Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Ingredients

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.

How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

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! 

1. Prep the Dough

In a large bowl, break up the cookie dough and knead in flour until it’s all mixed together.

2. Shape and Roll

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.

3. Bake and Make Space for the Caramel

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.

4. Melt 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.

5. Decorate and Enjoy

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!

How to Store Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Countertop

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.

Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container (with waxed paper in between the layers of cookies) for up to 5 days.

Freezer

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.