Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with a luscious caramel surprise inside. These Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies are a great choice for the holidays!
I came across Hershey’s Caramel Filled Chocolate Kisses on a shopping trip 10 Christmases ago and decided they should immediately be stuffed inside chocolate cookie dough. Sometimes cruising the aisles of the grocery store can be downright inspirational! I’m glad I listened to my inner voice that day because these Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies are really fun to bake and SO delicious!
I’m a firm believer in including a chocolate treat amongst all the sugar cookies, gingerbread men, Jam Thumbprint Cookies and such. These easy caramel stuffed chocolate cookies are the perfect choice!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Wet ingredients – Butter, eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt.
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Filled With Caramel Kisses – I believe these particular Kisses are a seasonal item but I’ve seen them almost everywhere I shop this holiday season. Check your local grocery store, Target, Walmart or even Amazon. The caramel filling in these Kisses has a soft texture so that even after the cookies cool, the caramel remains soft. Rolo’s or other chocolate-caramel candies may work but the caramel has a slightly firmer texture.
- Topping – Walnuts and granulated sugar.
How to Make Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
The Chocolate Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture, beating well to combine.
- Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
Form the Cookies
- Divide the dough evenly into 4 parts. Work with one part at a time, leaving the remainder in the refrigerator until needed.
- Divide the first ¼ of the dough into 12 pieces. Roll a piece of dough into a ball and then flatten it slightly and press a caramel filled kiss in the center.
- Roll it into a ball, enclosing the candy inside.
- Press the ball into the walnut and sugar mixture to coat the top.
Chilled dough is much easier to work to form the caramel filled cookies. Work quickly with one portion of chilled dough at a time. Be sure to refrigerate the remaining portions of dough until you are ready for them.
Bake the Cookies
- Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8 minutes in a preheated 375 degree F oven.
- Allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Transfer the completely cooled cookies to an airtight container, layering them between pieces of wax or parchment paper. For the best quality, caramel filled cookies should be consumed within 3 to 4 days or refrigerated or frozen for longer storage.
Freezing Baked Cookies
Transfer baked cookies to a freezer-safe container and freeze for two to three months.
Freezing Unbaked Cookies
Flash freeze the caramel filled, unbaked cookie dough balls (without the nut topping) on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and press out as much air as possible and freeze for up to three months. Allow frozen cookie ball dough to thaw completely in the refrigerator before coating and baking as directed in the recipe.
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Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 48 caramel filled chocolate candies, I recommend Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate Filled with Caramel
For the Topping
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture, beating well to combine. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the nuts with the 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl.
- Divide the dough evenly into 4 parts. Work with one part at a time, leaving the remainder in the refrigerator until needed. Divide the first ¼ of the dough into 12 pieces. Roll a piece of dough into a ball and then flatten slightly. Place a piece of candy in the center and roll it into a ball, enclosing the candy inside. Press the ball into the sugar/nut mixture to coat the top. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining cookie dough and candy, placing the cookies about 2-inches apart to fill your baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining refrigerated dough.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
This post was originally published on December 19, 2011. It has been updated with new text and images.
Favorite Christmas Cookies
I couldn’t find the Hershey’s kisses so I used Andes Mints instead….out of this world!!! Great recipe
Great idea, Judi! So glad they worked out well. 🙂
These r the best cookies I’ve eaten in a long time. 5 Star
Oh wow, these look too good to be true! So dark and chocolatey and then melty caramel? Mmmmmm!
Chocolate AND Caramel! Yes, yes!
These sound amazing! I am loving the idea of a intensly chocolaty cookie that hides caramel until you bite into it! Yum!!!
These look oh so delicious. Caramel and chocolate are great together.