Hello everyone! I would like to share a recipe I created for cookies based on salted caramel hot chocolate, a wonderful wintertime treat.
These cookies have a rich chocolate cookie base, filled with homemade caramel and chocolate chunks, then drizzled with more caramel sauce and flaky salt.
Unfortunately, ring molds are almost a necessity for these (depending on what final texture you want). They can be made without, and the spread is decently normal when baked from frozen, but the caramel inside the cookies will spill out and become crunchy once cooled. If you like that texture, go for it!
The caramel I used is the exact same as in my Turtle Cookie Dough Truffles recipe, and is quite simple.
As always, feel free to experiment with the chocolate types used as well! I used double-dark dutched cocoa powder in the dough and semi-sweet chunks for the mix-in, but you could absolutely go with something lighter like natural cocoa and milk chocolate chips, or even darker with black cocoa (though I wouldn’t recommend going with 100% black cocoa, as it is quite a dominant flavor) and 80%+ dark chocolate pieces.
Without further ado, here is the recipe!
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Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Cookies
Difficulty: Easy12
CookiesRich and decadent double chocolate cookies filled with a caramel swirl and salted caramel drizzle, based off of salted caramel hot chocolate!
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113g/1 stick) salted butter
1/3 cup (57g/2oz) dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp (130g) brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (80g) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups (140g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp espresso powder (opt.)
1/4 + 1/8 cup (32g) cocoa powder*
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
scant 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup + 1 tbsp (180g) dark chocolate chunks (or chips)
Caramel sauce:
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
6 tbsp (85g/0.7 stick) salted butter
1/2 cup (113g) heavy cream
3/4 tsp salt
Directions
- Add the sugar for the caramel to a medium saucepot. Whisk occasionally over medium heat until fully melted and amber in color. Add in the butter in 1-tbsp pieces, whisking vigorously after each addition. Once all the butter is in and the mixture is smooth, add in the cream and whisk constantly. It will steam a lot, so you may need to pause and step back for a few seconds to be safe. Once incorporated, bring it to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the salt. Pour around half of the caramel onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and the rest into a heatproof measuring cup. Let cool to room temp, then cover and chill both. Once the caramel on the sheet is solidified, slice it into 1/2″ squares and remove from the parchment paper. Keep chilled.
- For the dough: add the butter and 1/3 cup (57g/2oz) of chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second intervals, whisking in between, until almost completely smooth. Be careful not to overheat it. Keep whisking until chocolate is completely melted. Mix in the cocoa powder, then both sugars. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks, followed by the caramel pieces. I recommend adding the caramel bits in batches, to keep them from sticking to each other too much. The amount of chilled, chopped caramel you use is up to personal preference. I used about 120g (4.25oz).
- Scoop onto a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet using a 3-tbsp cookie scoop. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Once ready, preheat oven to 350F and place ring molds around dough balls. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until dry on top and caramel is bubbling. Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from molds, then cool completely.
- Heat remaining caramel sauce in a microwave safe vessel for about 15-20 seconds or until thick but liquid. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- *I used dutched cocoa, but natural works too.
Thank you for viewing my recipe! If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below!
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