Description
These Salted Caramel Crunch Cookies combine the perfect balance of sweet and salty with buttery cookie dough loaded with toffee and caramel bits, topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for an irresistible crunchy treat. Perfect for cookie lovers looking for a luscious caramel twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix-ins & Topping
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup caramel bits
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the dough.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to fully incorporate them, then stir in the vanilla extract to add depth of flavor.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to distribute the leavening agent and salt evenly throughout the flour.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough and keep the cookies tender.
- Fold in mix-ins: Gently fold in the toffee bits and caramel bits until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough to ensure every bite has a crunchy caramel surprise.
- Shape cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Sprinkle sea salt: Lightly sprinkle the tops of each cookie with flaky sea salt to enhance the sweet and salty flavor contrast.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers are set, indicating perfectly baked cookies.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened, not melted, for proper creaming.
- For extra chewiness, slightly underbake the cookies by a minute.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Toffee and caramel bits can sometimes melt together slightly; chill dough if desired for thicker cookies.
- If you prefer, substitute caramel bits with chopped caramel candies.
