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Family-friendly meals made easy!
Make everyday family moments count, with easy recipes that everyone will love. Join our email community to receive tested recipes and tips.
Make everyday family moments count, with easy recipes that everyone will love. Join our email community to receive tested recipes and tips.
Rich caramel filling and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt turn classic chocolate chip cookies into something extra special. These indulgent (but surprisingly simple) cookies are what dessert dreams are made of! They’re perfect for holidays, potlucks, or any night you’re craving an easy homemade treat. One Pillsbury™ user called these “the best cookies ever!”
The flaky sea salt is what takes these Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies to the next level. Did you know that sea salt literally comes from the evaporation of sea water? Table salt, on the other hand, comes from rock salt. When it comes to sweet baked goods, sprinkling flaky sea salt over the top adds a craveable salty-sweet flavor combo and a hint of crunch.
The salted caramel trend is definitely here to stay! If you’re craving even more rich, salty-sweet goodness, we have so many recipes from which to choose—from our 5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Crumble Bars and Salted Caramel Doughnut Holes to a luscious 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Dip!
A few pantry staples and clever shortcuts make these cookies shine. Here’s what you’ll need.
Pillsbury™ Chocolate Chip Refrigerated Cookie Dough: This shortcut gives you perfect soft and chewy cookies every time! You could also substitute a 16-oz package of Pillsbury™ Ready-to-Bake™ Cookie Dough. And while you can sneak nibbles of unbaked Pillsbury™ cookie dough by itself, once you add flour, you can no longer eat the dough raw for food safety reasons.
Caramels: The star of the show! Mixed with half-and-half, they melt into a rich filling that pools perfectly in the center of the cookies.
Flaky Sea Salt: This ties everything together and creates the irresistible salty-sweet flavor.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Flour adds structure to the dough to help the cookies hold their shape, and pecans bring a nutty crunch that balances the sweetness. Semisweet chocolate chips create the perfect drizzle and make your cookies look positively bakery-worthy.
You can whip up these bakery-style cookies in just a few easy steps. Here’s a quick look at what to do. Keep scrolling for the full recipe!
In a large bowl, break up the cookie dough and knead in flour until it’s all mixed together.
Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Coat each one in chopped pecans, pressing gently so they stick. Then, arrange the balls on a baking sheet about an inch apart.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden. Right after they come out, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a small indentation in the center of each cookie to hold the caramel.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine unwrapped caramels and half-and-half. Microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth and creamy. Spoon a little caramel into each cookie’s center, then let the cookies cool for about 15 minutes.
Drizzle with melted chocolate, and add a pinch of flaky sea salt. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate sets—if you can wait that long!
If you happen to have a few cookies left (lucky you!), they’re just as delicious the next day—rich, chewy, and full of that salty-sweet magic.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, with waxed paper between the layers of cookies to help prevent them from sticking to each other. However, if it’s warm in your home, it’s a good idea to put them in the fridge, so the drizzle doesn’t melt.
Store in an airtight container (with waxed paper in between the layers of cookies) for up to 5 days.
These cookies are great for making ahead of time! They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months—just thaw them before serving.
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour until well blended. (DO NOT EAT RAW COOKIE DOUGH AFTER COMBINING WITH FLOUR.)
Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in pecans, pressing them into dough. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Using handle of wooden spoon, make indentation in center of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheet to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and half-and-half uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until caramels are melted. Spoon about 1 teaspoon caramel into indentation of each cookie. Cool 15 minutes.
Drizzle with melted chocolate; sprinkle with salt. Let stand about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.
In this recipe, flaky sea salt works best because it has a lighter, flakier texture and excellent flavor. Kosher and table salt won’t work well, because they easily dissolve.
If you don’t have pecans, you can use walnuts instead!
If you don’t have half-and-half on hand, you can use heavy cream—or simply use half milk and half heavy cream! However, using just milk may cause the caramel sauce to turn out too runny due to the lower fat content in the milk.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 2&½g | 13% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 190mg | 8% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 23g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 13g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Potassium | 45mg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
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