These Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies are a thick, soft, chewy sugar cookie, topped with a beautiful pool of salted caramel icing! You can easily make a batch in just 20 minutes and they are perfect for cookie exchanges!
When I think fall, salted caramel immediately comes to mind. Maybe it’s the candy apples my mom always gave us for a special treat as we approached the season or that my salt craving goes up as the temperature goes down, but I can’t get enough of it.
You are going to love this thick, soft, chewy sugar cookie, topped with a beautiful pool of salted caramel icing. They’re one of my favorite fall cookie recipes!
But for now, let’s talk about these Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies.
Salted Caramel Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Butter – Salted, softened for a smooth texture.
- Vegetable Oil – Two forms of oil in this recipe give them a melt in your mouth texture.
- Brown Sugar – This ingredient gives them the caramel flavor and makes them stand out among traditional sugar cookies. Learn about the Best Brown Sugar Substitutes here.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, it’s fine texture is synonymous with sugar cookies.
- Vanilla – Homemade Vanilla or store bought, a hint adds rich flavor.
- Eggs – Large eggs, organic when possible.
- Flour – All purpose, no need to sift.
- Salt – Brings out all the other flavors in baking.
- Baking Soda – The leavening agent in these cookies that make them rise to perfection.
- Cream of Tartar – This ingredient increases the volume while keeping them light and bright.
Icing Ingredients
A blend of ingredients makes a smooth, delicious pool that floods these cookies with flavor.
- Butter
- Milk
- Brown Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
How to Make Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies
These cookies are so much easier than you’d anticipate. No fussy details, just a simple thumbprint sugar cookie topped icing!
- Combine Wet Ingredients – Combine butter, oil, sugars, water and vanilla until smooth. Add in eggs and mix until just combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients – In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.
- Mix and Chill Dough – Gradually blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make Thumbprint Cookies – On a lined cookie sheet, drop large (golf ball size) dough balls and press with a small greased glass, followed by a spoon to make a pool for the icing. Bake 8 minutes.
- Make Icing – Cream butter, milk, sugars, vanilla and salt.
- Fill – Using a teaspoon, fill the baked sugar cookies.
How Do You Know When The Cookies Are Done?
The most important thing to remember when baking sugar cookies is to not over bake, so watch them carefully as each oven can vary slightly and you’ll be rewarded with crave-able cookies. When ready, the cookies will be set and no longer appear soft, you can test them by gently touching them with a spatula to see if they are firm.
Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies Are Always Popular!
Why do I call them salted caramel sugar cookies? Because that’s how our friends and family {my market research team} described them when they took a bite.
The slightly salty brown sugar icing is the perfect compliment. So go ahead, try them for yourself and let me know what you think!
Sugar cookies are pretty near perfect by themselves, but topped with a salted caramel icing and I’m in heaven! I’m an avid fan of sweet and salty treats, like my Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce, and I love how this icing pairs so well with a basic sugar cookie.
Tips
- Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes before forming the cookies.
- Bake the cookies in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- Let the cookies cool before icing them.
If you try this salted caramel sugar cookie recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too! For more easy recipes and simple living ideas, subscribe to my newsletter!
More Fall Cookie Recipes
- Caramel Cheesecake Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Carmelita Cookies
- Toffee Cookies
- Glazed Apple Pie Spice Cookies
Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, oil, sugars, water and vanilla until smooth.
- Add eggs and mix until just combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.
- Gradually blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Refrigerate dough 30 minutes and preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a parchment lined cookie sheet, drop large (golf ball size) dough balls and press with a small greased glass to flatten and use the back of a spoon to make a pool for the icing.
- Bake 8 minutes.
Icing
- Cream butter, milk, sugars, vanilla and salt until creamy.
- Using a teaspoon, fill the baked sugar cookies.
Tips
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before forming the cookies.
- When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, blend them gradually.
- Bake the cookies in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- Let the cookies cool completely before icing them.
Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
DELICIOUS! I happened to have some coarse salt on hand so I sprinkled a little on the tops! These cookies are to die for! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks SO much for sharing, Mary! You have to try my melt in your mouth sugar cookies, too. Happy Holidays!
Do you think I could substitute coconut oil for the veg oil?
I’m not sure – I don’t bake with coconut oil, sorry
Lisa, I used coconut coil in my cookies and they turned out great. I also had to substitute gluten free flour and vegan butter to meet my husband’s dietary restrictions. We served them this weekend at a party and everyone loved them and had no idea the difference!
I have the same question as Jen, I thought these were salted caramel cookies? The icing does not resemble salted caramel at all, and contains no salt…
The icing includes 4 ingredients I use in salted caramel and according to my friends and family, that’s exactly what the cookies taste like. I hope you enjoy them as well!
Hi I just have two questions about this recipe- in the icing part, it calls for 1/4 salt.. what is the measurement on this? And then do you add the salt in with step 8 in the icing?
Thanks! They look amazing! I want to try these!
Your cookies look beautiful, I’m just wondering where the caramel part comes in because they seems to be brown sugar cookies with a brown sugar frosting. Am I supposed to sprinkle salt over the frosting at the end to make it “salted caramel”?
I am going to put this cookie on my Christmas cookie list!