Description
Delight in these rich Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies featuring a fudgy chocolate base topped with creamy caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, creating the perfect balance of sweet and salty in each bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Batter
- 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
Caramel Topping
- 11 oz soft caramels, unwrapped
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for the cookies.
- Melt Butter and Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the cubed butter and chopped dark chocolate together in 30-second increments, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and allow to cool slightly.
- Beat Sugars and Eggs: In a large bowl using an electric or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, and egg yolk together for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy with ribbon-like consistency.
- Combine Chocolate Mixture: With the mixer running on low speed, pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat until fully combined with no yellow streaks remaining.
- Sift and Fold Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold these dry ingredients into the wet batter until smooth and glossy, resembling brownie batter.
- Scoop Dough onto Baking Sheets: Use a medium (2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion dough evenly onto the prepared baking sheets, making about 16 cookies total, spaced comfortably apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until the tops are shiny and cracked but centers remain soft. Remove from oven promptly.
- Shape Cookies and Make Indents: While still warm, use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to gently shape cookies into perfect circles. Press a shallow indent into the center of each cookie using the back of a small spoon.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool further.
- Prepare Caramel Sauce: Combine soft caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments until fully melted and smooth. Let the caramel cool for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Fill Cookies with Caramel and Finish: Spoon the caramel into the center indent of each cookie, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the caramel set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure even mixing and better texture.
- Melting butter and chocolate gently prevents burning and grainy texture.
- Pressing an indent while the cookies are warm helps create a perfect well for the caramel.
- You can substitute soft caramels with homemade caramel or caramel candies of similar consistency.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To enhance the chocolate flavor, use high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder and dark chocolate with 60-70% cocoa content.
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: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
