Soft and chewy salted caramel snickerdoodles made with buttery cinnamon-sugar dough and gooey caramel centers, finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. A simple twist on a classic cookie that delivers the perfect balance of sweet, salty and chewy in every bite.
Three simple words: Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles.
Has a more perfect cookie ever existed? The chocoholics among us may protest, but when it comes to taste and texture, these snickerdoodles take the cake cookie.
Imagine the perfect marriage of taste and texture. On the flavor front, we’ve got a cinnamon-rolled snickerdoodle dough that’s buttery and light with a touch of tang courtesy of cream of tartar (a snickerdoodle must!). And on the texture front, we’re pairing up chewy caramel centers with slightly crisped cookie edges. Bake up this recipe for Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles and the result is the ultimate update on a cookie classic.
For anyone who loves stuffed cookies, don’t miss my caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookies or Nutella-stuffed cookies. And keep the cookie party rockin’ with even more favorites like peanut butter blossoms, pecan snowball cookies, soft ginger molasses cookies and more festive holiday cookie recipes.
- All-purpose flour: Measure accurately for soft, tender cookies. I recommend the fluff-and-spoon method to avoid overpacking the flour.
- Cream of tartar: A must for classic snickerdoodle flavor and that signature soft, slightly tangy bite.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies puff and spread just enough while baking.
- Granulated sugar: Used both in the dough and in the coating for that classic snickerdoodle finish.
- Butter: Brings richness and structure. Make sure it’s properly softened, not melted, so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs for even mixing and a smooth dough.
- Soft caramels: These create the gooey centers. I recommend Werther’s Original Soft Caramels because they’re easy to roll and stay soft after baking.
- Ground cinnamon: A must for that signature cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Large-flake sea salt: Optional, but highly recommended for a final salty-sweet contrast and crunch on top. Maldon is my favorite.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Success Tip #1: Chill the Dough
Chilling the dough is essential for this snickerdoodle recipe. Because the dough is stuffed with soft caramel, refrigeration firms up the butter and makes the dough much easier to shape and seal. It also helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven and prevents the caramel from leaking out.
Plan to chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Stuffing the Snickerdoodles with Caramel
Right before shaping the dough, roll each soft caramel into a ball. Once the dough has chilled, scoop about 2 tablespoons and flatten it slightly in your hand. Place a caramel in the center and carefully seal the dough around it so no caramel is exposed.
Roll the dough into a smooth ball, then roll it generously in cinnamon sugar to coat.
Bake the cookies until the edges are set, but the centers still look slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, while the caramel stays soft and chewy. Overbaking can cause the cookies to thin and the caramel to sink or leak.
Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt while the cookies are still warm.
Success Tip #2: Cool on the Baking Sheet
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This brief rest allows the caramel centers to set slightly.
If you move them too soon, the caramel will be too soft and may sink to the bottom of the cookies.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Once completely cooled, store the snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The caramel centers will remain soft, and the cookies will stay chewy.
Freezing the dough: For make-ahead cookies, freeze the cookie dough without the caramel centers. Scoop and shape the dough balls, then freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dough slightly, stuff with soft caramels, roll in cinnamon sugar, and bake as directed.
I don’t recommend freezing baked cookies or dough with the caramel already inside, as the caramel can harden and affect the final texture.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 22 soft caramels (See Kelly’s Notes)
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- Large-flake sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar with the cinnamon.
- Using a spoon, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten it slightly. Roll a soft caramel into a ball, and then place it in the center of the dough and cover the caramel completely with the dough. Roll the cookie into a ball then lightly roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture on all sides. Place the cookie on the baking sheet then repeat the filling process with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a small pinch of flake salt.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until they are slightly underbaked. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. (See Kelly’s Notes.) Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes:
- I prefer the Werther’s Original Soft Caramels because they are easy to roll into a ball and remain soft even after the cookies have cooled.
- It’s important to underbake the cookies and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to ensure they retain their shape. If you move them too soon, the caramel will be too soft and may sink to the bottoms of the cookies.
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Recipe by Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
A friend of mine brought these cookies to a Christmas party we were having. I wound up taking them all off of the tray and keepig them for myself! These are now my favorite cookies ever!! She did give me the recipe and I have shared it with several other ladies.
Love reading this, Diane!
You need to adjust your 3x recipe. Next to 3 cups of butter you still have two sticks. It should read 6 sticks.
Love this recipe
Thanks for catching that, Monte! I just updated the recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
hello, Have you ever experimented with wheat flour. We would to modify a recipe and make it healthier.
Hi Mel! It’s not a 1:1 swap, so the cookies will be drier and produce a coarser texture. If you try it, I recommend starting with a small amount of whole wheat flour by replacing 25% of the AP flour with whole wheat flour. Let me know if you give it a shot!
I made these using different flavored Werther’s soft caramels, pumpkin spice, cinnamon creme and caramel apple. They were all a huge hit!
YUM! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nancy!
Best cookies ever!!!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Lisa!
Aammmaaazzziiinnggg!!!!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Dee!
These are delicious!!! I was wondering if you had any tips to keep the tops of the cookies from sinking into the caramel? Mine looked like little donuts with caramel centers
Hi Annie! I’ve never experienced that before but maybe you could flatten the caramels slightly to make them thinner?
OMG, these cookies are seriously amazing!! So soft and tasty! Thanks for the recipe. I made these for a cookie party and they were a hit, I will be making them again for Christmas!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the cookies, Fiona!
Can you freeze these cookies?
Hi Kim – I’ve never tried freezing these so I can’t say with certainty if they’d still have the same texture/taste after defrosting.
These cookies were insanely good! My stepmom (who is a wonderful baker) even said that these were the best cookies she’s ever had!
Hi Kelly
When is the sea salt used on the cookies.
Hi Jackie! Per the recipe: Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a small pinch of flake salt. Enjoy!
Hi
What brand of large flake sea salt did you use in this recipe.
Hi Jackie! I used Maldon salt. Enjoy!