Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies

These Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies are a great balance of sweet and salty. The chewy caramel bits are the perfect complement to the moist-on-the-inside crisp-on-the-outside cookies!

So I’m kind of a terrible wife. These are Nick’s very favorite cookies in the whole wide world of cookies. His cousin makes them from time to time and he’ll eat half a tray in one sitting. He’s loves the stupid things. Well… I finally tried my hand at making them.

While Nick was out of town.

Whoops!

But actually, I’m a really super wife, because I froze a bunch of the dough and baked it up just as soon as he got home! TADA!

I made the cookies for a party and they were a huge hit with everyone. The cookies are crisp and chewy at the same time and just perfect. Especially for those of us who dig the sweet & salty combo. I definitely do. The browned butter definitely kicks these cookies over the edge with that delicious deep, nutty flavor.

So Nick spent 2 weeks down at a training in San Diego and missed my cookies. He spent the first few nights telling me about all the delicious foods he was eating down there, so I didn’t feel all that bad.

Since we hadn’t visited San Diego since we’ve lived in California (I hadn’t been since a girls’ trip way back in 2008), Nick extended his trip a couple days and I headed down there last weekend to meet up with him! I found a cheap flight and since SD is just a hop, skip and a 50-minute jump away it was easy-peasy for me to get there early Saturday morning and still have a full weekend ahead of us.

As soon as Nick picked me up from the airport, we headed straight to breakfast and he filled me in on the previous week (we weren’t able to have any communication the 2nd week he was down there). Then he showed me around the base– we were staying on NAS North Island– and I dreamed of ways I might be able to convince the Navy to let us live there. Seriously. It’s so beautiful.

Even though it was a little chilly for beach weather (by chilly I mean 68 degrees), it was absolutely gorgeous and we went for a nice walk up and down the shore.

After the beach, we headed over to the USS Midway Museum. It’s an old aircraft carrier that has been turned into a museum. Of course Nick loved looking at all the old planes they had displayed on the top deck, but I was most intrigued with the actual boat (which was probably pretty dull for him). I’d never been on a carrier before, so even though the USS Midway is older and smaller than the current carriers, I still thought it was super interesting to see where Nick is actually living when he’s out on the boat. I also confirmed the fact that I could never, ever, do it.

We had such a great weekend and I can’t wait to go back when have more time. We have loved living in California for the past year or so and really exploring every part of the state!

Alright, well now that I’ve made you wait and wait for these drool-worthy cookies… here ya go. These Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies are the perfect balance of salty, savory, and sweet. Instead of using just regular butter, you brown the butter first to bring out the most delicious toasty, nutty flavors. The browned butter takes these cookies over the top.

As if the browned butter didn’t make these cookies decadent enough, you’re then going to add sweet caramel bits and a bit of coarse sea salt to make them sweet, salty, chewy, and just so, so delicious. The cookies bake up moist and chewy with just a touch of crsip around the edges. They’re perfect in every way!

Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies

 

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These Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies are a great balance of sweet and salty. The chewy caramel bits are the perfect complement to the moist-on-the-inside crisp-on-the-outside cookies!

Author: Flying on Jess Fuel

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp vanilla instant pudding mix
• ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ cups caramel bits
• Coarse sea salt, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Place browned butter and little bits from the pan into the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. Add the sugar and brown sugar.
5. Beat to combine, then add eggs and vanilla and continue beating.
6. Add flour, pudding mix, quick-cooking oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything is combined.
7. Add caramel bits and mix until just combined.
8. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats, about 1 inch apart.
9. Sprinkle tops of each with sea salt.
10. Bake 10 minutes, until baked through.
11. Remove and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

3.5.3251

Try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting. I wouldn’t really judge you if you did, though. 😉