Soft and chewy Caramel Snickerdoodles are the famous cinnamon sugar cookies you know and love, but with a melty caramel center.
Try some other popular cookie recipes like Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, or Oatmeal Cookies next!
Caramel Snickerdoodles
Since I added Rolos® to the center of my Oatmeal Caramel Cookies, I’ve been excited to try the same idea with other cookies. A caramel center makes a great cookie even better!
A few weeks ago, I baked this super popular Snickerdoodle Recipe for my boys and decided to add caramels. Now, they’ve told me I should only bake cookies with Rolos® from now on. They say these Caramel Snickerdoodles are their new favorite cookies!
Ingredients In Caramel Snickerdoodles
- Butter: Let the butter cool so it doesn’t make the dough greasy.
- Sugar: Use a combo of white and brown sugar.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: Make sure to fully whisk the eggs with the sugar.
- Vanilla Flavor: Use real vanilla for the best flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Measure the flour carefully to avoid dry cookies.
- Tartar Powder: Don’t skip this ingredient for the best cookie texture.
- Salt: Don’t leave out salt, even in sweet recipes—it helps the flavors pop.
- Baking Soda: Make sure your baking soda is fresh for the best rise.
- Cinnamon: Use more or less cinnamon based on what you like.
- Rolos: Make sure they’re totally covered in the dough.
How To Make Caramel Snickerdoodles
- Melt butter: Cooling the butter prevents greasy cookies.
- Mix dry ingredients: Stir well to combine all the dry ingredients evenly.
- Combine wet ingredients: Whisk until smooth for a fluffy dough.
- Combine: Don’t overmix to keep the cookies soft.
- Chill dough: Chilling helps the dough firm up and makes it easier to roll.
- Roll dough: Roll the dough balls tightly around the candy to prevent leaks.
- Bake: Slight underbaking keeps the cookies soft in the center.
Quick Tip
What is cream of tartar? According to Food & Wine it’s Potassium bitartrate, a byproduct of winemaking, derived from the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid. This powder is used in baking and as a cleaning agent.
Tips For Success
- Make sure the Rolo is completely wrapped in dough to stop it from leaking or burning.
- Use a Silpat® liner for easier baking and to help avoid caramel leaks.
- Shape the dough into tall, skinny balls for chewy centers and crispy edges.
More Delicious Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms big and thick!
- Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies soft and chewy!
- Thumbprint Cookies with a raspberry center
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies chewy and yummy
- Shortbread Cookies with a chocolate drizzle
Caramel Snickerdoodles
Caramel Snickerdoodles are the classic cinnamon sugar cookies you love, filled with a delightful melty caramel center.
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15″ x 10″) lined
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cup flour see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 22 unwrapped Rolos
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and let it cool to room temperature to avoid greasy cookies.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cooled melted butter with both sugars. Whisk until blended. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, whisking until smooth.
- Combine dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until no flour streaks remain, avoiding overmixing. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Portion the dough into roughly 2-tablespoon pieces. Encase a Rolo in each, shape into tall balls, and roll in cinnamon-sugar. Chill for 15–20 minutes until firm.
- Place dough balls on a lined sheet pan, spacing about 6 apart with ample spacing between each. Bake for 9–12 minutes, aiming for slight underbaking. After baking, if cookies have uneven edges, press them inward with a metal spatula. Let them sit on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Accurate flour measurement is vital: too much makes dry cookies and too little causes spreading. Use a kitchen scale and aim for 395 grams of flour for this recipe.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or freeze the dough for up to 3 months. To freeze, form the dough around caramels, roll in cinnamon sugar, and freeze on pan. Then, move frozen balls to an airtight container or bag. You can bake straight from frozen, just adjust time as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.6g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 13.1g | Cholesterol: 42.9mg | Sodium: 98.9mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 24.2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look amazing! Love snickerdoodles and love caramel great combination! Can you chill dough for longer than an hour and make dough ahead of time and bake later?
Yes I do that all the time! You can even bake the dough straight from frozen and it’s just as delicious, just add a little extra time to bake time and watch carefully.
They look absolutely mouth-watering. This is a nice idea to make a cookie. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome!! Can’t wait to hear what you think! Enjoy! 🙂
My family would go crazy for this. Can’t wait to try this!
The instructions are very easy to follow. I made this for my kids and they absolutely loved the cookies! Thank you.
Oh my gosh, I’m drooling so hard! These are a must make!