Description
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter Cookies with gooey caramel centers soft, chewy, and buttery with warm cinnamon spice and molten caramel inside.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 12–14 soft caramel candies (unwrapped)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon (for coating)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional, for sparkle)
- Flaky sea salt or toasted pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract, beating until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms. If the dough is very sticky, chill for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, unwrap the 12–14 soft caramel candies and have them ready.
- In a small bowl, mix the coating: 2 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon (and if using, 1 tbsp granulated sugar for sparkle).
- Using a cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp of dough), flatten the dough portion slightly in your hand, place one caramel candy in the centre, and wrap the dough around it forming a ball, fully enclosing the caramel.
- Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar coating mixture so that it’s evenly coated. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- If desired, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt or some toasted pecans on top of each cookie before baking.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centres still appear slightly soft. The cookies continue to set as they cool.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so the caramel remains gooey, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
- Serve warm for the full gooey caramel effect, or store in an airtight container when cooled.
Notes
The secret to the gooey centre is to bake until just set; overbaking will harden the caramel.
Seal the dough around the caramel completely to avoid any caramel “bleeding.”
Sprinkling sea salt just before serving enhances the flavour and gives a gourmet finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Sweet Desserts / Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brown sugar cinnamon cookies, caramel-filled cookies, gooey caramel cookies, holiday cookies