Caramel Stuffed Brown Sugar Cookies are incredibly soft and chewy and infused with nutty brown butter and topped with sea salt!
Reviews are in, these stuffed cookies are repeatedly “the best cookies I’ve ever made!” They’re soft and chewy, deeply flavorful with a craveable dimension of nutty, buttery goodness all giving way to soft, caramel centers. Best of all, they’re easy to make in less than an hour with zero chilling time!
Stuffed Brown Sugar Cookies
This past Christmas, I made chocolate cookies stuffed with caramel, sprinkled with sea salt and dusted with powdered sugar – oh. my. yum. I have been craving salted caramel cookies ever since. The only down side to these cookies was the dough had to chill for a few hours and when you have plates and plates of goodies to get out the door – or you just have a mad craving for salted caramel cookies – waiting three hours can be torturous.
So I decided to stuff my favorite ever (no chilling required) Brown Sugar Cookies with caramel and I think Kiwi’s response does my own elation justice: click HERE
These caramel oozing Brown Sugar Cookies rank right up there with my S’mores Cookies (aka Patrick’s favorite cookie) and my Nutella Cookies AKA my other favorite cookie. They are soft, chewy, sweet and salty and get even more ridiculously delicious with each bite of soft caramel.
Why You’ll Love this Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe
- AWARD WINNING: A reader commented, “I made these for my school’s staff Christmas Cookie Contest. Won best overall cookie, and everyone were raving about them.”
- BROWN BUTTER: Deeply flavorful with a craveable dimension of nutty, buttery goodness.
- ZERO CHILLING REQUIRED: So you can eat them ASAP!
- EASY CARAMEL CENTERS: Add a caramel to cookie dough, top it with more cookie dough and roll into a ball – viola!
- SOFT AND CHEWY: This recipe includes one extra egg yolk for optimal richness.
- DECORATE FOR ANY OCCASION: Top with festive sprinkles– use your favorite colors or mix them up for different holidays
Caramel Filled Cookies Ingredients
- Caramels: Use soft caramel candies like Kraft. If you use a larger caramel, cut them in half.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter or omit the salt in the recipe. The butter plays a critical role in the flavor and structure, so please don’t make any substitutions.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the best texture.
- Granulated Sugar: This imparts that classic sugar cookie sweetness! Do not use an alternative sweetener because it will affect the texture of the cookies.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leaving agents work together to create tender, soft, and chewy cookies. Make sure they’re fresh so they work!
- Eggs: Use one whole egg and one egg yolk. The egg gives the cookies structure and the egg yolk makes them extra soft and chewy because it adds richness without any additional moisture. Bring the eggs to room temperature before adding to the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: Use the best quality for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar: Use light, medium or dark depending on desired flavor of molasses.
- Salt: Table salt is added to the cookie batter and I highly recommend topping the baked cookies with sea salt – think salted caramel!
How to Make Stuffed Cookies
These insanely soft Brown Sugar Cookies stuffed with caramel start with nutty brown butter – you know, just to make them even more delicious and because melted butter = a chewier cookie…
You then proceed to whip up your cookie dough as usual, but the use of brown sugar adds an additional depth of chewiness, richness and oomph of brown sugar flavor – perfect for cocooning soft, melty caramel.
To make the caramel surprise inside, you simply sandwich a soft caramel in-between 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, pinching the edges and squeezing into a ball.
You then sprinkle the dough with sea salt and bake for approximately 12 minutes. The Brown Sugar cookies will seem soft but let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet to slightly firm up and you will have the softest, chewiest cookies ever…
With brown butter, caramel and sea salt.
- Make brown butter: Melt the butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook and stir constantly until butter is dark golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter (chopped) and stir until completely melted; set aside to cool.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl.
- Add eggs and sugar: Add brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter and whisk until combined. Add egg and yolk and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Combine: Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Add caramel: Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and place a caramel on top.
- Sandwich caramel: Add another tablespoon of dough on top of caramel, pinch edges of dough around caramel and roll into a ball.
- Add sea salt: Place cookies on prepared baking sheets 3 inches apart and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees F 11-13 minutes until barely golden.
- Cool: Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
And you too will be pawing for the very last salted caramel cookie…
Caramel Stuffed Brown Butter Sugar Cookies with no chill time. Because when you get a craving for caramel stuffed cookies – you need them now.
Stuffed Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe FAQs
Melted butter in cookie recipes contributes to a different texture and flavor compared to using softened or creamed butter. Cookies made with melted butter tend to have a chewier and denser texture, with a more concentrated buttery flavor, as opposed to lighter and more cake-like. The melted butter also can create a crisper edge.
Looking for more Cookie Recipes?
- Triple Chocolate Turtle Cookies
- Oatmeal Creme Pies
- S’more Cookies
- Nutella Cookies
- Oreo Stuffed Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Apple Cookies
WANT TO TRY THESE CARAMEL STUFFED BROWN SUGAR COOKIES?
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Caramel Filled Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons AP flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar, medium or dark
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 20-24 soft caramel candies (I use Kraft)
- sea salt
Instructions
- Melt 10 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook and stir constantly until butter is dark golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter (chopped) and stir until completely melted; set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick mats. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Add brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter and whisk until combined. Add egg and yolk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and mix just until completely combined.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and place a caramel on top. Add another tablespoon of dough on top of caramel, pinch edges of dough around caramel and roll into a ball. Repeat until all remaining dough is gone.
- Place cookies on prepared baking sheets 3 inches apart and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees F 10-12 minutes until barely golden (they will seem underbaked). Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I like to microwave cooled cookies for 10 seconds or so for softer caramel.
