Treat Yourself to a Batch of Homemade Salty Sweet Caramel Cookie Sandwiches
Raise your hand if you can’t resist those caramel-filled eggs currently lurking on the grocery store shelves. (Both hands raised over here.) If your chocolate egg supply isn’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth during Cadbury season, these Chocolate Oatmeal Caramel Creme Cookie Sandwiches are here to keep you company all year ’round. Sandwiched between two chocolate oatmeal cookies lies a layer of caramel buttercream that is sure to give those oatmeal creme pies from your childhood lunchbox a run for their money.
Ingredients
For Cookies:
— ½ cup unsalted butter
— 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
— 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
— ¼ cup sugar
— ¼ cup brown sugar
— 1 egg
— 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
— 1 teaspoon baking soda
— 1 cup flour
— ¾ cup oats
For Caramel Frosting:
— 1/2 cup butter
— 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
— 1/4 cup heavy cream
— 1 teaspoon vanilla
— 2/3 cup homemade or pre-made caramel sauce
Instructions
For Cookies:
1. In a medium glass bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave on half-power for 1 minute. Stir chocolate and continue to melt in 20-second increments in microwave until fully melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together cocoa powder, white sugar and brown sugar with a large spoon or spatula.
3. Add chocolate/butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Add egg, vanilla and baking soda and continue stirring.
5. Add flour and oats.
6. Once all ingredients have been added, mix for 30 seconds (or until dough is fully combined).
7. Scoop by the tablespoon on a parchment-covered baking sheet. After scooping, roll each scoop into a ball and slightly flatten the tops to create a dough disc. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.
8. Immediately after removing from the oven, place pan on wire rack and allow for the cookies to continue to bake on the hot baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing cookies from the baking sheet.
For Frosting + Assembling:
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium using a hand or stand mixer with paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes or until creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Continue mixing on high speed for 2 minutes.
2. Add caramel sauce.
3. Slowly turn the mixer up to high speed and beat for 3-4 minutes. You may need to stop the mixer half-way through to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. To assemble the cookie sandwiches, pipe about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of the cooled cookie, top with a drizzle of caramel and place another cookie on top. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Yield: 18-20 cookie sandwiches
Who’s ready to make some cookie sandos? Once all your cookie ingredients have been added to the bowl, mix until dough is fully combined and scoop by the tablespoon on a parchment-covered baking sheet. After scooping, roll each dough ball in your hands and slightly flatten the tops to create more of a disc. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. You may notice that the cookies look slightly under-baked. That’s okay. They will continue to bake on the hot pan after removing from the oven. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
While your cookies are cooling, it’s time to whip up that caramel buttercream. If you haven’t made homemade buttercream before, you’re in for a treat. This one is made with gooey caramel sauce, and you will have a hard time not spooning this light and creamy frosting directly into your mouth. (Not saying that based on experience or anything.) After beating the butter with an electric mixer, add in powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla and continue mixing on high speed for 2 minutes. Once light and airy, add in caramel sauce and continue to beat the frosting for another 3-4 minutes. Beating the frosting for several minutes is essential to creating that light texture. The longer you beat it, the more the heavy cream will whip up.
Once your cookies are cooled and your buttercream is ready, it’s time to assemble. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of the cookie, top with a drizzle of caramel (because why not?!) and place another cookie on top. As long as you don’t eat a few while assembling, you should end up with about 18 cookie sandwiches total.
The balance of sweet chocolate and slightly salty caramel buttercream may be enough for you to turn down that handful of perfectly poppable chocolate eggs this Easter season. Serve them alongside milk or tie them up in a cute pastel bag to pass out to family and friends!
Do you have a favorite Easter candy that you just cannot get enough of? Tell us about them in our comments!
