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Bakery soft chocolate chip cookies are stuffed with gooey soft caramel candies and baked to perfection. These chocolate chunk caramel stuffed cookies are quite possibly the best cookies for a bit of indulgence.
Pure Decadence: Caramel Stuffed Cookies
Have you noticed that when you stuff ingredients inside other food items, it makes it into the most delicious thing, ever? Stuffing pepperoni pizza ingredients into dough balls, stuffing peppers, stuffing artichokes, and now caramel stuffed cookies.
The base of these caramel stuffed cookies are the softest, most tender, bakery-style chocolate chunk cookie. Stuffed between the cookies are soft, sea salt caramel candies that when baked, melt and bake together with the chocolate chunk cookies resulting in the most decadent treat that you’ll have coming out of your oven. When you break into these soft cookies, the caramel center is so gooey and irresistible. Sweet and salty flavors combined with the rich dark chocolate chunks make this caramel stuffed cookie absolutely decadent.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use the right caramel candies. This is by far one of the most important steps to yield success. You must use a soft caramel candy otherwise the caramel in the center will be stiff. My best suggestion is to use a soft caramel candy like the Trader Joe’s sea salt caramels or Werther’s soft caramels. I tried using Kraft caramels and they didn’t melt as well and were rather stiff after allowing the cookies to cool.
- The second most important step is allowing the cookies to cool before breaking them apart and/or eating. You need the caramels to set up just a bit. If you break the cookies open too soon, everything will just disintegrate, and more importantly, you could burn yourself with that hot caramel center!
- If you prefer chocolate chips to chocolate chunks, you can make a swap for those. You can even use your favorite chocolate variation (dark chocolate, semi-sweet, etc.).
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
Allow the cookies to cool then store them in an airtight container with a slice of white bread for up to 5 days. The slice of white bread will keep the cookies soft and tender.
To freeze the cookies: if you are freezing the cookie dough before baking, form the cookie balls and freeze on the baking sheet. Once frozen, remove the cookie dough and place into a zippered freezer bag. To bake, bake from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add 2-4 more minutes of additional bake time, or until cookies are baked through and caramel has melted.
If you are freezing baked cookies, allow the cookies to cool then freeze them in a zippered freezer bag. To reheat, bake from frozen in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until cookies are warmed through and caramel has melted.
Chocolate Chunk Caramel Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (341 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup (330 g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (250 g) bread flour, you may use AP flour instead if you don’t have it on hand
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chunks
- ½ cup (88 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 18 soft caramel candies, cut in half to give you 36
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.1 1/2 cups (341 g) unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cup (330 g) dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes.2 eggs, 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a large bowl, add flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 cups (250 g) bread flour, 4 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until all combined and well-incorporated.
- Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks and finely chopped dark chocolate.1 1/2 cups (255 g) chocolate chunks, 1/2 cup (88 g) dark chocolate
- Take a scoop of cookie dough, roll it into a ball, then using your thumb, press into the center, put the caramel candy in the center, then re-roll the ball to cover the caramel candy. Repeat until all dough has been used up.18 soft caramel candies
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. They will look super soft but they continue cooking after you remove them from the oven.
- Let cool on baking sheet COMPLETELY before you move them to a wire rack. If you move them too soon, they're too delicate so they'll break and the caramel will ooze out from beneath the cookie.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
If I am ever in your town I’m going to show up at your door and demand that you make me cookies. It might be a little awkward.
Although not really cause I love you :)
Do I have to use cornstarch? We have corn allergies. :(
Any substitutes or can I do it without?
TIA
BTW, this cookie looks amazing!
Hi Karin! As stated in my blog post, the cornstarch is replaced for baking powder, so if you have a corn allergy, then just sub in the baking powder for the cornstarch. I can’t guarantee they’ll be super soft since cornstarch is what makes the cookie super soft, but it’s worth a shot :)
Oops, that doesn’t sound right. Let me rephrase. As stated in the blog post, the baking powder is replaced with the cornstarch – so if you have a corn allergy, then just sub in the baking powder for the cornstarch. I can’t guarantee they’ll be super soft since cornstarch is what makes the cookie super soft, but it’s worth a shot :)
I am totally crushing on caramel lately, and I LOVE that you added a hefty dose of salt. Seriously? These cookies look RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!!
MMMmmmm….kind of need to find time to make these soon!
Thanks for the info. I am not shipping them through the mail. I was just thinking about with my Christmas cookie packages I give to family and friends. I have plenty of twine…what a cute idea!
I could do some damage to a tray of these.
LOVE this!!! Thank you for sharing!!! Totally going to bake these!
Ok, yeah, you’re right! This is the #1 cookie that should be at the top of everyone’s cookie list!
And cornstarch? LOVE!! Great tip!
I can taste them all the way here in Ohio :)
Oh my heavens!!! I have to try these. For being soft cookies would they package and transport well with other cookies? I am a crisp cookie girl so I don’t have much experience with this. Hee!
You’d have to make sure the cookies are tightly packed together. They’re really soft so they’re fairly delicate. If you’re shipping them, tie like 4-5 together tightly with twine!