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Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Magazine: Best Desserts Ever, Brown Sugar Cookies, page 88
MEG says
I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but these are AMAZING!
My husband loved them so much he took a bunch to share with his friends, who also loved them!
I think these are the best cookies I have ever made, and will absolutely be what I bring to any event I’m the future.
Jen says
Thanks for taking the time to comment Meg, I’m thrilled these caramel stuffed cookies were such a hit and even the “best cookies” you’ve ever made – the ultimate compliment, thank you!
Nicole says
Hello,
I would like to make these, but can you tell me what ap flour is?
Thanks.
Jen says
It is regular all-purpose flour. Enjoy!
Miriam says
Hi! 5th time I’ve made these and they seem to get more delicious each time. Anyways, I was wondering if I could store leftover dough in the refrigerator and bake the following day or two after ? Thank you!
Jen says
I LOVE hearing you have made these caramel brown sugar cookies so many times, thanks Miriam! Yes, you can absolutely refrigerate leftover dough.
ALEXANDER EMERT says
I made these for my school’s staff Christmas Cookie Contest. Won best overall cookie, and everyone were raving about them.
Jen says
Yesssssss, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing Alexander! Congratulations!
Daniela says
OMG!!! I’m a cookie monster, but I don’t like sugar cookies that much. Buuuut NO WAY… THEEESE are the best cookies I’ve ever tried in my life. I didn’t add the whole amount of sugar (1/4 cup less) cause I don’t like them so sweet. But they are perfect.
Jen says
Thank you so much for your awesome comment Daniela, that is high praise coming from a cookie monster! I’m honored these were the best cookies you’ve ever tried!
Vidara says
Is it possible to use liquid salted caramel in place of the candies?
Jen says
Hi Vidara, unfortunately liquid caramel won’t work for this recipe.
Chameleon says
Do the baked cookies freeze well?
Jen says
Hi Chameleon, yes these cookies freeze well but I would use Werther’s brand soft caramels because they will stay softer. Enjoy!
Dani says
Will they taste bad if I freeze the caramel stuffed doughballs overnight? I need to prep the dough a day before baking because of time constraints!
Jen says
Nope, that will work great!
KELLY WRIGHT says
Can I use Kraft Caramel Bits? If so, how many bits per cookie you think? They are little balls and are much smaller than a caramel.
Jen says
Hi Kelly, I haven’t personally used them so I found a review that said they didn’t work well in cookie bars, so I would experiment at your own risk. Good luck!
nata says
Could I add chocolate chips to the cookie batter along with the caramel?
Jen says
Yes!
Sarah says
Hi there,
Since there’s no chilling, do these cookies expand a lot? Are they pretty flat? They sound delicious: I can’t wait to make them with some homemade caramels I made recently. Thanks for the idea!
Jen says
Hi Sarah, if your butter is room temperature, they shouldn’t expand a lot. Enjoy!
McLeod says
I made these cookies tonight using dark brown sugar. I have been baking since I was 11 or 12 and these are quite possibly the best cookies I have ever baked, period. Everyone needs these cookies in their lives. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Jen says
Wow, that is the ultimate compliment, thank you so much!!! Can I ask which caramels you used?
HHB says
Here to report that the cookie portion of this is AMAZING and that Brach’s caramels become unpleasantly hard and chewy once baked, even when cookies are warm. Looking forward to trying again with another type of caramel!
Jen says
I am so glad that the cookie part was so good, and best of luck trying with another caramel!
Lisa Careau says
I used Goetze’s caramel creams, which I froze before adding to the dough. The candy retains its shape and soft white center after the baking. Just before serving, I put them in the microwave for 12 seconds, making them perfectly gooey.
Jen says
Hi Lisa, thanks for the tips! I am so glad this recipe works for you!
Rose says
I know I’m probably in the minority, but I prefer a crunchier cookie vs. soft and chewy. Do you think if I left out the egg yolk, it would make for a crunchier cookie? They look delish. Thank you!
Jen says
Crunchy cookies are amazing too!! You could experiment with leaving out the yolk or flatten your cookies out before baking them! Hope you enjoy!
Victoria says
I cannot tell you the amount of compliments I get on this cookie. At this point, I ONLY make this cookie, because of how good it is. Fairly easy, but it makes me feels like a professional. Absolutely love.
One change I sometimes make is switching the caramel for a Rolo. I had some leftover candy last Halloween and tried a few different centers for this recipe and that’s been a winner!
Jen says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that this cookie has been such a staple! Rolos are a great idea!
Janis says
Hi, these look so good! I need to make them. I have a question could I put the dough into mini muffin papers in a mini muffin pan to prevent spreading? I would probably use less dough (just enough to cover the caramel) this would make them smaller and more daintier. I would also put a half pecan on top when they come out of the oven and drizzle with chocolate and add sea salt. Would they brown and cook enough with the same amount of time in your recipe? Would I need to make any changes to the recipe? Thanks in advance.
Jen says
I think that would work great and be so cute! I think they would require a little longer to bake but I recommend baking one and testing before you bake all of them. Enjoy!
Sarah says
Hi! Long time listener, first time caller.
Made the cookies. All ingredients fresh and room temp. Cookies are delicious!! But they’re really flat. So they spread out a lot. Any suggestions on how I can make them look more like your pictures?
Jen says
Hi Sarah! Thank you for trying out my recipes! It makes me happy that they turned out delicious for you! You can try chilling the dough before baking or adding a little flour to the dough. I hope that helps!