23 caramel cookie recipes

Cocoa cookies with semisweet chocolate chips, pecan-crusted tops, and a gooey caramel center pressed into each one. Soft, fudgy, and done in 35 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Caramel nut thumbprint cookies combine cocoa dough rolled in pecans with gooey caramel centers. A holiday cookie-tray favorite with chocolate, nut, and caramel in one bite.

Peanut butter cookies loaded with chopped Baby Ruth bars for chunks of caramel, nougat, and roasted peanuts in every bite. Drop, flatten with a fork, bake until golden.

Creamy vanilla cheesecake on a cookie crumb crust, drizzled with melted caramel and German chocolate toppings, then showered with toasted pecans. Every slice is a candy-counter dream come true.

Three-layer chocolate caramel bars with a fudgy brownie base, gooey pecan caramel topping, and a lacy semi-sweet chocolate drizzle. Makes 54 bars that store beautifully for 10 days. Think homemade turtle candy in cookie bar form.

Maple date cookies with brown sugar, chopped dates, and nuts baked into soft, chewy rounds. Maple extract gives these drop cookies a warm, caramel-like sweetness you won't find in ordinary cookie recipes.

Old-fashioned icebox cookies with brown sugar, butter, and chopped nuts. Shape the dough into logs, chill, slice, and bake for crisp, nutty cookies with caramel-rich flavor.

Buttery shortbread cookies topped with caramel, coated in melted chocolate, and pressed with chopped pecans. Homemade Turtle-style candy cookies that make a gorgeous gift box treat.

Nut refrigerator cookies (icebox cookies) with brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and chopped nuts. Slice-and-bake dough that chills overnight and yields crisp, buttery cookies with caramel notes.

Rich chocolate cookies with a gooey caramel candy hidden inside, topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with melted fondant. Makes 4 dozen stuffed cookies.

Rich date-nut chocolate chip cookies with brown sugar, chopped dates, walnuts, and flaked coconut. A loaded drop cookie with deep caramel sweetness and chewy texture.

Chocolate cocoa cookies with a Rolo candy hidden inside, topped with finely ground nuts. Bite through the crackled shell to hit molten caramel.

Soft date drop cookies made with sour cream, brown sugar, and chopped dates, topped with a whole walnut. A chewy old-fashioned cookie with caramel-like sweetness.

Fudgy chocolate cookie bonbons wrapped around Hershey's kisses (or caramel, Reese's, peanut butter, or mint centers) and drizzled with white chocolate. A classic Pillsbury bake-off cookie with surprise centers.

Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies built with dark brown sugar and a touch of honey for deep caramel flavor and lasting softness. The classic lunchbox cookie with crisp edges and a soft, raisin-studded center.

Crunchy brown sugar nugget cookies baked in muffin tins with oats, granola, pecans, and butter. Flourless, crumbly, and caramelized with crispy edges.