Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies—So Easy!

Y’all, get ready to take your cookies up a notch with these Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies! They’re soft, buttery, and filled with sweet, gooey caramel—then topped off with a pinch of salt for that perfect sweet and salty bite. The best part? There’s no need to make your own caramel. We’ve got a simple little shortcut that saves time without skimping on flavor.

Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are cute and extra flavorful! The thumbprint indentation in each cookie is the perfect spot to hold the salted caramel.

These salted caramel thumbprint cookies are some of the tastiest I’ve ever made, not to mention the easiest!

You don’t need anything special to make these cookies, and you don’t even have to make the caramel from scratch. The cookies are easy and delish, and the caramel thumbprint is nearly perfect.

Need cookies to take to school or a party? These are nut-free and school-friendly cookies that everyone in the family will love!

Why You’ll Love Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

• Nut-Free: These are safe for folks with nut allergies.

• Sweet and Salty: The buttery cookie and salty caramel are a match made in heaven.

• Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and no fancy steps, just good old-fashioned baking.

What Are Thumbprint Cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are cookies with a filling. The filling sits in a small well in the center of the cookie, which you create with your thumb or finger.

They can be filled with jam, lemon curd, fudge, or in this case, salted caramel. These chocolate caramel thumbprint cookies are cute and different, and the flavors of the cookie complement the filling.

Ingredients for Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

• Butter: Use softened butter at room temperature to help your cookie dough come together nice and smooth. 
• Sugar: You’ll need plain old white sugar for the sweetness. 
• Cocoa Powder: Gives your cookies a deep dark chocolate flavor. 
• Milk: Adds just enough moisture to keep the dough soft and easy to shape.
• Flour: All-purpose flour for the classic, crumbly cookie texture.
• Salt: A little bit of salt brings out all the flavors. 
• Baking Powder: Helps puff up the cookies.
• Baking Soda: Works with the other dry ingredients to give the cookies a soft texture.
• Caramels: The soft kind. Werther’s Originals, or even Kraft caramels work fine.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Mixed with the caramels to create a smooth caramel that sets up once cooled.
• Coarse Sea Salt: Sprinkle this on top for a perfect salty-sweet finish. 

You’ll Also Need

• Baking Sheet(s)
• Parchment Paper
• Drying Racks
• Stand Mixer: with a paddle, or you can use a hand mixer 

How To Make Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment paper so the cookies don’t stick.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Use stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Beat together the softened butter and white sugar on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy.
3. Add Cocoa and Milk: Mix in the cocoa powder and milk until smooth. 
4. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. 
5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until everything’s well blended and forms a soft cookie dough.
6. Shape Dough Balls: Use your hands or a cookie scoop to roll dough into small 1-inch balls. Place each one on your prepared cookie tray.
7. Press the Centers: Use your thumb (or the back of a spoon) to gently press a dent in the center of each ball. 
8. Bake the Cookies: Bake for about 9–10 minutes or until the tops look dry and start to crack just a bit. 
9. Repress the Centers: As soon as they come out of the oven, use a small measuring spoon to press down the center of the cookie again while they’re still warm. Let the baked cookies cool completely on a wire rack. 
10. Make the Caramel Filling: In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine your caramel pieces and heavy cream. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then continue heating in 30-second bursts until it’s a smooth caramel.
11. Fill the Cookies: Spoon the warm caramel sauce into the center of each cookie. 
12. Top With Sea Salt: Top each cookie with a little flaky sea salt or coarse salt for the perfect sweet-n-salty combo. 

Shortcut Caramel Tip

Making caramel from scratch is time-consuming and fussy. When you use store-bought caramels, like Werthers Originals, they melt into the perfect texture for these cookies.

Simply unwrap them and melt them with the heavy whipping cream. This will create a thick, luscious, and delicious caramel that oozes perfectly into the indentation in your cookies.

More Recipe Tips

• Don’t overmix the cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure the dough is fully combined.
• Roll the cookies between the palms of your hands. They shouldn’t be sticky, and the dough doesn’t need chilling first.
• When making the indents in the cookie, don’t press down so far that your thumb goes right through the cookie. You want there to be a well, not a hole, in the cookie.
• To prevent the cookies from spreading too much, always bake the cookies on a room temperature baking sheet. If it’s hot from the oven, let it cool before baking a second batch.
• Heat the caramels at the last minute, so they’re nice and runny and easy to spoon into the cookies.
• Don’t overfill the cookies with caramel. Put in just enough to fill the well.

Ways to Serve Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

• Holiday Cookie Tray: These cookies are perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any festive gathering.

• With Ice Cream: Pop a cookie in the microwave to warm and top with vanilla ice cream.
• With a Hot or Cold Drink: Serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee, or an ice cold glass of milk. 

   

How to Store Leftovers

These cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days, or you can freeze them.

Pop them into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and freeze them for up to a month.