Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

Home › Recipe List › Cookies › Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies Recipe

Posted by Aimee 7 comments
Published: Feb 14, 2019 Last Updated: Feb 23, 2024

TheseCaramel Frosted Sugar Cookiesare irresistible! Chewy sugar cookies made with an easy no-chill dough then topped with a sweet and salty caramel frosting!

If you love baking, ourcut out sugar cookiesneed to go on your must-make list! Top them with homemadesugar cookie frostingfor a sweet holiday treat.

Why I Love These Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies

When it comes to sugar cookies, there are so many things to consider.

• Do you want the kind that your roll out and cut into shapes?
• Are you more interested in a chewy cookie or crisp?
• How much time do you want to spend baking cookies?

You may remember last month I shared this delicious FrostedSugar Cookiesrecipe—chewy cookie perfection topped with a sweet pinkvanilla frosting!

Well, today I’m back with that same cookie but topped with a decadent Caramel Frosting instead! Are you ready?

Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:

• They’re sugar cookies with a twist. If you love that classic buttery sugary cookie base, but could take-or-leave the usual frosting, you’ll love this more grownup version.
• There’s no rolling out the dough or using cookie cutters. Which means these caramel frosted sugar cookies are incredibly easy!
• You can dress them up with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt or a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, but they’re also just as delicious with just the sugar cookie base and rich caramel frosting.

Love pink frosting? Thesesugar cookie bitesare so fun and easy too!

Important Ingredient Notes

• Unsalted butter– Unsalted butter is always best for baking because it gives you more control over the flavor of the recipe.
• Eggs – Let these come to room temperature with the butter.
• All-purpose flour – Be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping it.
• Cream of tartar – This keeps the sugar from crystallizing, which means soft, chewy sugar cookies.
• Caramel sauce– Making caramel from scratch can be fussy, so we skip all that and start with store-bought caramel sauce! That said, you can usehomemade caramel sauceif you prefer.
• Powdered sugar –Sift this if you notice that it’s lumpy; it’s easier to sift first than trying to smash little balls of unmixed sugar with a spoon later. (We’ve all been there, right?!)
• Coarse sea salt– For a salted caramel flavor.

How to Make Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies

Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the Sugar Cookie Dough:

• In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of kosher salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, vegetable oil, 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, water, and eggs until combined.
• Slowly mix in the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt, continuing to mix until combined. The dough may be slightly crumbly, but that’s fine.

Form the Cookies:

• Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll it in your hands to make a ball.
• Roll each dough ball in the bowl with the sugar and salt.
• Place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet.
• Dip a flat-bottomed glass in the sugar bowl, then press on top of each cookie. Flatten the cookies so the dough spills out over the sides of the glass to create a lip to hold the icing.
• Repeat for all dough balls.

Bake: Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Icing: Beat together the butter, caramel sauce, and powdered sugar for 3-4 minutes. Add up to 2 tablespoons of milk to create an icing that is thick, but not runny.

Finish: Spread the icing onto the cooled cookies.

See Also

Cheesy Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe – Keto & Carnivore | Advantage Meals Keto Dietgluten free oreo cookie recipe with neopolitan fillingCopycat Dairy Queen Blizzard RecipePeanut Butter Raspberry Bread {Favorite Grain Free / Dairy Free Recipes}

Tips and Tricks

• Soften the butter before you start the recipe. Room temperature butter mixes more evenly into the cookie dough and it also holds more air when beaten.
• Depending on the brand of caramel sauce, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of milk to make it creamy. Some caramel sauces are thicker than others.
• Bake until the cookies are set and almost golden on the edges, but overall, still fairly pale. Unlike other baked goods, you don’t want any browning with sugar cookies!

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Desserts

• Salted Caramel Brownies
• Salted Caramel Bark
• Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Cheesecakes
• Homemade Caramels