Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Deep rich chocolate cookies wrapped around a chocolate-coated caramel then rolled in sugared nuts like a molten lava cake in cookie form.

Time

• Prep time: 25 Minutes
• Cook time: 10 Minutes
• Chill time: 1 Hour
• Total time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

Key Ingredients Needed

• 1 3/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 24 Rolos or other chocolate covered caramel candy
• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 6 caramels
• 1 1/2 teaspoons heavy cream, half & half or light cream
• 1 Tablespoon coarse sea salt

Instructions/Step By Step Directions

Chocolate Cookies

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine then set aside.

Step 2: In a large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter for a minute or until creamy. Add sugars and continue to beat until smooth and well incorporated. With mixer still running, add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Step 3: With mixer still running, add egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.

Step 4: Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture slowly and beat until well mixed.

Step 5: Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to form around candies.

Step 6: While dough is chilling, unwrap Rolos and place in freezer so they are firm and easy to handle.

Step 7: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 8: Mix chopped nuts and 1 tablespoon sugar together in small bowl.

To Assemble

Step 9: Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and flatten with fingers. Place 1 Rolo in the center and wrap dough around it. Then roll in hand to form a ball. Drop into nut-sugar mixture and roll around to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2″ apart.

Step 10: Roll in sweetened nuts to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2″ apart.

Step 11: Bake 8-10 minutes or until tops start to crack. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Drizzle for Cookies

Step 12: In a microwave-safe bowl, place caramels and cream. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in-between, until caramels are melted and smooth.

Step 13: Drizzle over cookies then sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Note: Place cookies over a parchment-lined baking sheet to make cleanup a breeze!

Step 14: When glaze has cooled, store in airtight container.

Notes/Tips

• Gather the ingredients. Leave the heavy cream in the refrigerator until after the cookies are baked.
• DO NOT OVERBAKE! It is hard to tell when dark-colored cookies are done but when the baking time is up take them out. They will look undone but will finish baking as they cool.
• You can make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble and bake the cookies.
• Use coarse salt for garnish as it will sit on top of the cookie. Never use table salt as it will just sink into the cookie making them too salty.
• Don’t use Kraft caramels in place of the Rolos as they tend to stay very firm after baking. And you definitely want that warm, soft, oozing caramel.

Nutrition Information

• Yield: 24
• Serving size: 1

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 128kcal
• Carbohydrates: 17g
• Protein: 2g
• Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
• Trans Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 11mg
• Sodium: 379mg
• Potassium: 57mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 10g
• Vitamin A: 132IU
• Vitamin C: 1mg
• Calcium: 21mg
• Iron: 1mg

* All nutritional information provided is approximate/estimated and can vary depending on several factors such as the exact ingredients you use, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
* Nutritional values were obtained with automatic software using the amounts of products used. To get the most accurate representation of the nutritional values, you should calculate them with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for the nutritional information obtained to be accurate.