Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are the new favorite cookie at the Merkley home!
They are the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and totally irresistible. They bake up soft and chewy with rich brown sugar flavor, melty chocolate chips, and caramel chips tucked into every bite, then a sprinkle of flaky salt on top.
The dough for this recipe bakes into thick, bakery-style cookies, the extra chips on top make them look beautiful, and the flaky salt cuts the sweetness just right so you keep reaching for “one more.” If you love the sweet and salty combo, you’ll love this cookie combo!
For more favorite cookies, be sure to try our classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Carmelitas, and Brownie Cookies.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Sweet + Salty. They are soft, thick, and chewy with the best sweet and salty combo.
- Quick. They bake fast, perfect for last-minute cookie cravings.
- Brown sugar keeps them chewy. More brown sugar helps create a soft, chewy texture.
- Salted finish upgrades flavor. Flaky salt cuts the sweetness and makes caramel and chocolate taste richer.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened (1 cup): Adds rich flavor and helps create a soft, tender cookie. Softened butter creams well with sugar for the best texture.
- Packed light brown sugar (1 ½ cups): Adds moisture and that caramel-like sweetness that makes cookies chewy and rich.
- Granulated sugar (½ cup): Adds sweetness and helps the edges bake up slightly crisp. It balances the brown sugar.
- Eggs (2): Binds the dough and help the cookies bake up thick and chewy. They also add richness.
- All-purpose flour (3 cups): Gives the cookies structure and keeps them from spreading too much. It creates that thick cookie shape.
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon): Helps the cookies spread slightly and brown nicely.
- Baking powder (1 teaspoon): Adds lift so the cookies stay thicker and softer.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Balances sweetness and boosts the caramel and chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract (1 tablespoon): Adds warmth and makes the cookie dough taste more bakery-style.
- Caramel chips (1 cup): Adds sweet caramel flavor and melty pockets throughout the cookies.
- Chocolate chips (1 cup): Adds classic chocolate flavor and make each bite extra rich.
- Extra caramel and chocolate chips: Makes the cookies look loaded and give you more melty bites.
- Flaky salt: Adds a crisp salty finish. It balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop.
How to Make Salted Caramel Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer in a large bowl), cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for a few minutes. Add eggs and beat until fluffy (a few more minutes).
In a medium bowl, add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Add dry ingredients and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined.
Fold in chocolate and caramel chips. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough, and roll into balls.
Place onto the prepared baking sheet and top with extra chips.
Bake for 9–11 minutes.
While still warm, use the back end of a metal spatula to round out the cookies and add any more chips needed. Sprinkle on flaky sea salt. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Cream the butter and sugars well; it helps the cookies bake up thick and soft.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added; it can make cookies tougher.
- Pull the cookies when the edges are set, and the centers still look a little soft; they will finish setting as they cool.
- Use the spatula trick to round them while warm for perfect bakery-style circles.
- For clean storage, let cookies cool completely before sealing, so they stay soft and not sticky.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup caramel chips
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Extra caramel and chocolate chips
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer in a large bowl), cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for a few minutes. Add eggs and beat until fluffy (a few more minutes).
- In a medium bowl, add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Add dry ingredients and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined.
- Fold in chocolate and caramel chips. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough, and roll into balls.
- Place onto the prepared baking sheet and top dough balls with extra chips.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes.
- While still warm, use the back end of a metal spatula to round out the cookies and add any more chips needed. Sprinkle on flaky sea salt. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
Notes
- Cream the butter and sugars for a few minutes so the cookies bake up soft and chewy.
- Beat the eggs in until fluffy to help give the dough a lighter texture.
- Top the dough balls with extra caramel and chocolate chips before baking for a pretty finish.
- Round the warm cookies with a spatula right after baking for that bakery-style shape.
- Make-ahead tip: scoop and roll the dough balls ahead, then refrigerate or freeze and bake when ready.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze cooled cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Scoop dough balls and freeze on a baking sheet, then store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly for extra gooey caramel chips.
