New Year Caramel Chocolate Chip (Print Version)

Festive chocolate chip cookies with rich caramel frosting bring sweet cheer to any celebration.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

→ Caramel Frosting

10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
11 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1/4 cup whole milk
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - Pinch of salt

# Step-by-step Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, blend the melted and cooled butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
04 - Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
06 - Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them two inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
09 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in packed light brown sugar and cook for two minutes.
10 - Pour in whole milk and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes.
11 - Gradually whisk in sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth and spreadable.
12 - Spread a layer of caramel frosting over each cooled cookie. Allow the frosting to set before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The caramel frosting transforms simple chocolate chip cookies into something that tastes like celebration in every bite.
  • You can make the entire batch in under an hour, which means you're never stuck without a crowd-pleasing dessert.
  • They stay soft and delicious for days, so no pressure to eat them all at once (though you probably will).
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the caramel mixture—I learned this the hard way when I once whipped hot caramel with powdered sugar and ended up with grainy frosting that never smoothed out.
  • Brown sugar must be packed into the measuring cup, not just poured in loosely, or your frosting will be too thin and won't set properly.
  • Let cookies cool completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt and slide right off like you spent all that time for nothing.
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients if you have a kitchen scale—it's more accurate than volume measurements and makes these cookies turn out consistent every single time.
  • Don't use salted butter in either the dough or the frosting; you need control over the salt level, and a quarter teaspoon in the frosting is all you need.

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