These Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies bring together some of my favorite flavors and make the perfect sweet treat for fall.
Well, dear friends, it’s a special day here on Inspired by Charm! We are kicking off another Fall Cookie Week with these Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies!
If you’re new around these parts, Fall Cookie Week (FCW) started back in 2012 when I baked a selection of cookies for a Fall Open House that I was hosting at the Gift Shop in my Bed and Breakfast. Although I chose to close the B&B in 2013, the FCW tradition is still going strong on IBC.
Several years ago, I asked Julie Blanner, who is a fellow blogger and one of my close friends, to join in on the FCW fun. Julie is such a powerhouse of talent, and I couldn’t be more excited to again share this wonderful week of cookie baking with her. You can find her blog here. I will also be linking up her cookie-of-the-day at the end of each of my posts, so you won’t miss a thing. Over the course of the week, we will be posting a total of 10 fabulously fall and decadently delicious cookie recipes. *loosens belt buckle*
If Fall Cookie Week is new to you, you can catch up below. I’ve linked every year’s FCW recipes, beginning with 2012. (Please forgive the quality of the 2012 recipes and photos. I was just a beginning blogger back then. I hope to get those posts updated in the future!)
Fall Cookie Week Recipes:
You can also click here if you want to see all the FCW cookie recipes at once.
Okay, now that the FCW introductions and history have been taken care of, are you ready to talk about these Salted Carmel Shortbread Cookies?
When I’m planning a Fall Cookie Week, I think about the big fall flavors I love – pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, salted caramel, and so on. Although I can’t hit every one of the flavors in just five recipes, I decided that salted caramel was a must and that these shortbread cookies would be the ideal lead-off for this year’s FCW.
How to Make Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies:
These cookies are simple to make. They start with a basic shortbread cookie recipe.
Once the cookies are baked, they are topped with melted caramel. This can get a bit sticky, so it’s important to move quickly with this part of the recipe. A small ice cream scoop worked best for me.
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Once the caramel is on, sprinkle it with flake sea salt. My recommendation: Maldon Flake Sea Salt. It’s THE BEST. (Don’t even think about using table salt or kosher salt.)
The final step is to drizzle the cookies with melted semi-sweet chocolate.
When the chocolate is set, your cookies are complete and ready for a taste test. (If you’re like me, you won’t be able to wait that long to try one.)
The crisp shortbread, gooey caramel, drizzle of chocolate, and sprinkle of flake sea salt make this cookie a winner!
Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies:
If you like this caramel recipe, you’ll love these:
- Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Spread
- Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
- Caramel Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake Dip
- Caramel Apple Martini
Now that I’ve primed your palate, be sure to head on over to Julie Blanner’s blog and check out her first cookie of FCW 2018. Today she’s whipped up Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, and boy do they look delish!
Happy Fall Baking! And Happy Fall Cookie Week!
Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter - softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 bags (13 oz each) caramels - unwrapped
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate - chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 teaspoons flake sea salt
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl with your electric mixer on high, beat the butter until creamy. Then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the flour until just incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two parts. Place one half of the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll it until it’s 1/4-inch thick. Then use a 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cookie cutter to cut the dough. Place the cut-outs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining half of the dough. (You can reform excess dough, roll it out, and cut it again until all the dough is used.)
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until set and just barely starting to brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the unwrapped caramels and milk on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add1-2 teaspoons of the caramel mixture to each cookie. Then sprinkle the cookies with flake sea salt.
- Finally, in another microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter on high for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth. Stir every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted chocolate mixture over the cookies. Let the cookies cool until the chocolate sets.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker
Fall Cookie Week 2018:
- Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies – you’re here
- Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies
- Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars
- Squirrel and Acorn Gingerbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns
Hi, I want to bake these and I’m wondering if the shortbread cookie part comes out as crisp as an actual Twix bar?
So quick and easy to make but even better, they look and taste amazing! Thank you for a quick recipe! My daughter and I made them while watching Christmas in July on Hallmark.
Your recipes are always amazing!
Loved these. I just put 1 teaspoon on and let them dry on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath, and then drizzled chocolate. Once all dry the I put the, in cookie tins. Make good amount of cookies
My daughter and I made these for some Christmas baking. They are a hit with the whole family. We will be adding these to the collection! 🙂 Thank you!
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Could I make these in a mini version? I am having a party and have a mini theme but these look delicious. If yes what size would you recommend and how long should I bake them?
I wouldn’t recommend these in mini version. Maybe a little smaller would be fine, but the caramel can be tricky, so making mini layer of it might be challenging.
xo Michael
My cookie dough was all crumbly and dry.
I did the recipe twice and both times I couldn’t even form the dough as it was
So dry. Is this normal? My husband got me salted butter. Is this why?
It shouldn’t be that dry and crumbly. You can always add a splash of milk to cookie dough when it’s too dry to help bring it together. Salted vs unsalted butter shouldn’t make a difference.
xo Michael
Very good but the Carmel gets hard and sticks to your teeth big time with every bite.
I’m so looking forward to making these. I’m from UK and it’s 1am!! I’m checking out all your recipes while I can!!
I just made these cookies & they are divine. I wanted to make a special cookie to give to my neighbor as a gift for Christmas. They turned out just like the picture. I do believe I will be making this recipe again sometime.
So happy to hear that! Enjoy!!
xo Michael
I tried making these and the shortbread dough just spread out and melted all over the baking sheet! 🙁
Sounds like you may not have used the right amount of flour. I say that because I almost forgot to put in the last cup of flour when I made them. Luckily I caught myself.
How many does a recipe make?
I just made them this past weekend, over 30 cookies.
But I would use a thumbprint style of cookie, by the end of the night the caramel oozed off the cookies and they all stuck together
How long do they keep in an airtight container? Wondering if I can bake/top today for a cookie swap in 5 days
Just wondering if the caramel hardens or not. Trying to think of how to package these for friends and family.
Thanks!
I’m hoping to try these this weekend, so I’d love to hear from someone else if they turned out as well as Michael’s did! They look and sound fabulous!
I don’t get the part where u leave the caramels unwrapped and mix them with milk .
Hi! Looks like a great recipe! I want to make them as gifts for my friends for Christmas. How many cookies did this recipe make for you? Thanks!
I’m a long-time fan of FCW and your cookies! Thanks for the recipes.
You’re so welcome! Thanks for following along for so long!!
xo Michael
Not only are these cookies gorgeous, but they would certainly satisfy all of my cravings. You can never go wrong with a salted caramel as good as your recipe!
These cookies are to die for! All the best things in one bite!
These cookies are on my must make list for the holidays! So simple and delicious – and look really impressive for gifts!
One of my girls just saw this and asked if we could make them after school! I’m like “why wait?” They look sooooo good! Thanks for your kindness and all the fall cookie fun!
Haha! That’s so sweet! Love that. Thanks, Julie!
xo Michael
These cookies look incredible! And 7 years of Fall Cookie Week? How fun is that?!
Yes! Fun AND delicious!!
xo Michael