Christmas Cookies:
If you’re looking for a show-stopping cookie that’s as delightful to make as it is to eat, these Chocolate Covered Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are the perfect pick! Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies filled with gooey caramel and topped with rich, glossy chocolate—what’s not to love? Whether you’re baking for the holidays, a cookie swap, or just because, these cookies are guaranteed to impress.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know to make these irresistible treats!
Food and holidays go hand in hand. The baking, cookie making, and desserts are a huge part of my holiday memories.
When I was younger my family always made candies during the holidays, toffee, brittles, and other more technical treats. I loved the end results, but as a kid I remember feeling a little left out of the fun. I understood that you had to cook to a specific temperature, and measurements had to be exact for the candies to come out the way they were intended, but I wanted to be included.
Now, as a mom I know that my kids are not going to be as exact, or pay close enough attention to cook my caramel to soft ball stage. So instead of making candies, my kids and I spend our holidays baking cookies, like these super easy and so insanely good thumbprint cookies, as well as making really easy, no bake treats like chocolate covered bananas, and we use Smucker’s Toppings to make things really easy.
Tips and Tricks
- Chill the Dough: If your dough feels sticky or soft, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes before shaping. This helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
- Prevent Cracking: If the cookie edges crack when making the thumbprint, gently reshape them with your fingers.
- Caramel Perfection: Don’t overheat the caramel—it should be smooth and pourable but not too runny.
- Chocolate Options: Swap out regular chocolate chips for dark or white chocolate for a fun twist.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
- Prepare the Dough:
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add remaining ingredients to form a smooth dough.
- Shape the Cookies:
- Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to create an indent in the center of each cookie.
- Bake:
- Bake the cookies at 350°F (175°C) until set and lightly golden around the edges.
- Fill with Caramel:
- Squeeze the caramel into the indentations.
- Top with Chocolate:
- Pour the magic shell over the caramel-filled cookies. Sprinkle with flake salt.
- Cool and Enjoy:
- Let the cookies set so the chocolate hardens, then serve or store.
You start with a basic butter thumbprint cookie recipe.
Roll it into balls, and push down the center to form a thumbprint.
Then you bake the cookies, and fill the thumbprint with Smucker’s Sugar Free Sundae Syrup Caramel.
Then pour Magic Shell over the top, and a sprinkle of large crystal salt.
You get the soft, rich, buttery, cookie, the delicious caramel, and a bit of crunch with the magic shell chocolate! Delish.
My kids loved being able to be part of the process, pressing down the center indentation, and filling the baked cookies with caramel, or shaking the Magic Shell until it was ready to pour. So we were making memories!
Storage Suggestions
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Extend their shelf life by refrigerating for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze beautifully! Layer them between parchment paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
While I loved making these, another one of my favorite ways to use Magic Shell is chocolate covered bananas! I can’t eat the frozen ones, they hurt my teeth, so instead, I use Magic Shell to cover the bananas, and top with crushed peppermints, sprinkles, and other fun holiday themed goodies!
Other Fun Cookie Recipes to Try
Love cookies as much as we do? Here are a few more fun recipes to add to your baking list:
- Holiday Sugar Cookies: Perfect for decorating with the kids.
- 4 Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies: Easy for making with kids.
- Toffee Pecan Christmas Cookies: Everything you love in a chocolate chip cookie, with a holiday twist.
- Snickerdoodles: Warm, cinnamon-sugar goodness in every bite.
- Peppermint Glazed Butter Cookies: Great for the holidays, and oh so tasty.
Chocolate Covered Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 11/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp butter flavoring optional
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Smucker's Sundae Syrup Caramel
- Magic Shell
- Large Crystal Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together. Mix for 2 minutes.
- Add in vanilla and salt, and butter flavoring (if using) scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add in flour, mix until just combined.
- Use a tablespoon measurer to scoop out a heaping TBS ball of dough, and place it on the parchment sheet. Then depress the center either with a smaller measuring spoon or your thumb.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and puffy.
- Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
- Fill center with Smucker's Sundae Syrup Caramel
- Place on a cooling rack over the top of a piece of parchment, and coat in Magic Shell. Shake the Magic Shell well, and squeeze over the top. The excess will run down the sides and pool on the parchment. That is okay. You just want to cover the outside
- Before Magic Shell hardens, sprinkle a little large crystal salt on
- Keep in airtight container until ready to eat. Good for 3 days.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Laura says
I love the idea of a pool of caramel hidden under chocolate 🙂
Rachael says
Thank you! It tastes pretty good too! Hahahahaha
Juanita says
I made these for a cookie exchange over the weekend. They were a fail for me. The chocolate magic shell would not harden on the cookie. I had to put the cookies in the freezer and keep them cold so they wouldn’t be a chocolate-ty mess. Does the magic shell harden for you when you make them?
Rachael says
Yes. It is possible the brand of magic shell you bought was faulty, or you did not shake it enough or something. I am so sorry it did not work out for you. I wish I could troubleshoot what happened.