I LOVE a good cookie. I mean really any cookie, but a cookie with a great balance of flavor, a crunch and a twist is so satisfying. I feel like in the last two years salted cookies have been a trend, but to me salted caramel and salted chocolate have always been a thing. Does that even makes sense? The first time I made brownies as a kid, I remember thinking the box mix was too sweet. The second time I made them I added salt and they were perfect. To me, chocolate baked goods can take on the sugar in a way that needs to be balanced by a bite of salt. These have the perfect balance of both sweet, and salty.
Salt + Caramel the perfect combination
Salted caramel is a classic flavor. In this cookie, I play on the rich cocoa, the creamy caramel and salt to create harmony within the cookie. To me aa good cookie has a crispy edge, a soft center and a good moist crumb. I couldn’t put these cookies down after I made a whole batch – which is saying something because I bake all the time!
Ingredients for Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
These cookies are full of the best and honestly some of my favorite ingredients to eat and bake with:
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Granulated Sugar (the best!)
- Flakey Sea Salt
- Smart Sweets Vegan Caramels
Why top with Sea Salt?
Let’s talk about balance. In baking you look for key flavors to balance the confection on your palate. A fatty element (usually butter or oil), sweetness (sugar, maple syrup etc), salt to bring out the sweet flavor without it being overly sweet and a textural element to excite the flavors on your tongue. In this cookie, the cocoa powder adds depth when combined with sugar that comes across as sweet and rich. The caramel adds a creamy and sweet flavor and the salt allows your tongue to balance and differentiate the sweetness of the chocolate cookie and the caramel to create a well balanced bite.
How to store the cookies / how long do they last?
This recipe for salted caramel stuffed chocolate cookies makes about 18 cookies. I used a package and a half of caramels. When I bake cookies, I typically bake the full batch and prep all the cookies, but only bake 1/2 at a time. The other prepared cookies I place in an airtight bag in the freezer for when I need a cookie, but don’t have time to bake! If you bake the cookies, keep them (if they last that long!) in an air-tight container or bag on the counter.
Easy Baked Apple Chia Pudding
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minues
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
Description
The best fall breakfast that is healthy, refined sugar free and easy to make ahead of time! Try this recipe for easy baked apple chia pudding.
Ingredients
- 4–5 small apples
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- juice of two lemons
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- pinch of salt
Chia Pudding
- 1 cup of yogurt
- 4 tablespoons of chia seeds
Instructions
- Slice the apples and place into a small sauce pan with the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and lemon and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes with the lid off to release the water
- Once those are soft and reduced by half remove from the heat – at this point the maple syrup should be syrupy around the soft apples
- Stir the 4 tablespoons into the 1 cup of yogurt and set in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set up
- Eat daily and enjoy your fall treat!
Notes
Feel free to double the yogurt amount but keep the ratio 4 tablespoons to every 1 cup of yogurt of milk.
Keywords: cookies, holiday, chocoalte
1 Comment
Paige Bakes - Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Chocolate Cookies with Espresso Icing
December 18, 2022 at 3:49 am[…] makes me think they are the perfect cookie. Check out a few of my other chocolate cookie recipes; Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies, and Gluten-free Double Chocolate Chip […]