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
Stacy says
My favorite cookie has to be peanut butter blossoms. A chocolate kiss on a peanut butter cookie is the perfect combination.
Sweetphi says
Yum, love a good peanut butter blossom
Linda Bick says
Thank you Phi, the book and Starbucks card arrived safely! My favorite Christmas cookies are sugar cookies with icing!
Sweetphi says
So happy to hear Linda 🙂
Holly says
My favorite cookies are anything soft! But I love ginger snaps and snickerdoodles around the holidays. Chocolate chip all the way (really anything chocolate) any other time of year.
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, all those cookies sound amazing!
Sara W. says
My favorite Christmas cookie are candy cane peppermint kiss cookies! They’re so festive, and super tasty!
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, those cookies sound so good
Mary Caruthers says
My favorite Christmas cookies are the traditional cut out frosted sugar cookies.
I remember making them with my mother and grandma. I wish everyone a very happy holiday.
Mary
Sweetphi says
I love a good frosted sugar cookie
kristine says
my favorite is snickerdoodles (so fun to say) and anything involving caramel. we are going to make your Chocolate Rolo Stuffed Crinkle Cookies over holiday break!
Sue says
My Favorite cookie is “Grandma Jenny’s Chocolate Chip cookies” that was posted by Christy Jordan in 2010. The cookies are easy to make and stay soft which is what I enjoy!
Sue
Sweetphi says
Thanks for sharing your favorite cookie!
Sweetphi says
Haha, love saying snickerdoodles too, and I hope you loved those cookies, they’re so yummy!
Pam M says
The classic toll house chocolate chip
Sweetphi says
yum, love a good classic
Jes says
My favorite cookie is the 5 Ingredient Toasted Pecan Sandies! ?
Sweetphi says
Loooove those 🙂
Monica M says
My favorite cookie is probably Snickerdoodle. I pinned your thumbprint cookies though – they look delicious!!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for pinning, hope you love them.
Katie says
My favorites are Date pinwheels and chocolate mint chip.
Sweetphi says
yum, those sound so interesting!
Diana Markel says
My new favorite cookie is Eggnog Whoopi’s pies. The two “sandwich” cookies taste like a mix between a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle. The filling is a creamy eggnog flavored filling. They are soft and DELICIOUS. I think the recipient is from Betty Crocker’s holiday cookie book.
Sweetphi says
oh that sounds so interesting, thanks for sharing
Laura says
I love Italian Christmas cookies…anise flavoring!!!
Sweetphi says
Oh how interesting, thank you for sharing!
Regina Henderson says
You actually reminded me of a cookie that my mom would make during Christmas. They look like the Mexican Wedding cookie but are made with cream cheese. They melt in your mouth.
I really want to try your Raspberry filled cookies. They look amazing.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I have to tell you, the raspberry filled sandwich cookies are sooo good (I’m going to make a batch for my dad this weekend 🙂 )
Susan P. says
My favorite cookie is your recipe for Vanilice – Raspberry Filled Vanilla Cookies. I haven’t made it yet, but it will be my favorite.
Amy S. says
My favorite cookie is a crispy gingerbread cookie!
Sweetphi says
Yum, love a good gingerbread cookie
Jennifer Joyce says
My favorite is my gingerbread cookies!! They are so good!!
Sweetphi says
Yum, love gingerbread cookies too
Anita Tatum says
I was all prepared to say frosted, shaped sugar cookies until I saw this recipe and without even making a batch I can tell that these will be my new favorite. Looks like I will love them.
Sweetphi says
Awww, thank you so much for your kind words, hope you enjoy them!
sandy hemsher says
My favorite is my Grandma’s walnut cookies. Put cherries them at Christmas!
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, those sound delicious
Erik says
Keeping it classic with crispy chewy chocolate chip cookies. We tend to stick with the Smitten Kitchen recipe for best results.
Sweetphi says
Love a good chocolate chip cookie!