That first hiss from the cooker tells you something good is happening. You sense that float valve popping up and that valve hiss is like a promise dang good cooking's underway. You gotta love that moment cause it means the pressure’s building just right inside the pot.
When you hear it, you remember all the good times you’ve had baking, but now it’s faster and kinda more fun with the pressure cooker doing the work. The broth depth and how you set the timer just right makes all the difference, y'all.
Then you wait for the natural release, which is the best part. It’s like the cooker’s telling you to chill for a bit so your cookies finish perfect, soft on the inside, chewy in every bite.
The Real Reasons You Will Love This Method
- Faster baking than your traditional oven without losing out on chewy texture.
- The pressure cooker helps seal in moisture so cookies stay soft longer.
- Natural release means cookies gently finish cooking, no risk of drying out.
- Awesome even heat distribution, no hot spots cooking your sweets unevenly.
- You get that satisfying valve hiss and float valve pop, kinda like a baking timer you can hear.
- It frees up your oven if you’re making a bunch of stuff or just don’t wanna heat up the whole kitchen.
The Complete Shopping Rundown
- Unsalted butter, make sure it’s room temp cause it creams best that way.
- Light brown sugar, packed tight to get the right sweet and chewy texture.
- Granulated sugar to balance sweetness and add a little crunch edge.
- Real vanilla extract for that warm cozy cookie flavor you crave.
- Large eggs, room temp helps them mix in nicer and keep dough smooth.
- All-purpose flour, measure it how you like but don’t pack it too hard.
- Baking powder and baking soda for the perfect lift and spread.
- Dark chocolate chips and chopped homemade hard caramel pieces to make it oh so good.
How It All Comes Together Step by Step
Step 1. You start with making the 5-minute hard caramel according to the instructions. After pour it out, spread thin on a pan and let it harden at room temp, or pop in the freezer if you can’t wait.
Step 2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line up some baking sheets with parchment paper because no sticking allowed.
Step 3. Cream the room temp butter with both sugars and vanilla in your mixer on medium speed for like 4 or 5 minutes until it's fluffy and light colored.
Step 4. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each. Then put in baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well for another minute to blend everything evenly.
Step 5. Mix in the flour just until you can’t see any more dry spots. Don’t over mix cause you want those streaks of flour fading but not gone. Fold in your chocolate chips and the chopped up caramel bits.
Step 6. Scoop about two tablespoon-sized balls of dough on your sheets, leaving room. Press some extra chocolate chips on top of each for that fancy look. Bake for 11 minutes or till edges look set but middles still kinda soft. Then nudge the cookies back to round using a spatula and stick 'em back for 1 minute. Cool 'em on the sheet 10 minutes then move to a wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes if you feeling fancy.
Quick Tricks That Save Your Time
- Make your hard caramel ahead and freeze it in chunks so it's ready when you wanna bake up cookies fast.
- Keep your butter and eggs out on the counter for at least an hour before mixing - this helps your dough come together real good without lumps.
- Use parchment paper to speed up cleanup, trust me it works real good and saves you scrubbing that pan.
The Flavor Experience Waiting for You
You walk up to that plate and the sweet saltiness hits you right away. The caramel bits melt into gooey pockets mingling with rich dark chocolate in every bite.
Then there's this chewiness that kinda hugs your teeth, not dry or crumbly but soft and just a little sticky. It keeps you coming back.
The hint of sea salt flakes on top wakes up your taste buds with just enough salt to balance the sugar sweet, dang it’s good.
Warm or cooled off, these cookies give you that classic comforting feeling, a texture and flavor combo that reminds you of simple good times.
How to Store This for Later
If you got leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temp and they’ll stay chewy for a few days.
For longer keeping, pop the cookies in the freezer with a layer of parchment between stacks so they don’t stick together. Thaw at room temp when you ready.
You can also stash dough balls in the freezer before baking. When you wanna bake, just press some chips on top and use your pressure cooker or oven.
Keeping them with a slice of bread in the container helps keep moisture in so cookies don’t get hard. Give it a shot!
Common Questions and Real Answers
- Can I make these without hard caramel? Yep, just add more chocolate chips or mix in caramel sauce instead but bits of hardened caramel give a better chewy texture.
- What if I don’t have a pressure cooker? You can bake them in a regular oven like usual but the cooker speeds things up and keeps cookies super soft.
- Why natural release? It’s key because it gently finishes baking your cookies without drying them out from rushing the pressure release.
- Can I use salted butter? You can but cut back on added sea salt so you don’t end up with a super salty cookie.
- How do I get them chewy and not cakey? Make sure you cream your butter and sugars just right and don’t overmix the flour. Also don’t over bake.
- Can I swap dark chocolate for milk chocolate? Sure thing if you want sweeter cookies, but dark chocolate balances the caramel saltiness perfect.
For more delicious baking ideas, check out our Classic Crockpot Pierogi Casserole with Kielbasa, a hearty comfort meal perfect for busy days. If you're in the mood for snacks, our Easy Marinated Cheese Appetizer with Salami & Green Olives offers a quick and flavorful option. And for those who love cheesy treats, don’t miss the Mozzarella Stuffed Rosemary Parmesan Soft Pretzels recipe — a perfect snack for any occasion.
The Best Chewy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl large
- 1 Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 Baking sheets lined with parchment
- 1 Spatula for shaping cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 batch Hard caramel prepared and chopped
- 1.5 cups Light brown sugar packed
- 0.5 cup Granulated sugar
- 16 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1.5 tablespoon Real vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs large, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 3.25 cups All-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups Dark chocolate chips or chunks
- to taste Sea salt flakes optional, for topping
Instructions
Instructions
- Make the 5-minute hard caramel and let it cool until solid. Chop into chocolate chip-sized bits.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, brown and granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 4–5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Then mix in baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt for 1 more minute.
- Add flour and mix until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips and caramel bits.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon dough balls onto baking sheets with room to spread. Press extra chips on top.
- Bake for 11 minutes or until edges set and centers look soft. Use spatula to round shapes.
- Return to oven for 1 more minute. Cool cookies on sheet for 10 minutes, then move to rack.
- Sprinkle with salt flakes if desired and serve.
