These Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies are irresistible! Chewy sugar cookies made with an easy no-chill dough then topped with a sweet and salty caramel frosting!
If you love baking, our cut out sugar cookies need to go on your must-make list! Top them with homemade sugar cookie frosting for 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 Frosted Sugar Cookies recipe—chewy cookie perfection topped with a sweet pink vanilla 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? These sugar cookie bites are 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 use homemade caramel sauce if 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.
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
Chilling the dough is NOT necessary for my soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe.
Absolutely! I would add 1-2 tsp of your favorite flavoring to give new life to these cookies. My favorites would be lemon or almond extracts.
These sugar cookies should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for best flavor and texture. Once the icing has firmed, you can stack them with a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between layers.
Absolutely. I prefer to freeze the cookies AFTER baking, but before frosting them. That way the texture of the frosting doesn’t change in the freezer. Once you thaw the cookies (overnight at room temperature) you can apply fresh icing to them!
More Easy Desserts
- Salted Caramel Brownies
- Salted Caramel Bark
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Caramel Apple Cheesecakes
- Homemade Caramels
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Caramel Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 large eggs
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE ICING
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup caramel sauce ice cream topping
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons coarse sea salt for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, vegetable oil, 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, powdered sugar, water, and eggs until combined. Slowly add in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until blended.
- Dough may be slightly crumbly, but not sticky. Using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop, spoon a dough ball and roll it in your hands. Then roll dough ball in sugar and salt bowl. Place on cookie sheet.
- Using a glass with a flat bottom, dip glass in sugar bowl, then press on top of cookie. Flatten cookie so that the dough spills out over the sides of the glass to create a lip (for the icing). Repeat for all dough balls.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
- For the icing, beat together the butter, caramel sauce, and powdered sugar for 3-4 minutes. Add up to 2 Tbsp milk, if needed to create an icing that is thick, but not runny or TOO thick.
- Spread icing over cooled cookies. ENJOY.
Notes
A: Chilling the dough is NOT necessary for my soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe. Q: Can I add flavoring to the dough?
A: Absolutely! I would add 1-2 tsp of your favorite flavoring to give new life to these cookies. My favorites would be lemon or almond extracts. Q: How do I store sugar cookies?
A: These sugar cookies should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for best flavor and texture. Once the icing has firmed, you can stack them with a sheet of wax paper (or parchment paper between layers. Q: Can I freeze sugar cookies?
A: Absolutely. I prefer to freeze the cookies AFTER baking, but before frosting them. That way the texture of the frosting doesn’t change in the freezer. Once you thaw the cookies (overnight at room temperature) you can apply a fresh icing to them!
My kids love these so much- Thank you!
These are so good! Thank you so much!
How have I never made caramel frosting before now?!?! AH-MAZ-ING!!!
These are amazing! These are always a crowd pleaser!
Caramel frosting? That is just genius!
Love caramel and love sugar cookies, the combination must be amazing!
These cookies are awesome! Love that you don’t have to chill the dough!!