Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These salted caramel chocolate chip cookies are chewy on the outside and gooey on the inside. With pieces of caramel baked right in, there’s a bit of chocolate and caramel in every bite!



INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup lightly ground old fashioned oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Werther’s soft caramels, chopped
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the caramels, I chopped mine in half and used a large 2oz cookie scoop. If you’re using a smaller scoop, cut the caramels into quarters to make even smaller pieces. They’re also much easier to chop when they’ve had time to chill in the fridge. Set aside.
2. Dump 3/4 cup of old fashioned oats into a food processor and pulse 5-6 times. You should be left with some finely ground bits with some larger chunks. See photo in post for reference.
3. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and melted butter. Keep whisking until you get a smooth and silky consistency. See photo above for reference.
5. Whisk in the vanilla and eggs.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in the chocolate and caramels.
7. Scoop your cookie dough side-by-side onto a small cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This recipe makes 18-20 large cookies. Refrigerate for AT LEAST 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
8. When ready, preheat the oven to 350F and bake 4-5 cookies at a time on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the rest back in the fridge when the others bake. 
9. Bake for 15-17 minutes for large cookies, 13-15 for regular cookies. The edges should be a nice golden brown and the center still slightly doughy.
10. You may get some cookies where the caramels melt out. If that’s the case, take a knife and cut off some of the excess then use a spoon to push the cookie back together. Do this while the cookie is still warm and on the baking tray.
11. Let them rest for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with sea salt when they’re still warm.
12. For a more gooey cookie, enjoy when they’re still warm. Otherwise, eat them at room temperature for a perfectly soft center.