These sticky toffee pudding cookies combine finely chopped Medjool dates, salted caramel, and dark chocolate in a brown butter dough. Browning the butter develops its nutty flavor but also removes water, so replacing that moisture is a small step that helps keep the centers chewy. An overnight chill gives the dough time to hydrate before baking, while caramel shards melt into pockets across the tops.
Recipe Details
- Yield: About 16 large cookies
- Prep time: Approximately 40 minutes, plus cooling
- Chilling time: 12–24 hours
- Baking time: 12–15 minutes per batch
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Shards
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- Room-temperature water, as needed to replace moisture lost during browning
- ⅔ cup (135 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (120 g) finely chopped, pitted Medjool dates, measured after chopping
- 3½ ounces (100 g) dark chocolate, preferably 70–75% cocoa, roughly chopped
- All the salted caramel shards from above, divided
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Cook the caramel. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently until dissolved, then increase to medium. Let it bubble without stirring, gently swirling the pan if the color develops unevenly. Once deep amber, remove from the heat and carefully stir in the salt.
- Cool and break into pieces. Immediately pour the caramel into a thin layer on the prepared sheet. Let it cool completely until hard; never touch or taste hot caramel. Break into ¼–½-inch pieces. Set aside one-third in an airtight container at room temperature for topping.
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl, including the browned bits. Let cool until barely warm, about 15–20 minutes.
- Replace the lost water. Weigh the cooled brown butter in a bowl on a tared kitchen scale. Stir in enough room-temperature water to bring the combined weight back to 170 g. You’ll usually need about 1½–2 tablespoons, but use the weight as your guide.
- Make the dough. Whisk both sugars into the butter, then whisk in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined, then fold in the dates, chocolate, and the two-thirds portion of caramel.
- Shape and refrigerate. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. If it’s too soft to scoop, refrigerate briefly until manageable. Place in a covered container and chill for 12–24 hours.
- Prepare the cookies. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), conventional, and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Arrange 5–6 dough balls on the sheet with plenty of room to spread. Press each into a thick puck, about ¾ inch tall. Press the reserved caramel into the tops, keeping large pieces away from the bottom edges. Leave the remaining dough refrigerated.
- Bake and let set. Bake on the middle rack for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are browned and the centers look soft but no longer wet with raw dough. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt. Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack once firm enough to lift. Let the baking sheet cool before starting another batch.
Tips for Chewy Centers and Crisp Edges
- Choose soft, sticky dates. Chop them into small pieces so they blend through the dough. Firm, leathery dates will leave tougher pieces in the cookies.
- Weigh the flour and butter. Too much flour can limit spreading, while guessing how much water the butter lost makes the dough less consistent.
- Keep the caramel thin. Thick chunks can leave large, hard patches after cooling. Small, thin shards are easier to distribute.
- Use dark chocolate to balance the sweetness. Dates and caramel already contribute plenty of sugar. A 70–75% chocolate bar adds a slightly bitter contrast.
- Check a small batch first. Bake two cookies to see how they spread in your oven. If they stay too thick, flatten the next batch a little more.
- Allow time for the caramel to cool. The centers can still be warm when served, but the caramel should no longer be bubbling or piping hot.
Storage and Reheating
At room temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Place parchment between layers to keep the caramel from sticking. The edges will soften during storage.
To freeze: Freeze cooled cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 2 months, separating layers with parchment. Thaw at room temperature.
To reheat: Warm thawed cookies in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 4–5 minutes. Let them stand briefly before eating, since the caramel can heat faster than the dough.
Common Questions
Can I use caramel sauce instead of shards?
Caramel sauce adds moisture and won’t behave like hard caramel in this dough. Use the shards for this recipe. The softer caramel used for homemade caramel apples is a different preparation and isn’t a direct substitute.
Do I need to soak the dates?
Use soft Medjool dates without soaking. Soaking introduces extra water that this dough hasn’t been formulated to accommodate.
Will the caramel stay gooey after cooling?
It will be softer while the cookies are warm. As they cool, exposed caramel can become firm or crisp. Briefly reheating the cookies softens the centers and chocolate, though the caramel won’t necessarily turn into a flowing sauce.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Shape and refrigerate it, covered, for the planned 12–24-hour chill. Keep the reserved topping shards in a separate airtight container at room temperature and add them just before baking.
More Cookies to Bake
For a smaller chocolate chip cookie to serve alongside these, try Sweet Martha’s copycat cookies.
