These caramel stuffed brown butter Snickers chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, rich, and packed with everything you want in an indulgent cookie. The dough starts with nutty browned butter, brown sugar, and a little cream cheese for an extra tender texture. Then chocolate chips and chopped Snickers are folded in before each cookie is filled with caramel. The result is a gooey brown butter chocolate chip cookie with pockets of melted caramel, chocolate, peanuts, and nougat in every bite.
This recipe is for anyone who loves a thick bakery-style cookie with a soft center and a deeply flavorful dough. Browning the butter gives the cookies a warm, toasted flavor that pairs beautifully with the caramel and candy pieces. Brown sugar keeps the cookies moist and chewy, while the cream cheese helps create a soft texture without making the cookies taste like cheesecake. It is a small ingredient, but it makes a noticeable difference in the final cookie.
You can use homemade salted caramel sauce if you have it on hand, or you can keep the recipe simple by placing half of a caramel candy inside each dough ball. Both options give the cookies that irresistible caramel-stuffed center. If using caramel sauce, be careful not to overfill the dough, because the caramel will melt and spread as the cookies bake. If using caramel candies, cut them in half so the filling stays balanced and the cookies bake evenly.
These cookies are inspired by a brown butter cream cheese chocolate chip cookie, but the addition of Snickers and caramel takes them in a richer, more candy-filled direction. The cookies may not come out perfectly uniform, especially when the caramel begins to escape, but that is part of their charm. They are gooey, messy, and completely worth it. For the best texture, chill the dough overnight before shaping and baking. The melted browned butter needs time to firm up, and the resting time helps the dough bake into thick, chewy cookies rather than spreading too much.
The magic of these caramel stuffed brown butter Snickers chocolate chip cookies happens in the oven. The edges set, the centers stay soft, and the caramel melts through the middle. Each bite has a little chocolate, a little caramel, and a little Snickers. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before moving them, because the centers will be very soft at first and the caramel can be hot. Once cooled slightly, they settle into chewy cookies with a rich, gooey center.
Caramel Stuffed Brown Butter Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter browned and cooled
- ¼ cup cream cheese not whipped, not light
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips, 60%
- ½ cup Snickers chopped
- 24 caramels cut in half
Instructions
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Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan often, until the butter turns brown, browned bits collect on the bottom, and it smells nutty. Transfer the butter and all the browned bits to a bowl and let cool.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the browned butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and slightly lighter, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla with the second egg. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
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Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 4 to 5 additions. Add the next portion as soon as most of the previous addition has been incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips, and chopped Snickers with the mixer on low or by hand with a wooden spoon.
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Refrigerate the dough overnight. This step is important because the dough contains melted browned butter and needs time to firm up before baking.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
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Roll the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball. Split each dough ball in half and make a small indent in the center. Add a spoonful of caramel sauce or press half of a caramel candy into the indent. Place the two halves back together and gently seal the edges to reform a ball.
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Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the sides begin to brown and the edges are set. The centers should still look slightly underdone.
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Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If eaten too soon, the centers may seem underbaked and the caramel may still be very hot.
Nutrition
