These caramel thumbprint cookies are made with a brown sugar shortbread. The thumbprint is filled with caramel sauce and then a chocolate drizzle. The egg free dough is quick and easy to make and needs an hour of chill time. The cookies are buttery and decadent and taste like an upgraded Twix candy bar.
This post was originally published in January of 2019 and has been updated with helpful information and new photos. The recipe remains the same with a slight change in technique.
Reader Kathleen commented: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I made these absolutely delicious cookies a couple weeks ago..omg !! so good...."
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Today I bring you a twist on one of my favorite candy bars. Caramel, brown sugar shortbread and milk chocolate. What's not to love? They are great for everyday, special occasions or Christmas cookie boxes!
I know you are busy and this cookie recipe is easy, but takes a little longer than many of my cookie recipes. The brown sugar shortbread dough comes together in about 10 minutes. Then rolling and shaping the cookies takes about 15 minutes, but the dough does need to chill in the refrigerator before baking.
If you are short on time, but still want a dessert with caramel and chocolate, my caramel chocolate chip cookies, caramelitas or caramel cookie bars would all be good alternatives. Or for peanut butter and caramel, sub caramel for the chocolate in these peanut butter thumbprints.
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🛒 ingredient notes
You will start with a pretty standard shortbread recipe, except we are going to replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar. I used my coconut jam thumbprints as a jumping off place for this recipe.
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
Butter ~ the unsalted butter should be room temperature for this cookie recipe. This will take 1-2 hours on the kitchen counter. Room temperature butter is colder than you think and should be about 65°F.
Brown sugar ~ I love the extra depth of flavor that dark brown sugar brings to these thumbprints with caramel filling. Light brown sugar can also be used.
Caramel sauce ~ the recipe for homemade caramel sauce is in the recipe card below. If making your own caramel sauce makes you nervous, you have a couple options. If you'd like more photos for how to make homemade caramel sauce, this cookie butter caramel post would be helpful.
For a “cheater” homemade caramel sauce recipe, use half of the caramel recipe from these caramelita bars. Kraft caramels, Werther’s chewy and Favorite Day are the brands I have used for this version.
A quality store bought sauce could be substituted. But some store bought caramel will be thinner than you want for the caramel center. You want a caramel with a thick consistency.
🥣 how to make thumbprint cookies
In your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand held mixer, cream together the butter, kosher salt and brown sugar on low until combined, then increase to medium-high until combined. We are not going for light and fluffy with these cookies.
Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape up and down the sides of your mixing bowl. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
Prepare two baking sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a 1 tablespoon measure, scoop and roll dough into balls and place on prepared baking pans, spacing an inch or two apart. Use the palm of your hand and slightly press down the dough to about ½ inch thickness.
Then using the end of a spatula, a teaspoon measure or your finger, make an indent in the middle of each cookie dough ball. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for one hour (or up to a couple of days if you cover them).
Make the homemade caramel sauce once you put the dough in the refrigerator to chill.
After an hour of chilling, you will pop the thumbprint cookies into a preheated 350°F oven. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and fill the indents with the caramel, then bake for an additional 1 - 2 minutes.
If the indents have lost their shape, use the end of your spatula or a 1 teaspoon measure to press the dough down to make a deeper indent before adding the caramel.
After the caramel thumbprint cookies have finished baking, allow them to cool completely. Then you will finish them off with a drizzle of milk chocolate. If you can wait long enough to let the chocolate dry, the cookies will be a little less messy to eat. I won't judge one bit if you dive in right away!
👩🏻🍳 more helpful tips for success
- If the dough feels crumbly when rolling into balls, use the warmth of your hands to warm it up. It should roll into smooth balls.
- When making the "thumbprints" the dough may crack a little on the edges. I love this rustic look! If you don't, you can use your fingers to smooth the dough back together.
- To make heart shaped thumbprints, use the end of your pinky finger or the end of a spoon to make the indent.
