Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies

If you enjoy sweet and salty treats, you'll love these Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies! They're rich and fudgy and have a hidden caramel center. The best part is that they start with brownie mix, making them easy to make when a chocolate craving strikes!

These salted caramel brownie cookies were first published in August 2014. The photos and text were updated and republished in May 2025.

Jump to:

• Caramel Brownie Cookies
• Why I Love This Recipe
• Main Ingredients
• How To Make Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies
• Variations
• Storage Recommendations
• BruCrew Tips
• More Sweet and Salty Desserts
• Recipe

Caramel Brownie Cookies

Salted caramel is a flavor I can't resist. There's just something about the combination of sweet and salty, and it's even more delicious when you add some rich, fudgy chocolate.

Over the years, I have used it in so many recipes. Two of my favorites are these salted caramel brownie cups and salted caramel bundt cake. 

Naturally, I also had to find a way to turn it into a cookie. I decided to jazz up brownie mix cookies by topping them with caramel candy bars and sea salt. Combining two desserts into one is always a winning strategy in my dessert book!

The result was a delicious batch of caramel brownie cookies that were easy to make. And they tasted like something from a fancy bakery.

Why I Love This Recipe

These salted caramel brownie mix cookies are a quick and easy dessert for a get-together or when I want a sweet treat. They’re soft and chewy, and the gooey caramel in every bite is delicious.

• Fudgy texture: They have that rich, chewy center that tastes just like a brownie in cookie form.
• Sweet meets salty: The combination of gooey caramel, sea salt, and rich chocolate is absolutely dreamy in every bite.
• Easy to make: Brownie mix to the rescue! You’ll have a batch in the oven in no time.
• Hello, gooey centers: A Dove candy bar gives each one a pocket of caramel goodness.

Main Ingredients

These caramel brownie cookies are great because you only need a few ingredients, plus a bag of candy bars.

• Boxed Brownie Mix: The dry brownie powder is the chocolate cookie base for the dough. I used a Betty Crocker 9x13 mix, but any brand in that size will work.
• Unsalted Butter: Let your butter sit at room temperature until completely soft.
• Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese helps bind the cookie dough, and its tangy flavor balances the sweetness.
• Large Egg: This adds moisture, binds the cookie batter together, and gives it a gentle rise.
• Dark Chocolate Candy Bars: I like using the caramel-filled Dove Promises for these cookies. They are the perfect size and have a good amount of filling. Feel free to use any flavor variety. (Peanut butter ones would be awesome too!)
• Sea Salt Flakes: Choose a coarse salt, so the flakes are visible on top of the chocolate.

How To Make Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies

Making the dough for these brownie cookies takes just a few minutes. The most challenging part is patience while the dough chills so that you can bake and enjoy a chewy brownie cookie!

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, beat the brownie mix, butter, cream cheese, and egg with an electric mixer until a soft dough forms.
2. Refrigerate the dough. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill the chocolate mixture for at least 60 minutes. Use a cookie scoop to place tablespoons of dough on a plate, then put it back in the fridge. The extra chill time helps them from being too sticky.
3. Roll and bake. Roll the chilled balls, place them on a prepared baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Add the toppings. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes. Gently transfer the brownie cookies to parchment paper and then gently press a candy bar on top of the cookies. After 10 minutes, sprinkle the tops of the melted chocolate with flaky sea salt.

Variations

• Brownie Sandwich Cookies: Do not add a caramel bar. Pipe salted caramel frosting on half the cookies, then press the remaining ones on top.
• Caramel Stuffed Brownie Cookies: Wrap the chilled dough around a soft caramel, then bake as directed.
• Brownie Caramel Chip Cookies: Stir 1 cup caramel baking chips into the dough before chilling. Scoop and bake as directed.
• Turtle Brownie Cookies: Roll the chilled balls in chopped pecans, then top with caramel candies after baking.

Storage Recommendations

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days to keep them fresh and prevent drying out.

The chocolate cookies can also be frozen for later. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To freeze raw cookie dough for later, scoop it into balls and freeze them on a tray. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.

BruCrew Tips

• The dough is sticky, so chill it for at least 90 minutes. This will make it easier to scoop and keep the cookies from spreading too much.
• The dough will still be sticky, so spray your hands with nonstick baking spray before rolling the chilled dough balls.
• Line your pan with Silpat or a piece of parchment paper to prevent stuck-on messes and make cleanup easy.
• Do not overbake the chocolate cookies. Pull them out when the centers are set so they stay soft and fudgy. The heat from the pan will allow the cookies to continue to cook.
• Press the caramel square gently into the crackly cookie tops to avoid ruining the fudgy center.
• Let the chocolate bar melt until it’s nice and shiny, then sprinkle the sea salt on top so it sticks.

More Sweet and Salty Desserts

• Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
• Salted Caramel Oreo Bark
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream
• Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Salted Caramel Brownies

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