These Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies are easy to make & ooey-gooey delicious. Deep rich chocolate cookies wrapped around a chocolate-coated buttery caramel, rolled in sugared nuts with a sprinkle of sea salt. I guess you could say they're like a molten lava cake in cookie form! Perfect to add to your holiday cookie tins.
Table of contents
Delicious Filled Cookies
During the Christmas season, the aroma of freshly baked filled cookies fills the air. These delightful treats, topped with colorful sprinkles and shaped in festive patterns, are one of our family’s favorite traditions. Fillings vary from sweet caramel to preserves, and velvety chocolate to holiday favorites like marshmallow and peppermint that make a stuffed cookie the perfect treat for cookie lovers.
I'm on a roll now with my holiday baking in full swing and filled cookies like these caramel chocolate cookies are always on my Christmas baking list. In fact, just thinking about them has me drooling over here! Other holiday-filled favorites include Pecan Turtle Cookies, Turtle Cheesecake Cookies, and these Italian rolled buttery cookies called Cucidati.
These caramel-filled cookies are ones my kids always volunteered to help me make. I'm not sure whether it was because they got to snitch the Rolos (when I supposedly wasn't looking), or because they loved the final result. Maybe it was both!
Why you should make these caramel filled chocolate cookies
- Super easy to make and you get to snitch some candy.
- They're full of chocolaty fudge-like goodness.
- Of course, if you are a caramel lover, it's got to be the oozing gooey caramel!
- Or maybe, it's that sprinkle of salt that gives these delicious cookies the perfect balance of sweet and salty that puts them over the top.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this chocolate caramel cookie recipe. The exact measurement can be found in the printable recipe card below.
All Purpose Flour - the base of the cookies
Butter - let it come to room temperature for easier incorporation into batter.
Brown Sugar - to make a denser, moister cookie
Egg - provides texture
Cocoa Powder - for that rich, sweet chocolate flavor
Vanilla Extract - brings out the flavor of each ingredient
Baking Soda - for leavening
Salt - also enhances the flavors
Caramel Candy - like Rolos with an extra dose of chocolate for the caramel filling. Freeze them to keep them from melting too quickly while baking.
Pecans - chopped and sweetened with sugar to give the cookie an outer crunch
Granulated Sugar - to sweeten the nuts
Heavy Cream - leave it in the refrigerator until after the cookies are baked
Caramels - for an extra sweet drizzle of flavor
Coarse Sea Salt - gives these cookies the perfect combination of salty and sweet
How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Cookies
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir to combine the flour mixture then set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar while continuing to mix.
- Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer down and add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients.
- When the chocolate cookie dough is done, wrap it in plastic or wax paper and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
When it's time to put the caramel filled cookies together, remove the dough from the fridge and the Rolos from the freezer.
- Sweeten the chopped nuts with sugar. Place them on a flat plate.
- With a tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into your hand. Flatten it with your fingers. Place a Rolo in the center and wrap the dough around it. Make sure there are no gaps because you don't want your caramel center oozing out.
- Roll the cookie ball in the sweetened nuts.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. You should see cracks beginning to form on the top of the cookies. Let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
Caramel Drizzle for cookies
- Place the caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between, until melted and smooth.
- Place the caramel sauce in a small resealable plastic bag, snip a hole in one corner, and drizzle over the chocolate caramel cookies.
- Sprinkle with coarse sea salt while the caramel sauce is still warm.
TIP: Place cookies over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to make cleanup a breeze!
I have to warn you, these salted caramel cookies are downright dangerous! They are like eating a lava cake in cookie form.
Just break one open and look at all that melty caramel just oozing out. Not to mention the dark chocolate and that sweet-salty combo. Makes me want to run to the kitchen and get one for a snack right now! So what are you waiting for? You should start baking these salted caramel chocolate cookies right now!
Store/Freeze
To store: Place in an airtight container and keep at room temperature. They will keep for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag with parchment paper in between cookies. They will keep for about 3 months.
