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These homemade thumbprint Salted Caramel Cookies are amazing! With salted caramel and a chocolate zig zag, they’re perfect for any occasion!

Salted Caramel Cookies

Holiday cookies make great gifts and excellent treats to serve to your guests at any gathering. These Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are delicious and look amazing! Plus, if you have any little ones in the house, this is a great dessert to get them involved in baking. My daughter is able to follow all of the steps and is always amazingly proud of the results.

These delicious shortbread thumbprint cookies with a chewy, gooey salted caramel middle are topped with a yummy zig zag of chocolate. It doesn’t get much better than that! All of your favorite flavors in one, scrumptious bite.

For the kids to help you with this sea salt caramel cookie, there are lots of options. If you have small children, they can help you put the thumbprint into each of the cookies 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!

Salted Caramel Cookies Recipe

How To Make:

Cookie Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt

Caramel Thumbprint Ingredients:
Half bag of Kraft caramels
1/2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk or cream
Sea salt for garnish
Chocolate frosting

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and set a non-stick baking sheet aside.

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. Tie it off at the back and snip a corner off the front. Pipe your caramel into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle the 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. Yields about 24 cookies.

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?

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 butter, softened; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 3/4 cups flour; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 1/8 tsp salt; Half bag of Kraft caramels; 1/2 Tbsp butter; 2 Tbsp milk or cream; Sea salt for garnish; Chocolate frosting

These homemade Salted Caramel Cookies are amazing! With caramel in the middle and a chocolate drizzle, they're perfect for any occasion!

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 butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups 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 cream
Sea salt for garnish
Chocolate frosting

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and set a baking sheet aside.
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.

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies