These delicious Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are perfect for caramel lovers! With a soft caramel center and a chocolate zig-zag, they’re excellent for the holiday season!

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Salted caramel is one of those flavors that only gets better the more you eat it and these Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are no different. These holiday cookies will impress you any time of year.

Delicious shortbread thumbprint cookies with a chewy and creamy caramel middle and a dusting of flaky sea salt, all topped with a yummy zig-zag of chocolate – it is all of your favorite flavors in one scrumptious bite.

For the kids to help you with these sea salt caramel cookies, there are lots of options.

If you have small children, they can help you put the thumbprint into each cookie center as well as help you mix your batter. They can also help you squeeze the caramel into each of the thumbprint wells when it is time.

Older children can make most of this salted caramel cookie recipe by themselves, so you can serve as a supervisor and allow them to take the credit. What’s better, they can help you make several batches of cookies so that you’re ready for the holidays.

These Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are perfect Christmas cookies for your holiday cookie exchange and will easily become favorite holiday treats for the whole family! An easy recipe that everyone will love!

Recipe Notes:

Make sure to add the thumbprint well to each cookie before baking.
Once the cookies have been baked, you may have to re-press indentations into the center of the cookies if they’ve begun to bake up.
If you can’t find Kraft caramels, any store-bought caramels that are pre-wrapped and similar will work.
The chocolate frosting that you use can be a tub of Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines frosting from the grocery store. There is no need to create homemade frosting.

How To Make Salted Caramel Cookies Recipe

Thumbprint Cookie Ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Salted Caramel Filling Ingredients:

Half bag of Kraft caramels
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Sea salt for garnish
Chocolate frosting

Supplies Needed:

Large baking pan
Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray
Electric mixer
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Rubber spatula
Tablespoon or small ice cream scoop
Medium microwave-safe bowl
Piping bag or resealable bag

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a nonstick baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also spray it with nonstick cooking spray or use a silicone mat.

Step 2: In a large bowl and using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter, the whole eggs (egg yolk and egg whites), sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Step 3: Add your flour, salt, and cream of tartar to the butter mixture and continue to mix until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated and a soft dough forms.

Step 4: Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, take some dough and begin to roll balls into about a 2-inch sphere.

Place each cookie dough ball onto the cookie sheet. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula so that you are sure to use all of the dough.

Step 5: Lightly press your thumb down in the center of each ball to create a “well” (that will later hold your caramel). If you’d prefer, you can also use the back of a teaspoon or the end of a wooden spoon for this step.

Step 6: Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Once ready, remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the buttery cookies to cool on wire racks.

Step 7: While the cookies bake, start on the homemade caramel sauce. Unwrap the caramel candies and place them in a medium bowl with the butter.

Microwave the caramels and butter using 20-second intervals. Between every 20 seconds, mix the soft caramels thoroughly so that they don’t burn.

Step 8: Once you’ve got melted caramel, stir in the cream/milk and heat again for 20 seconds. Let the simple caramel topping cool for about 15 minutes.

Step 9: Once cooled, spoon caramel into a pastry bag or Ziploc bag. Tie it off at the back and snip a corner off the front.

Step 10: While the cooled cookies are still on the wire rack, pipe your gooey caramel into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.

Step 11: To add a rich chocolate zig-zag, put some chocolate frosting (straight from the baking shelf is just fine) into a pastry bag and pipe that onto the top of each cookie.

Allow the cookies to set for about 20 minutes before serving. Yields about 24 cookies.

How To Store Leftover Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Store these delicious cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For best results, store them in a single layer with sheets of parchment paper layered in between.

Do I Have To Use Chocolate?

No! If you want to omit the chocolate frosting squiggles, they will still taste great. It is totally up to your personal tastes or what you think your guests might want.

What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Sea Salt For These Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints?

Your best bet for this recipe is sea salt flakes or crystals. They are larger and that is what you are going for. You can substitute Kosher Salt or Pink Himalayan if you don’t have any sea salt handy.

I wouldn’t use table salt, as it’s likely to dissolve into the caramel and change the experience you’re looking for.

Are You Looking For More Easy Cookie Recipes? Here Are Some Of My Favorites:

BLACK+DECKER Lightweight Hand Mixer, White, MX1500W McCormick Gourmet All Natural Cream Of Tartar, 2.62 oz Fine Ground Celtic Sea Salt – (1) 16 Ounce Resealable Bag of Nutritious, Classic Sea Salt, Great for Cooking, Baking, Pickling, Finishing and More, Pantry-Friendly, Gluten-Free Kraft, Vanilla Caramels, Individually Wrapped, 11oz Bag (Pack of 2)Wildone Baking Sheet & Rack Set [2 Sheets + 2 Racks], Stainless Steel Cookie Pan with Cooling Rack, Size 16 x 12 x 1 Inch, Non Toxic & Heavy Duty & Easy Clean Vastar Cake Decorating Supplies Kit – 30 in 1 cake decorations, 24Pcs Professional Stainless Steel DIY Icing Tips with 3 Reusable Coupler & Storage Case & 3 Sizes Silicone Cake Decorating Pastry Bags

Yield: 24 Cookies

Salted Caramel Cookies

Name: Salted Caramel Cookies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 1/8 tsp salt; Half bag of Kraft caramels; 1/2 Tbsp butter; 2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream; Sea salt for garnish; Chocolate frosting

These Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are delicious! With a soft caramel center and chocolate zig zag, they're perfect for the holiday season!

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt

Caramel Ingredients:

Half bag of Kraft caramels
1/2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
Sea salt for garnish
Chocolate frosting

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, combine the eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat them until smooth.
Add your flour, salt, and cream of tartar and continue to mix until a soft dough forms.
Roll your dough into 2-inch balls and place them on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb down in the middle of each ball to create a "well" (that will later hold your caramel).
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
While your cookies are cooling, start on the caramel. Using a microwave safe dish, microwave the caramels and butter using intervals of 20 seconds. Between each 20 seconds, mix thoroughly.
Once melted, stir in the cream/milk and heat again for 20 seconds. Let it stand to cool for about 15 minutes.
Once cooled, spoon the caramel into a pastry bag or Ziploc. Tie it off at the back and snip a corner off the bottom. Pipe your caramel into the center of each cookie.
Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.
To add a chocolate zig-zag, put some chocolate frosting (straight from the baking shelf is just fine) into a pastry bag and pipe that on as well.
Allow the cookies to set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make sure to add the thumbprint well to each cookie before baking.
Once the cookies have been baked, you may have to re-press indentations into the center of the cookies if they've begun to bake up.

The chocolate frosting that you use can be a tub of Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines frosting from the grocery store. There is no need to create homemade frosting.