Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies

Sweet, salty, chewy—these Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies have it ALL! The combination of nutty browned butter, salted caramel, and chocolate chunks is pure perfection. If you’re looking for a cookie that satisfies every single imaginable craving, look no further.

Hey, Bookie Club! Start your ovens! This isn’t a regular book club, you know. Every month to celebrate finishing another new read, I whip up a cookie recipe to match the theme of the book. This month’s book was “This Summer Will Be Different” by Carley Fortune.

‘This Summer Will Be Different’ Themed Recipe

The main characters Felix and Lucy really had something really special and sweet. At one point, Lucy even described them together as: “It was slow and lazy and sweet, like warm caramel sauce sliding down a scoop of ice cream.” They fell in love at first sight, which is a coincidence since that was also me and these cookies…

How to Brown Butter

Don’t be afraid of browning butter; it is super simple! What may feel like an unnecessary step is very much worth it once you taste the end result! To brown the butter, simply melt the butter over low heat, swirling regularly until it froths and starts to turn a golden brown colour with a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly! Patience is a virtue my friends. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before using in this recipe.

How to Make Salted Caramel

Truth be told, when I went to make this recipe, I forgot to buy caramels. My mama did NOT raise a quitter, so I decided to make my own. It’s pretty easy and great to have in your back pocket for situations like this. Of course, use store-bought for extra convenience (note these are the soft chewy caramels you are after), but should you wish to make your own, you’ll need:

• whipping cream
• sugar
• brown sugar
• corn syrup
• evaporated milk
• salted butter 
• vanilla
• flaky salt
• candy thermometer (this is a must!)

1. Combine Ingredients: In a medium pot over low heat, combine the whipping cream, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, and butter.
2. Heat and Simmer: Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens and reaches 250°F. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour and Chill: Remove from heat and pour into a pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until hardened (at least 2 hours or overnight).
4. Finish and Store: Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired, and cut into 24 small pieces. To store, wrap in parchment paper or keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies

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Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies

Sweet, salty, chewy—these Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies have it ALL! The combination of browned butter, salted caramel, and chocolate chunks is pure perfection. If you’re looking for a cookie that satisfies every craving, look no further.

You can make your own caramels or simply purchase store-bought ones. Note that the caramel recipe below makes more than you need for the recipe. You will need a candy thermometer for the caramels if you make your own. 

Keyword brown butter, brownie cookies, Salted caramel

Servings 24 cookies

Author Fraiche

Ingredients

Salted Caramels

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup butter salted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Flaky salt

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies

• 1 cup butter salted, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks 4 oz
• ¾ cup salted caramels cut into ¼” pieces

Instructions

For the Caramels

1. Line a 9-inch pan or pan of similar size with parchment paper, leaving extra to overhang to make it easier to remove the candy from the pan.

2. Combine the whipping cream, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk and butter in a medium pot over low heat. Place the candy thermometer in the pot, securing to the side. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens and the thermometer reaches 250 F. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until the caramels have hardened, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

4. Sprinkle the caramels with flaky salt if desired and cut into 24 small pieces. Wrap each piece in parchment paper or simply store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

Make the Brown Butter

1. In a small pot, melt the butter over low heat. Cook the butter, swirling regularly, until it froths and turns a golden brown colour, about 5 –8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Make the Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the browned butter, brown sugar, and sugar together on high until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla along with the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well between the addition of each until well incorporated.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Stir in the chocolate and salted caramel pieces to combine. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight (or up to 3 days) if desired.

4. Scoop the cookies, about 2 tablespoons each, and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart, and press down slightly. Bake for about 8 minutes, until golden around the edges. Cool on a cooling rack and store in a resealable container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.