Oh my goodness, these decadent caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies will be the highlight of your Christmas cookie tray.
I love the holiday season and all the baking that it entails. My mom used to make a few batches of cookies with us every year, and then arrange them beautifully on a tray and give them to friends and family.
Every year, I like to make a new cookie to add to my repertoire. In the past, I’ve shared recipes for:
- Eggnog cookies
- Sugar cut out cookies that actually hold their shape (these are super popular and receive such amazing feedback…because they actually hold their shape)
- Dark and stormy oatmeal cream pie cookies
- 5 ingredient toasted pecan snowballs
- Cranberry bliss cookies
- Smores cookie cups
- Chocolate dipped hazelnut sandwich cookies
This year, I’m making caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies. Thumbprint cookies are great because you really feel like you’re involved in the process, you’re creating a little thumbprint well that you fill with caramel for each cookie.
Years ago, I got a magazine called ‘100 best cookies’ and caramel thumbprints were the #1 recipe, I saved the recipe, modified it slightly and am sharing it with some tips today.
How to make caramel for cookies:
I’ve found that to get soft and chewy caramel for cookies, you melt caramel squares with sweetened condensed milk. The mixture of sweetened condensed milk and caramel squares makes for the smoothest, softest caramel which is perfect for cookies (it doesn’t get hard and won’t break your teeth when trying to bite into a caramel cookie).
How to make caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies:
To make chocolate thumbprint cookies, there are a few steps. Although a little time consuming, these cookies are rich and super delicious, definitely worth it. You start by making a chocolate dough, then you form the dough into balls and coat them with chopped hazelnuts (you could leave off the nuts if you’d prefer). Press a thumbprint into each cookies and bake them. Then while the cookies are baking, you make a caramel sauce which will fill the thumbprint you made. The last step is drizzling chocolate over the cookies.
Two other tips for making chocolate caramel thumbprints:
- If adding nuts, make sure to chop them up really finely, I suggest running them through the food processor
- You can substitute 1/2 cup caramel apple dip for the caramels and sweetened condensed milk, microwave for 20 seconds before using.
I hope you enjoy these incredibly delicious Christmas cookies! I’d love to hear from you in the comments: what is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- 5 Ingredient Tuxedo Chip Cake Mix Cookies
- Chocolate Rolo Stuffed Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- Big Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (made with real cranberries)
Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or you could use pecans or walnuts
- 16 caramels unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk or you could use heavy whipping cream instead
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. cover and chill egg white until needed. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour mixture on low speed until combined. cover and chill for about 1-2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside.
- Lightly beat the reserved egg white. Place hazelnuts in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls using a small cookie scoop. Roll balls in egg white, then in hazelnuts to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press you thumb into the center of each ball. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, re-press with the back of a spoon.
- For filling, in a small heavy saucepan cook and stir caramels and sweetened condensed milk (or heavy whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- Spoon filling into the indentation in each cookie. transfer to a wire rack; cool. (If necessary, reheat filling to keep it spoonable. )
- In another small saucepan cook and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until melted; cool slightly. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Let stand until set.
Notes
Nutrition
Nelly says
I am planning to make cookie batches this weekend, and I can’t wait to try these. One of our family favorites is peanut butter blossoms. I have a recipe from my childhood best friend’s mom, and in recent years I have been experimenting adding cocoa powder and food coloring for a red velvet flavor. It adds a richness around the holidays.
Sweetphi says
My husband loves peanut butter blossoms, your changes sound great!
Denise says
I’m not a very prolific baker. I try, but it’s such an exact science and I tend to be more of an inexact cook. That being said, I usually resort to slice and bake cookies during the holidays. And I need to slightly “burn” them to please my husband!
Sweetphi says
Love a good slice and bake cookie 🙂
Lynn says
My daughter and I love to make peppermint pinwheels. Your cookies look and sound delicious!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much – and peppermint pinwheels sound so festive and delicious!
Mary W says
My favorites are Molasses cookies with lots of kick to them. I like extra spices and even a touch of cayenne. It’s that mystery ingredient that is subtle but wows everyone.
Sweetphi says
Ok yum, love a good spice cookie!
Sharon says
I love the Mexican wedding cookies, with lots of pecans.
Sweetphi says
Yum, those are always so good!
Lisa Burkhart says
My favorite is the old stand by – Peanut Blossoms with the chocolate kiss in the middle. I do try at least one new recipe each year from the WE Energies book. I will try this thumbprint next year..Merry Christmas!
Sweetphi says
My husband loves peanut blossoms with the chocolate kiss! I love that you use the WE energies books too, I always love trying new recipes too 🙂
Kim Henrichs says
oh girl, these look AMAZING!! My fave cookie recipe this time of year is a good ‘ol chocolate crinkle.
Happy weekend!!
Sweetphi says
Yum, chocolate crinkles for the win!