- For a salted caramel thumbprint, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. I love this Murray River Pink Salt.
🫙 how to store
Caramel thumbprint cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days at room temperature. They can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
The shortbread cookies also freeze well in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow to come to room temperature before serving, which takes about 15-20 minutes.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Buttery Caramel Thumbprint Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Buttery Caramel Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams in parenthesis DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
brown sugar shortbread
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar* (133g)
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (281g)
homemade caramel sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (85g)
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature (120mL)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
chocolate drizzle
- 4 ounces milk chocolate melted (114g)
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Brown sugar shortbread: In your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand held mixer, cream together the butter (1 cup/226g), kosher salt (¼ teaspoon) and brown sugar (packed ⅔ cup/133g) on low until combined, then increase to medium-high (speed 6 on KitchenAid) until combined, about 1-2 minutes. We are not going for light and fluffy with these cookies. Add the vanilla (¾ teaspoon) and mix until combined.
- Scrape up and down the sides of your mixing bowl. Add the flour (2 ¼ cups/281g) and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
- Prepare baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Using a 1 tablespoon measure, scoop and roll dough into balls and place on prepared baking pans, spacing an inch or two apart. For 28 cookies, each cookie dough ball should weigh 22g.
- Use the palm of your hand and slightly press down the dough to about ½ inch thickness and then using the end of a spatula, a teaspoon measure or your finger, make an indent in the middle of each cookie dough ball.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for one hour (or up to a couple of days if you cover them).
- Make the homemade caramel sauce once you put the dough in the refrigerator to chill. You need a little time for the caramel to cool before you use it.
- Homemade caramel sauce: Add one cup of granulated sugar to a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring constantly. Use a wooden spoon or a high heat resistant rubber spatula.
- The sugar will start to melt. Then it will clump together before melting into a thick amber colored liquid.
- When the sugar is fully melted add the room temperature butter (6 tablespoons/85g). The butter will cause the sugar to bubble rapidly, so use caution in this step.
- Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely incorporated. I prefer using a whisk to keep the butter and sugar from separating, but your wooden spoon or spatula can work as well.
- When your butter and sugar are fully incorporated, slowly add the heavy cream (½ cup/120mL) while continuing to whisk (or stir). Again, the mixture will bubble rapidly, so use caution.
- Let the mixture boil for approximately one additional minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Carefully pour caramel into a heatproof container and allow to cool down before using. You will have left over caramel sauce, store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Once your dough has been chilled for one hour, remove from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and fill each indent with your caramel sauce. If the indents have lost their shape, you can use the end of your spatula or a ½ teaspoon measure to press the dough back down. Bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Allow cookies to rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Chocolate drizzle: Once cookies are cool, melt 4 ounces/114g of chopped milk chocolate with a ½ teaspoon of coconut oil (or vegetable oil) using your preferred method. Then drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. The chocolate will set up in about an hour.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Jenna says
These look so good - putting them on my list of baked goods to try making! And I agree - I can’t keep up with all the food days either.
Tasia says
Thank you Jenna! I think you will love these cookies!
Kathleen M Hannon says
I will be making these cookies today..my question is are you using dark or light brown sugar for this recipe?
Tasia says
Hi Kathleen, I use dark brown sugar, but light brown can also be used. Happy baking!
Kathleen M Hannon says
I made these absolutely delicious cookies a couple weeks ago..omg !! so good..my only problem was the caramel filling became absorbed into the cookie..so the well was dry..I did not flatten the cookie as you recommended but left them rounded as I do for my thumb pri nts. could that have been the problem?
Tasia says
Hi Kathleen, I'm so happy you loved the flavor in these shortbread cookies! Hmm, my gut says that change in technique should not have affected the outcome. Did you use the homemade caramel sauce? My thought is that it was too thin and instead of firming up, the caramel dissolved into the cookie. Let me know if I can help troubleshoot further!