Salted Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These delicious salted caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies have a rich and buttery chocolate cookie base and a luscious caramel center!

Happy Monday! I have such a fantastic cookie recipe to share with you today! These salted caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies are so decadent and delicious, not to mention elegant and beautiful as well. I actually made these a couple of weeks ago as part of The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, and shipped them out to some new blog friends across the country. If you haven’t heard of it before, the cookie swap is a really awesome way to connect with other bloggers and support cancer research for kids. It’s a win-win! It was really fun being part of it this year, and I have really enjoyed getting to know some other bloggers.

These delicious thumbprint cookies start with a rich and buttery chocolate cookie base, with a luscious caramel center on top, and are finished with drizzled chocolate and sea salt. Is there a better flavor combination than that? I love how many different tastes and textures are in each bite! These cookies are so fun to make, and they would be absolutely perfect for a Christmas party or cookie exchange!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Print Recipe

Prep Time:45 mins

Cook Time:8 mins

Total Time:53 mins

Ingredients

for the cookies:

• 18 tablespoons butter softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

for topping:

• 6 ounces Kraft caramel bits about 1/2 bag
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment or spraying with cooking spray. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder until blended. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix to form a thick dough. Scoop the dough into small balls (about 3/4 inch) and place on the baking sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie to make a well. Bake 7-8 minutes, then remove. Use a small spoon (I used a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon) or your finger to deepen the well of each cookie. Let cool completely.
• While the cookies are cooling, melt the caramel and cream in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every thirty seconds. Spoon a small amount of caramel into each cookie to fill the well. Allow to cool. Once the cookies have cooled, melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every thirty seconds. Place the chocolate in a pastry bag (or ziploc bag) and snip a small hole in the corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!

Servings: 24