Name: Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup melted coconut oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 cup coconut cream (or the white hard part at the top of the coconut milk can); 1/4 cup coconut sugar; 1 tsp coconut oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; optional: flaked sea salt (melted chocolate + chopped pecans for topping.)

Enjoy your favorite coffee flavor in cookie form with these mouth watering Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies! Between the crunchy edges, the gooey center, and the toppings, these are guaranteed to be a hit!

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies
Ready In: 40 minutes
Serves: 9 cookies
Main Ingredients: Cookie, almond flour, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, salt, vanilla, Caramel, coconut cream
Why You'll Love It: Enjoy your favorite coffee flavor in cookie form with these mouth watering Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies! Between the crunchy edges, the gooey center, and the toppings, these are guaranteed to be a hit!

The tastiest healthy caramel cookies

Have you ever enjoyed a delicious salted caramel latte? Or maybe a salted caramel macchiato? Do you remember how each sip tasted like a rejuvenating mix of salty and sweet heaven? Yeah, these cookies have that same effect.

Salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors, especially when it comes to cookies. And let me tell you, these healthy salted caramel cookies do not disappoint.

Made with healthier (and delicious) ingredients and completed with a rich caramel center, these cookies are like little pieces of joy. They're perfect for taking to a holiday cookie exchange, or for enjoying whilst curled up under a blanket with your favorite Christmas movie!

No matter how you plan to enjoy this salted caramel cookie recipe, rest assured that it will most likely become one of your favorites.

What's in healthy salted caramel cookies?

Sea salt caramel cookies consist of two parts: The cookies, and the caramel. For the cookies we're sticking with flour, oil, salt, vanilla, and syrup. For the caramel, coconut ingredients are the star of the show and with salt and vanilla create a delicious flavor that you're going to absolutely love!

Cookies:

Almond flour: We will use 2 cups of almond flour as the base for the cookies.
Maple syrup: For a sweetener, throw in ¼ cup of maple syrup.
Coconut oil: For the oil you will need ¼ cup of coconut oil. Microwave it for about 15 seconds or until it melts.
Salt: Add ½ teaspoon of salt for flavor.
Vanilla: Finally, vanilla is truly what makes cookies so delicious. Include 1 tsp.

Caramel:

Coconut cream: First up for the caramel center, we're using ¼ cup of coconut cream. Alternatively, you can use the white hard part at the top of a can of coconut milk.
Coconut sugar: For a sweetener we'll use ¼ cup of coconut sugar.
Coconut oil: Grab another teaspoon of coconut oil.
Salt: We will once again include ½ teaspoon of salt, with the additional option of sprinkling flaked sea salt on top.
Vanilla: Finally, include 1 teaspoon of vanilla for that delicious rich flavor.

Optional Toppings: Flaked sea salt, melted chocolate, chopped pecans

A list of kitchen item you'll need for this vegan cookie recipe

To make salted caramel cookies you'll need standard baking items like a baking sheet, parchment paper, and mixing bowls. You'll also need a sauce pot for melting the caramel center ingredients together.

Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Stirring utensil
Medium mixing bowl
Sauce pot
Measuring cups: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ¼ cup, 1 cup

How to make sea salt caramel cookies

Don't be intimidated by these instructions! Though the list seems long, there isn't much involved other than mixing the cookie ingredients and mixing the caramel ingredients. It's a truly simple recipe that will only take about 10 minutes of hands on work!

First, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix all of the cookie ingredients until well combined.

Shape the dough into cookies and press it down in the center by using the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon. Form them so that they have less cracks on the side while still maintaining the dent in the center.

Note: They'll flatten as they cook.

Bake for 20 minutes. Once golden brown, remove the cookies from the oven and use a teaspoon measuring spoon to press down the center again to further emphasize the indent.

While the cookies are cooling, start making the caramel by adding the coconut cream, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and salt in a medium sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium and stir consistently.

Once the caramel reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, or until thickened. It will thicken with time over low heat, but will burn on high heat.

Once the caramel has thickened, turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Add 1 teaspoon of caramel to the center of each cookie.

Optionally, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate, sprinkle with finely chopped pecans and add extra flaked sea salt.

Substitution Tip

There are a handful of ingredients in these cookies that can be easily swapped with other items. Use these if you're missing an ingredient or simply prefer something else!

Maple syrup: Swap syrup with honey or molasses for an equally delicious treat!
Coconut oil: Use any baking oil in place of coconut (like avocado, canola, or even vegetable).
Coconut sugar: Skip the coconut sugar and use regular, granulated sugar if preferred.

How are these healthier cookies?

Most cookie recipes come with not-so-healthy ingredients attached like butter, eggs, white sugar, all-purpose flour, etc. There's nothing wrong with that, as those ingredients do make a killer cookie!

However, this recipe is for those who want to go with some more nutrient-rich options that provide a few extra minerals and vitamins along the way.

In these cookies you'll find ingredients like almond flour, maple syrup, and a long list of coconut items (oil, sugar, and cream). All of these offer better (even if slightly) nutrition than their standard counterparts.

The best part? Everything is vegan!

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

Cookies are everyone's favorite treat, most likely due to the versatility! Below are some of my favorite cookie flavors, with options ranging from snickerdoodle and white chocolate to mint and peanut butter!

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

Erin Antoniak