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Caramel oozing out of a chocolate cookie on top of a stack.
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5 from 1 vote

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with a luscious caramel surprise inside. These Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies are a great choice for the holidays!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 23 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 48 cookies
Calories: 110kcal

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

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.
Caramel Filled Chocolate Candies
The caramel filling in Hershey's Caramel Filled 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.
Storage
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg