These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies are soft and chewy inside, full of old-fashioned oats, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and caramel bits, crowned with a light golden-brown, slightly crisp exterior and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. They strike a perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make the Recipe
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- More Yummy Cookie Recipes!
Ingredients Needed
Below are the main ingredients for these oatmeal chocolate chip salted caramel cookies. Notes clarify a few items where substitutions or tips might be helpful.
- All-Purpose Flour. You can substitute half all-purpose and half almond flour, or use all almond flour. Note that all almond flour will cause the cookies to spread more.
- Unsalted Butter. Room-temperature butter is best. Salted butter can be used if you won’t be sprinkling flaky sea salt on top.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. Rolled oats give the best chewy texture. Quick oats work in a pinch but tend to produce a softer, sometimes mushier cookie.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can also chop semi-sweet chocolate bars into chunks for a more rustic texture.
- Caramel Bits. Small caramel baking bits work well and distribute evenly through the dough.
- Flaky Sea Salt. Optional but recommended — a few flakes on each cookie enhance the sweet flavors.
For exact quantities and the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
How to Make the Recipe
Here’s a clear, step-by-step overview to make these easy oatmeal chocolate chip salted caramel cookies. The recipe card below includes full measurements.
Step 1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat room-temperature unsalted butter with granulated and light brown sugars until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
Step 3. Combine dry and wet, then add oats. Slowly add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Once blended, fold in the old-fashioned oats — the dough will be thick and hearty.
Step 4. Stir in mix-ins. Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and caramel bits with a spatula so they distribute evenly without overworking the dough.
Step 5. Scoop and bake. Use a cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons) to portion dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2–3 inches between cookies. Bake at 350ºF for 12–14 minutes, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Step 6. Cool and serve. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling. They set while cooling but remain soft and chewy.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for up to one week. The bread helps maintain moisture and prevents the cookies from becoming dry or crumbly.
Recipe FAQs
Old-fashioned rolled oats provide the best chewy texture and hold up well in the cookie. Quick oats have the same flavor but can lead to a softer, sometimes mushier texture because they absorb moisture and bake faster. Use rolled oats for the classic chew.
A 1 1/2- to 3-tablespoon cookie scoop works well. Smaller scoops yield more cookies; larger scoops make thicker, bakery-style cookies.
Leave 2–3 inches between scoops on the baking sheet. If you use alternative flours like almond flour, cookies may spread more, so give extra space.
Using a round cookie scoop and placing dough gently on the pan helps. If you prefer perfectly round edges, you can use a cookie cutter after slightly flattening warm cookies, but letting the dough settle and bake evenly usually produces nicely rounded cookies.
More Yummy Cookie Recipes!
Homemade Chocolate Shortbread
Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Funfetti Butter Cookies
If you try these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 cups Old-Fashioned Oats
- 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 1/2 cups Caramel Bits
- Flaky Sea Salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and position the rack just above center. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- On low speed, add the dry mixture and scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add the old-fashioned oats and mix until incorporated; the dough will be thick.
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and caramel bits with a spatula.
- Scoop dough (1 1/2–3 tbsp) onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2–3 inches apart.
- Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt if desired. Bake 12–14 minutes (about 13 minutes works well) until edges are set and centers are slightly soft.
- Remove from oven, optionally top with a few extra chocolate chips, and cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for up to one week.
Video
Notes
- Almond flour can replace all-purpose flour 1:1 or be used half-and-half, but expect more spreading with higher almond flour content.
- Quick oats may be used but can yield a softer, less chewy cookie.
- Salted butter is an acceptable swap if you skip the flaky sea salt topping.
- Chopped chocolate bars work well instead of chips for larger pockets of chocolate.
- Caramel bits distribute easily and give consistent caramel in every bite.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.
