These salted caramel oatmeal cookies combine chewy, hearty oats with pockets of gooey caramel in every bite. Stuffed with caramel candies and sprinkled with sea salt, they have the perfect balance of sweet and salty. This recipe is easy to make without a mixer and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
These salted caramel oatmeal cookies are delicious and incredibly easy to make! The dough comes together quickly with simple ingredients like rolled oats, brown sugar, and butter.
The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill, but trust me, it's worth the wait!
What makes the cookies extra special is the caramel. Each one is stuffed with a chewy caramel candy that melts into a gooey center as they bake. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top truly ties everything together!
If you love all things caramel, try this caramel apple crumb cake, chocolate caramel cupcakes, salted caramel cheesecake, or banana caramel cake next.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect chewy texture- Brown sugar and oats make the cookies chewy, while white sugar helps them spread and crisp at the edges.
- Salty sweet flavor- These cookies have a gooey caramel filling. A sprinkle of salt on top gives them that sweet and salty caramel flavor everyone loves.
- No mixer required-ย Like my pumpkin molasses cookies, this recipe uses melted butter, so you don't need a mixer!
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the key ingredients. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Unsalted butter adds moisture and a rich flavor. Use unsalted butter so you have control over the saltiness. It needs to be melted here. Let it cool slightly before adding the sugars.
- Granulated sugar- White sugar adds sweetness, helps the cookies spread, and creates lovely crisp edges.
- Brown sugar- You can use light or dark brown sugar to add a subtle molasses flavor (dark brown sugar will be more intense) and give the cookies a chewy texture. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and moist for best results!
- Egg and egg yolk- A large egg binds the ingredients together and add a little lift while the extra yolk makes adds richness. Make sure they're room temperature to mix easily. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Vanilla extract- I always recommend pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste to add depth of flavor!
- Whole rolled oats- Also known as old-fashioned oats, these make the cookies chewy with a nutty flavor. I use them in these small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies too! Don't use quick oats or steel cut oats as a substitute because they mess up the texture.
- All purpose flour- This flour gives cookies structure while keeping them chewy and hearty. Flour is easy to overmeasure, and too much flour makes cookies dry. I recommend measuring it in grams with a kitchen scale. If you don't have one, fluff it up in the bag and gently spoon it into your measuring cup.
- Baking soda- Reacts with acid to make the cookies rise and spread. Check the expiration date before adding it to the cookies. I like to replace mine every 6 months to ensure it's fresh and potent!
- Salt- Cookies need a little bit of salt so they aren't cloyingly sweet. Use finely ground sea salt or Kosher salt so there isn't a gritty texture
- Ground cinnamon- Cinnamon enhances the warm flavor of the oats and goes great with caramel.
- Chewy caramels- I stuffed the cookies with Werther's Original Chewy Caramels. Don't use soft caramels because they'll leak out as the cookies bake.
Variation Ideas
- Add dried fruit-ย These would be delicious as oatmeal raisin cookies! You can also add chopped dried apricots or cherries.
- Add chocolate chips- You can add chocolate chips to the dough before scooping. I recommend dark chocolate chips, but you could also use peanut butter or butterscotch chips. Even some bits of toffee would be delicious in these!
Step by Step Instructions
Before you start baking, line 2 metal baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 1: First, melt the butter in a microwave-safe large bowl and let it cool slightly. Then, vigorously whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
Step 2: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully combined with a paste-like consistency.
Step 3: Add the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the large mixing bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl and pulling through the center.
Fold until the dry streaks of flour just disappear. Chill the bowl uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Step 4: Unwrap the caramels, then fold each in half into a ball. Warm the caramels up with your hands for a bit if they're too hard to fold.
Use a large cookie scoop (2 tablespoon or 2 oz) to scoop the cookie dough. While in the scoop, press a ball of caramel into the center of the dough. Press the dough back over the hole, covering the caramel.
Step 5: Place the cookie dough balls upside down on a baking sheet with 1-2 inches between each. Press them down slightly to encourage spreading.
Step 6: Bake each baking sheet of cookies for 10-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. If caramel has leaked out of the cookies, use a spoon or round cookie cutter to reshape them.
Let the cookies cool on the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't overmix.ย Mix in the flour mixture just until the dry, white streaks disappear. If you overwork the dough, the cookies will be tough.
- Use cold caramels. If your caramels are warm or soft, there's a chance they'll leak out of the cookies as they bake. This why you have to use CHEWY caramels, not soft ones. You can also refrigerate them before stuffing the cookies!
- Undercook slightly. Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are set but the centers look a bit underdone. They'll firm up as they cool, staying soft and chewy.
Storage Tips
Let the salted caramel oatmeal cookies cool completely on the cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
How to Freeze
Freezing baked cookies- Once the cookies are completely cool, place them in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the counter for an hour before serving.
Freezing cookie dough- Scoop the cookie dough and stuff with caramels. Place the dough balls on the cookie sheets and freeze for 2 hours or until frozen solid. Then transfer the dough to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Let the dough thaw overnight and bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't recommend quick oats because they make the cookies softer and less chewy. Stick to rolled oats for the best texture.
No. You need to use actual chewy caramel candies you can place in the middle of the cookie dough balls. But you can drizzle salted caramel sauce on top of the cookies when they're done!
Yes! You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days ahead of time. Store it in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. If the dough is chilled for more than 3 hours, let it warm up on the counter for about 20 minutes before baking.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- 1 medium cookie scoop 2 tablespoons
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
- 114 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 80 grams brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 120 grams whole rolled oats
- 210 grams all purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 24 chewy caramel candies Werther's
Instructions
- Line 2 metal baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.114 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams granulated sugar, 80 grams brown sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pour the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the large mixing bowl. Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until the dry streaks of flour just disappear.120 grams whole rolled oats, 210 grams all purpose flour, ยฝ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Chill the dough uncovered in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Unwrap the caramels and fold them in half into balls.24 chewy caramel candies
- Use a large cookie scoop (2 tablespoon or 2 oz) to scoop the cookie dough. While in the scoop, press a caramel into the center. Press the dough back over the hole, covering the caramel.
- Place the cookie dough balls upside down on a baking sheet with 1-2 inches between each. Press down on them slightly to flatten.
- Bake each baking sheet of cookies for 9-14 minutes until the edges are golden. If caramel leaks out, use a spoon or round cookie cutter to reshape them.
- Let the cookies cool on the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and enjoy warm!
Megan Weimer
These cookies have a great sweet flavor and are sooo good when the caramel inside is warm and gooey.