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Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies

Double chocolate salted caramel cookies with fudgy dark centers, chocolate chip puddles, and a soft caramel candy core. Baked at 375°F until the edges set while the caramel stays gooey, then finished with flaky sea salt.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cookie dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup dark chocolate chips
Caramel center
  • 20 soft caramel candies (one per cookie, unwrapped)
  • flaky sea salt for topping To taste, for finishing immediately after baking.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and dry mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment as a nonstick surface. Keep the sheets ready for scooping so the dough can bake right away.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until no dry streaks remain. The dry mix should look evenly dark and consistent.
Make the dough
  1. Beat softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until very light and fluffy. This adds air for a softer, fudgier cookie texture.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat just until combined. Stop as soon as the mixture looks uniform and glossy.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until no dry flour is visible. Mix gently so the dough stays tender.
  4. Fold in dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed. You should see chips throughout the dough for chocolate chip puddles as they bake.
Fill and shape with caramel
  1. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough and flatten slightly into a thick disk. Aim for enough surface area to fully enclose a caramel candy.
  2. Place one unwrapped soft caramel candy in the center and wrap dough around it. Press and seal the edges so the caramel won’t leak.
  3. Roll the filled dough into a ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Space cookies apart so they have room to spread.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set while the caramel is gooey inside. Look for set edges and a slightly soft center rather than fully firm cookies.
  2. Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking for visible sparkle and balanced sweetness. Cool for 8 minutes before eating so the caramel settles slightly without fully hardening.

Notes

For clean caramel centers, press the dough seals firmly around the candy so it stays enclosed during baking. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend designed for baking (check that it measures by weight or follow the package conversion).