Description
Decadent salted caramel chocolate lava cookies are stuffed cookies featuring a soft cocoa dough exterior and a molten center made from dark chocolate and thick salted caramel. Unlike standard chocolate cookies, these are intentionally underbaked to preserve a flowing, lava-like interior.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
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½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
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½ cup brown sugar
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¼ cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1¼ cups all-purpose flour
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¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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½ tsp baking soda
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¼ tsp salt
Lava Filling
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3 oz dark chocolate (chopped or chocolate chunks)
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6 tsp salted caramel sauce (thick, chilled)
Topping
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Flaky sea salt (Maldon-style recommended)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Lava Centers
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Place ½ tsp caramel on a parchment-lined plate.
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Top each with a few pieces of dark chocolate.
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Freeze for 20–30 minutes until firm.
2. Make the Cookie Dough
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Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy.
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Beat in egg and vanilla.
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In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
3. Assemble the Cookies
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Scoop 2 tbsp dough, flatten slightly.
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Place a frozen caramel-chocolate center in the middle.
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Wrap dough around, sealing completely.
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Roll gently into a ball.
4. Chill
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Chill assembled cookies for 20 minutes (helps prevent spreading).
5. Bake
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Place cookies 2½ inches apart on lined baking sheets.
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Bake 10–12 minutes — centers should be soft and slightly underbaked.
6. Finish
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Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
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Cool 5 minutes on the tray before transferring.
Notes
For an extra-indulgent finish, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies while they’re still warm and serve with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These cookies are best enjoyed fresh, when the centers are perfectly molten and irresistibly gooey.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: ~290 kcal
Keywords: salted caramel lava cookies, chocolate lava cookies with caramel, gooey caramel chocolate cookies, molten chocolate caramel cookies