For freezing unbaked cookies: Make dough balls but do not coat them with nuts then freeze on a cookie sheet until solid. Place frozen dough balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, let thaw to room temperature then coat with nuts and bake as directed in the recipe.
Tips & Tricks
- DO NOT OVERBAKE! It is hard to tell when dark-colored cookies are done but when the baking time is up take them out. They will look undone but will finish baking as they cool.
- You can make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to assemble and bake the cookies.
- Use a coarse salt for garnish as it will sit on top of the cookie. Never use table salt as it will just sink into the cookie making them too salty.
- Don't use Kraft caramels in place of the Rolos as they tend to stay very firm after baking. And you definitely want that warm, soft, oozing caramel.
Variations
Substitute any small soft, meltable candy in place of Rolos. You can try Dove chocolates or even mini peanut butter cups.
Don't like nuts? Either leave them out altogether or replace them with your favorite nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds.
Want more decadence? Add a drizzle of dark chocolate too!
Frequently asked questions
They will keep 4-5 days in an airtight container on the countertop.
Absolutely! The cookies will freeze well for at least 4 months. You can also freeze the dough, tightly wrapped, for 4-6 months.
The salt enhances the flavors and helps the sweetness of the cookie to shine.
Nope. If you're not into caramel, try using mini peanut butter cups or even Dove chocolate.
Best Christmas Cookie Recipes to Add to Your List
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - soft & chewy peanut butter cup cookies surrounding a mini peanut butter cup
Orange Pistachio Biscotti - orange-flavored biscotti filled with plenty of pistachios then dipped into dark chocolate
Chocolate Crackle Cookies - are sweet, fudgy, chocolaty cookies with a snow topping
Almond Shortbread Cookies - are sandwich cookies with chocolate filling
Find lots of Christmas cookie recipes here on 2CM!
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Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅜ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅜ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 24 Rolos or other chocolate covered caramel candy
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 6 caramels
- 1 ½ teaspoons heavy cream, half & half or light cream
- 1 Tablespoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cookies
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter for a minute or until creamy. Add sugars and continue to beat until smooth and well incorporated. With mixer still running, add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
- With mixer still running, add egg, and vanilla extract.
- Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture slowly and beat until well mixed.
- Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to form around candies.
- While dough is chilling, unwrap Rolos and place in freezer so they are firm and easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix chopped nuts and 1 tablespoon sugar together in small bowl.
To Assemble
- Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and flatten with fingers. Place 1 Rolo in the center and wrap dough around it. Then roll in hand to form a ball. Drop into nut-sugar mixture and roll around to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2" apart.
- Roll in sweetened nuts to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2" apart.
- Bake 8-10 minutes or until tops start to crack. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Drizzle
- In a microwave-safe bowl, place caramels and cream. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in-between, until caramels are melted and smooth.
- Drizzle over cookies then sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- When glaze has cooled, store in airtight container.
Notes
- DO NOT OVERBAKE! It is hard to tell when dark-colored cookies are done but when the baking time is up take them out. They will look undone but will finish baking as they cool.
- You can make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to assemble and bake the cookies.
- Use coarse salt for garnish as it will sit on top of the cookie. Never use table salt as it will just sink into the cookie making them too salty.
- Don't use Kraft caramels in place of the Rolos as they tend to stay very firm after baking. And you definitely want that warm, soft, oozing caramel.
Nutrition
This post has been updated with more helpful information. It was first published on December 9, 2015.
Jenna Owens says
Mmmm I love salted caramel and chocolate together! These cookies sound divine.
Linda Warren says
Thanks Jenna! It's a family favorite for sure.
Amanda says
These look so yummy! I love Rolos so this sounds like the perfect recipe for them- thanks for sharing!
Linda Warren says
Thanks Amanda! If you like Rolos I am sure you will love these. Happy holidays!
Diane Ensign Homan says
These sound amazingly decadent! I love the Rolls - they're my husband's favorite candy, so we may have to try these in the near future 🙂
Linda Warren says
Thanks Diane! They really are decadent but they're worth the calories! Hope you get to try them.