Description
These salted caramel popcorn cookies deliver a perfect balance of soft, chewy centers and crispy edges, studded with crunchy popcorn and chunks of homemade caramel and dark chocolate. The brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth of flavor, complemented by a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top. Ideal for satisfying sweet tooth cravings with a fun twist of popcorn in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter and Sugars
- 275g unsalted butter, straight from the fridge
- 200g granulated sugar (for the caramel)
- 210g dark brown sugar
- 100g granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 330g all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Add-ins
- 175g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 20g freshly popped popcorn
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350˚F (180˚C) and line 2-3 baking trays with parchment paper to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Brown Butter: Place the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook it until melted, then continue cooking while swirling the pan until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty, around 3-4 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a stand mixer bowl to cool slightly.
- Make Caramel: In another medium saucepan, heat 200g granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk as the sugar melts completely and smooths out. Continue cooking until the caramel reaches an amber color and begins to smoke slightly. Immediately pour the caramel onto a silicone mat placed on a heat-resistant surface or baking tray. Let it cool while you proceed.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Attach the paddle to the stand mixer and mix the browned butter with dark brown sugar and second portion of granulated sugar on medium speed until combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition, then add vanilla extract or paste. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes until mixture lightens in color and thickens.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Add the mix to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer with the mixer off, then mix on low speed until just combined. Finish incorporating dry ingredients by hand if needed, making sure no flour remains at the bottom.
- Chop Caramel: Peel the cooled caramel sheet off the silicone mat and cut it carefully into chunks about ½” to ¾” in size, including some small shards. Handle with care as shards can be sharp.
- Add Caramel and Chocolate: Add the caramel chunks and coarsely chopped dark chocolate to the cookie dough. Mix briefly on low speed to combine evenly.
- Fold in Popcorn: Remove bowl from the mixer and fold the freshly popped popcorn into the dough by hand, distributing evenly without crushing the popcorn.
- Scoop Dough: Use a ¼ cup (#16) scoop to portion dough onto the prepared baking trays, placing about 6 cookies per tray. Roll dough into balls and arrange with chocolate and popcorn sides facing up for attractive tops after baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 14-15 minutes, checking at 13 minutes for doneness. Cookies should be puffed and set at edges; they will firm up more after removal from oven.
- Shape and Salt: If the cookies lose round shape during baking due to caramel, nudge them back into shape with a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sea salt while warm.
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store: Repeat baking with remaining dough batches. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to preserve freshness.
Notes
- These cookies combine soft, chewy interiors with crispy edges and crunchy popcorn, creating a delightful texture contrast in every bite.
- Freshly popped popcorn is recommended for best crunch, but butter-flavored microwave popcorn can be used for convenience.
- Use caution when chopping cooled caramel shards, as they can be very sharp.
- Sprinkling coarse sea salt enhances the salted caramel flavor and balances sweetness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
