Description

These Caramel Oatmeal Cookies combine the hearty texture of old-fashioned oats with the rich sweetness of soft caramel and crunchy toffee bits. The cookies are slightly chewy with gooey caramel centers and topped with a finishing sprinkle of flaked salt to balance the sweetness. Perfect for cookie lovers who enjoy a luscious caramel surprise inside a classic oatmeal cookie base.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

½ cup (113.5 g) butter, room temperature
¾ cups (165 g) dark brown sugar
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
1¼ cups (121.62 g) old-fashioned oats
½ cup (70 g) toffee bits

Caramel and Topping

14 soft caramels (such as Peter’s or Werther’s soft caramels)
Flaked salt for topping

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Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugars: Place the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, which provides the base texture for your cookies.
Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, about 30 seconds, ensuring they are fully incorporated without overmixing.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Slowly add salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour, mixing just until combined and stopping while some flour remnants remain visible to avoid overmixing. Then mix in the oats on low speed until evenly incorporated.
Fold in Toffee Bits: Gently fold the toffee bits into the dough to distribute them without breaking them up.
Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls. Roll each soft caramel into a small ball and gently place it in the center of a dough ball, being careful not to push the caramel too deep inside.
Chill the Dough: Refrigerate the prepared cookie dough balls for 2 to 24 hours to firm up and help cookies hold their shape during baking.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 365°F (185°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place 6 to 8 cookies on each sheet, spaced adequately.
Add Flaked Salt and Bake: Sprinkle each cookie with flaked salt before baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and cookies are set, allowing the caramel inside to become gooey.
Final Touch: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, add a little more flaked salt on top to enhance the flavor contrast. If cookies spread unevenly, use a spatula or spoon to gently push in any areas that have spread too far while cookies are still warm.

Notes

Use soft caramels for the best gooey center; firm chewy caramels do not melt properly inside the cookie.
You can substitute the chunk of caramel in the center by mixing ½ cup of kraft caramel bits directly into the dough with the toffee bits.
Cookies may spread unevenly due to the gooey caramel; gently reshape with a spatula immediately after baking if desired.
Butter and eggs should be slightly chilled but not fully refrigerated; letting them sit out for 15-30 minutes before baking yields the best texture.
For more precise measurements, use grams especially for flour to avoid packed measurements. Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups if you don’t have a scale to ensure the dough consistency remains perfect.