Description
Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with rich caramel and finished with flaky sea salt. A perfect balance of sweet and salty, ideal for holidays, parties, and gifting.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
For the Caramel Filling
20 soft caramel candies (about 6 ounces)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Topping
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Prepare Dough
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt separately, then mix into wet ingredients until dough forms.
Shape Cookies
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined sheets 2 inches apart. Press a small indentation in the center with your thumb or spoon.
Bake
Bake 12–14 minutes until edges turn golden. Reinforce indentations immediately after baking if needed. Cool completely.
Make Caramel Filling
Melt caramel candies with heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly until thick but pourable.
Fill and Finish
Spoon ½ teaspoon caramel into each cookie. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before caramel sets. Rest 20–30 minutes to firm.
Notes
Chill dough 20 minutes if too soft to handle.
Don’t overbake—edges should just turn golden.
Fill cookies while caramel is warm but not runny.
Store cookies unfilled if prepping ahead. Fill on serving day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: <0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: <1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
Keywords: salted caramel thumbprint cookies, caramel cookies, holiday cookies, thumbprint cookie recipe