the caramel is simple but requires a little patience. Sugar is melted in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber and takes on a rich, deep caramel color. Then, butter is added, followed by heavy cream, which creates a smooth, glossy sauce. The caramel mixture is allowed to boil for a minute, ensuring that the sugar is fully dissolved and the caramel is thick enough to hold its shape inside the cookies.

This homemade caramel sauce has a perfect balance of sweetness and richness, and it creates the gooey, irresistible center that makes these cookies so delightful. The warm caramel is spooned into the indentations of each cookie once they’ve cooled, giving the cookies their signature look and deliciously sticky center.

The Sea Salt: A Savory Contrast

One of the key elements of salted caramel cookies is the addition of flaky sea salt. The salt provides a savory contrast to the sweetness of the caramel, balancing out the richness of the sugar and butter. When sprinkled on top of the warm caramel, the salt instantly melts, creating a perfect blend of flavors that brings the entire cookie together.

The use of flaky sea salt is important, as it dissolves beautifully into the caramel while still providing little bursts of saltiness in each bite. This elevates the flavor profile and makes the cookies more complex than just a simple sweet treat.

Baking the Cookies: Easy and Quick

Baking these cookies is quick and straightforward. After shaping the dough into balls, simply press your thumb or a teaspoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation. If the indentations puff up during baking, you can gently press them down again while the cookies are still warm. This ensures the perfect space for the caramel to settle in once the cookies have cooled.

The cookies are baked at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-12 minutes. During this time, they develop a light golden color around the edges, indicating they’re ready to come out of the oven. After baking, let the cookies cool completely before adding the caramel and sea salt topping. This allows the caramel to set properly without melting into the cookie too much.

Serving Suggestions

These salted caramel cookies are delicious on their own, but they can also be served with a variety of accompaniments. Pair them with a warm cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate for a comforting treat. For a festive touch, serve them at holiday gatherings or as part of a dessert platter alongside other cookies or desserts.

If you’re looking to enhance the treat even further, consider serving the cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. The cold ice cream pairs wonderfully with the warm caramel and the buttery shortbread, creating a delightful contrast in temperatures and textures.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Salted Caramel Cookies contains approximately 185 calories. The cookies are rich in fat (9g), primarily from the butter and caramel, and provide 24g of carbohydrates, with most of the sugar content coming from the caramel and dough. The cookies also provide 2g of protein, though the main appeal here is their sweetness and indulgence.

As with any dessert, it’s best to enjoy these cookies in moderation, but their combination of flavors and textures makes them a treat worth savoring.

Customizing the Recipe

While this salted caramel cookie recipe is delicious as written, there’s room for customization based on your personal preferences. For a deeper caramel flavor, you could experiment with dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the dough, adding a hint of molasses flavor to the cookies. You could also add a pinch of cinnamon or vanilla extract to the dough for extra warmth and complexity.

For a nutty twist, you can sprinkle finely chopped nuts, such as pecans or almonds, over the top of the caramel before adding the sea salt. These would provide a lovely crunch that complements the smooth caramel filling.

If you want to make the cookies a little lighter, you can try substituting part of the butter in the dough with a lower-fat alternative like unsweetened applesauce or coconut oil, though it may slightly change the texture of the cookie.

Conclusion

Salted Caramel Cookies are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and buttery flavors. The rich, gooey caramel paired with the crisp, shortbread-like cookies creates a dessert that’s simply irresistible. Whether you’re making them for a special occasion, holiday treat, or just because, these cookies will be a hit with everyone who tries them. With their easy preparation and impressive flavor profile, Salted Caramel Cookies are sure to become a favorite in your dessert repertoire.