These Caramel Snickerdoodles are such a delicious twist on snickerdoodles with a caramelly brown butter based cookie surrounding a sweet gooey caramel surprise in the middle. They have such a rich flavor, and chewy texture you’ll want to make this recipe again and again.
Some recipes become an instant favorite and these salted caramel snickerdoodle cookies are one of those. The same thing happened the first time I made these Lemon Thumbprint Cookies. These cookies are based off our Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies but taken to the next level with caramels in the middle!
These caramel snickerdoodles are the perfect cookie to satisfy your sweet tooth, and impress anyone you might share them with (That is if you’re willing to share, you might want to eat them all yourself). The cookies are rich, sweet, chewy, and so delicious. Like the best snickerdoodle cookie, taken to to the next best level!
Why make this recipe
- Perfect Texture – The chewy cookie texture pairs so nicely with the gooey caramel center. When they’re eaten warm and the caramel is extra soft, they’re even better.
- Easy to Make – These use store bought soft caramels, so the cookies are ready in less than 1 hour. The hardest part is waiting for the brown butter to cool enough to use.
- Caramel Flavor in Every Bite – The brown butter and brown sugar in the cookie base gives the cookies them self a nutty, and caramely flavor, paired with the caramel in the center. It’s a delicious cookie for caramel lovers, especially mixed with the cinnamon sugar!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Caramel Snickerdoodle Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter – don’t be afraid to brown the butter, it takes just a few minutes, and adds an extra caramel flavor to the cookies themselves.
- granulated sugar + brown sugar – classic snickerdoodles usually only have granulated sugar, but I love the added brown sugar for chewiness and extra caramel flavor
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt
- ground cinnamon – for that classic snickerdoodle flavor
- soft caramels – Kraft Caramels, Werthers Soft Caramels, or a block of caramel sliced up works great.
- flakey sea salt – adds a nice saltiness to the cookies for a soft caramel flavor
How to make Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles
Step 1: Brown the Butter. Add the brown butter to a medium sized pot and heat over medium. Let the butter melt, stirring regularly as it melts. Then it will start to bubble, and foam. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot as it cooks, watching closely as it gets a nutty smell and turns an amber color. Transfer the butter to another bowl, scooping all the specks from the pan for flavor into the bowl, then let it cool for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for a couple of minutes until it starts to get smooth and lighten a bit in color. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients. Add in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. (Make sure to carefully measure the flour by spooning and leveling or weighing out the flour.) Mix until you have a soft cookie dough. Stick the dough into the fridge while you preheat the oven. (If your dough is extra soft, if your butter was still warm stick the dough in the fridge for a little longer, about 1 hour.)
Step 4: Make the cookie balls. Scoop the cookie dough into portions about 1.5 TBS in size. Flatten then dough in your palm and stick half of a soft caramel candy into the middle. Roll the dough around the caramel to cover completely, then roll it into cinnamon sugar to coat. Place them onto a baking sheet a few inches apart.
Step 5: Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies until the tops start to crinkle, and the edges look golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and leave the cookies on the pan for about 5 minutes to solidify and continue cooking. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm.
Tips and Tricks
- Browning the Butter – Don’t rush browning the butter over high heat, and make sure you are watching it closely to avoid burning it. You want specks of brown in the butter and a nice golden amber color throughout. Stir it almost constantly as it cooks until you get that lovely color and perfect nutty scent.
- Chilling the Dough – The dough shouldn’t need to be chilled longer than 10 minutes as long as you let the butter cool enough before mixing it into the dough. If your dough feels extra soft though, or if you bake cookies and they are flatter than you’d like then I recommend chilling the dough for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Microwave the Cookies – I love eating the cookies fresh best, but after storing then I love zapping them in the microwave for about 8 seconds to soften the caramel back up again. So good!
Storage Instructions
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies are delicious at room temperature, or I love zapping in the microwave for about 8 seconds to eat them warm again too.
The cookies should also freeze well in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw for a couple hours at room temperature to make sure the caramels are not too hard to eat.
These Brown Butter Caramel Cookies are one of my new favorites and I just know you’ll love them too. You’ll want to make them all year long, but if you make them for your cookie exchange parties, or cookie trays at the holidays everyone will be asking you for the recipe!
More Cookie Recipes
If you try this Caramel Snickerdoodle, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Caramel Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 TBS vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled, or weighed)
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 28 Soft Caramels
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 TBS ground cinnamon
- flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Put butter in a large pot. Heat over medium heat. 1 cup unsalted butter
- Allow the butter to continue cooking, stirring often as it melts, then bubbles and foams. Scrape the sides and watch for it to get a nutty smell, and start to turn to an amber color. Remove from heat.
- Pour butter into a separate bowl and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
- Cream together the butter (still melted) sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until it starts to get smooth. 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until just combined. 2 large eggs, 1/2 TBS vanilla extract
- Add in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar , 1 tsp baking soda , 1 tsp baking soda
- Cover the dough and place it in the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or silicone liners, and set it aside.
- Scoop the dough by 1.5 to 2 TBS portions.
- Flatten the dough between your hands and place one unwrapped caramel into the middle of the cookies. (If the caramels are large cut them in halves) 28 Soft Caramels
- Roll the Dough around the caramels to cover the caramel completely.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- Add the sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl, and whisk them together. 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 1 TBS ground cinnamon
- Roll the cookie dough balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are crinkled and the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with flakey sea salt.
- After 5 minutes, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Browning the Butter – Don’t rush browning the butter over high heat, and make sure you are watching it closely to avoid burning it. You want specks of brown in the butter and a nice golden amber color throughout. Stir it almost constantly as it cooks until you get that lovely color and perfect nutty scent.
- Chilling the Dough – The dough shouldn’t need to be chilled longer than 10 minutes as long as you let the butter cool enough before mixing it into the dough. If your dough feels extra soft though, or if you bake cookies and they are flatter than you’d like then I recommend chilling the dough for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Microwave the Cookies – I love eating the cookies fresh best, but after storing then I love zapping them in the microwave for about 8 seconds to soften the caramel back up again. So good!
I never would have thought to add caramel to snickerdoodles. SO good. Thanks for the recipe!
OMG could these be more stunning!? Love the snickerdoodle and caramel combo. Beyond delish!