Melissa Kuhn says
These cookies look delicious
My favorite cookies are snickerdoodles and my grams peanut butter blossoms recipe she always added a hint of vanilla to the batter.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much – love the sound of your favorite cookies too!
Linda Bick says
These cookies look amazing! I love sugar cookies and a yummy chewy ginger cookie!
Sweetphi says
I think you’d love these cookies 🙂
Amanda says
Oh my goodness! These look delicious! I think I just might have to add these cookies to my list of /cookies to make,
Sweetphi says
I think they’d make a lovely addition to your christmas cookie list 🙂
Annette says
My favorite is Oatmeal Raisin. I use the recipe from the oatmeal container, but I use golden raisins instead of the dark ones.
Sweetphi says
Oh I like that switch with the raisins 🙂
Susan P. says
I haven’t made your recipe for Vanilice – Raspberry Filled Vanilla Cookies yet but I think it will be my favorite cookie since I love raspberry and vanilla!
Sweetphi says
Aw thank you, I think you’d love those cookies, they’re always on my cookie baking list
Ashley H. says
I always loved Keebler Soft Batch chocolate chip cookies as a kid, so I eventually went looking for a recipe to try to duplicate them. Found one via Pinterest a couple of years ago (credit to averiecooks.com) that uses cream cheese and is absolutely delicious!
Sweetphi says
I’ll have to go look those cookies up, they sound amazing!
melanie says
For Christmas i love frosted sugar cookies but for general cookiness give me a chocolate chip cookie with walnuts!
Sweetphi says
Yum, love both sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies too 🙂
Rebecca S. says
For the holidays, it’s lebkuchen! Otherwise it’s my family chocolate chip cookie recipe or ginger cookies.
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, I come from a German family and we love Lebkuchen!
Amy C. says
I love making Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are massive, impressive and delicious!
Sweetphi says
Omg those sound amazing!!
Mary W says
I love traditional molasses cookies with the cracks and castor sugar for the crunch.
Sweetphi says
Yum, those sound amazing!
Denise says
These cookies look divine! All my favorite flavors in one. I am partial to anything with chocolate, and that’s especially true for cookies.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for your kind words, and chocolate cookies for the win!
Mary says
These cookies look amazing I can’t wait to try them. So sorry you had to cancel your cookie party that’s one of my favorite holiday traditions.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for your sweet comment. It was so tough to cancel the party, I totally look forward to it every year, but I’m still so under the weather (and don’t have up a single decoration ;( …here’s to next year)
Susan Craig says
Those cookies look amazing! I have a favorite gingerbread cutout recipe that I got at a cookie exchange party decades ago. It isn’t sticky so it is easier to work with, but it still makes soft cookies.
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, that sounds amazing!
Nancy S. says
My favorite any time of year is the peanut butter kiss cookies!
Sweetphi says
My husband loves peanut butter kiss cookies, they’re his favorite!
Dawn says
There is a sugar cookie recipe I made with my mom as a kid that I now make with my own kiddos that wins out as the best in my book not just because they’re so yummy but because of the memories made each time! 🙂
Sweetphi says
Awwww, I love that!
Wendy Burrow says
For Christmas cookies and winter holiday celebrations, chocolate cherry cookies all the way!! My grandma and mom made these every year for Christmas, so it’s one of those childhood memory things. I could eat quite a lot of them. Now I make them, and my son even loves them, and he doesn’t love anything. ; ) The cool thing about them is you can substitute a walnut or pecan for the cherry, or keep them nut free if you have anyone with allergies.
P.S. I am dying to try a batch of Salted Double Chocolate Chili cookies…
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, those cookies sound amazing!!
Jeffrey says
I’m a sucker for the classics. I like a good ole’ homemade chocolate chip cookie, nothing fancy, just quality ingredients!
Sweetphi says
I’m right there with you – if someone asks what my favorite dessert is, I always say chocolate chip cookies 🙂
carol clark says
mine is a plain sugar cookie recipe
Sweetphi says
Yum, love a good plain sugar cookie
Rust says
I love tmexican wedding cookies coated in powdered sugar with lots of pecans in them. Happy holidays, Phi!
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, love those cookies too 🙂 Happy holidays to you as well!
Steven Epstein says
chocolate almond-praline-cookies.
Sweetphi says
Yum, those sound fancy and delicious
Jennifer Shafer says
These cookies look YUM! My favorite cookie is my great grandmother’ s recipe for a bittersweet chocolate ravioli shaped cookie that is filled with hazelnut and dusted with powdered sugar. It is unfortunately lost in time as there was 1 handwritten copy in Italian that no one in the family seems to have. It is my favorite cookie and Christmas memory.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for sharing that memory, it sounds like those cookies were so good!!
Jana says
Another tough decision! I think I have to go with the good ole chocolate chip cookie!
Sweetphi says
Me too – I love a good CCC cookie 🙂