Tips for perfect gooey caramel cookies
- Use soft caramels: Choose soft caramels or caramel baking squares designed to melt well. Very hard caramels may not melt smoothly and can become too firm as the cookies cool.
- Seal the dough completely: Make sure the caramel is fully enclosed and the dough is smooth. Any cracks or thin spots can cause caramel to leak out during baking.
- Don’t overbake: If you bake until the cookies look fully done in the center, they will firm up too much as they cool and the caramel can lose its gooey texture. Pull them when the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- Let them rest on the pan: Allowing cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes helps the structure set around the molten center and reduces the chance of tearing or losing caramel when you move them.
- Control spread: If your kitchen is very warm or the dough feels too soft, you can chill the filled dough balls for 15–20 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
Variations and serving ideas
- Salted Caramel Cinnamon Cookies: Always finish warm cookies with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a pronounced salted caramel note.
- Nutty Caramel Cookies: Fold chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the dough, or press them into the tops before baking for crunch and flavor.
- Mocha Caramel Cookies: Don’t skip the optional espresso powder if you love deeper flavor—it subtly boosts the caramel and brown sugar notes without making the cookies taste like coffee.
- Chocolate drizzle: Once cooled, drizzle with melted dark or milk chocolate for a dessert that looks like it came from a bakery case.
- Ice cream sandwich: Serve warm cookies over vanilla ice cream, or cool them and use two cookies with a scoop of ice cream between them for a decadent ice cream sandwich.
These cookies shine on holiday cookie trays, fall dessert boards, or as a cozy evening treat with hot chocolate, coffee, or tea.
Storage, make-ahead, and freezing
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. The centers will transition from molten to pleasantly chewy as they sit. If your kitchen is very warm, you can store them in the refrigerator and let them come back to room temperature before serving so the caramel softens.
For longer storage:
- Freeze baked cookies: Place cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls: Shape and fill the dough around the caramels, then freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time, until the edges are set and centers look soft.
Freezing unbaked stuffed cookies is a great way to have fresh, warm caramel cookies on demand with almost no work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use caramel sauce instead of caramel candies?
Caramel sauce is too fluid and will leak out and burn in the oven. Stick to soft caramel candies or baking caramels, which are designed to hold their shape as they melt.
My caramel hardened after cooling. What happened?
The caramels used may be on the firmer side, or the cookies may have baked too long. Next time, try a softer caramel brand, reduce the bake time slightly, and be sure to pull the cookies when centers still look soft.
Can I make smaller cookies?
Yes, but you’ll need smaller caramel pieces. You can cut soft caramels in half and use a bit less dough per cookie. Reduce baking time by a minute or two and watch closely.
Can I add chocolate chips to the dough?
Absolutely. A small handful of mini chocolate chips folded into the dough pairs beautifully with caramel and cinnamon. Just don’t overload the dough so it still wraps easily around the caramel.
Do I have to chill the dough?
The recipe is designed to work without a full chill, but if your kitchen is warm or you find the dough too soft to handle, a short chill (15–30 minutes) will make shaping easier and help cookies bake up thicker.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter Cookies with Gooey Caramel Centers bring everything cozy and nostalgic into one cookie: brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and molten caramel. They’re made for sharing—but once you taste them warm from the oven, you may be tempted to keep a secret stash just for yourself.