• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
freebie! download my top 8 dessert recipe ebook

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Erin Lives Whole

Healthy Eats + Delicious Treats

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Dessert
      • Soup
      • Sides
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sauces & Dips
    • Dessert Type
      • Bars & Balls
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cookies
      • Frozen
      • Pie & Cobbler
      • Other
    • Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Nut-Free
      • Paleo Friendly
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Method
      • 30 Minute or Less
      • Air Fryer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • No Bake
      • One Pot/Pan
      • Oven
      • Stove Top
    • Season
      • Fall
      • Holiday
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Recipe Filter
    • All Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Shop
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • Subscribe to receive latest recipes

    Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

  • Browse by Diet
    • Gluten-Free
    • Dairy-Free
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo Friendly
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch & Dinner
  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Dessert
  • Appetizers
Home By Dessert Type

Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies

★★★★★ 13 Reviews Recipe Print
v
By: Erin12/8/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

healthy salted caramel cookies
healthy salted caramel cookies

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!

salted caramel cookies

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.

salted caramel cookies

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 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
  • Coconut oil: For the oil you will need 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Microwave it for about 15 seconds or until it melts.
  • Salt: Add 1/2 tsp 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 1/4 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 1/4 cup of coconut sugar.
  • Coconut oil: Grab another teaspoon of coconut oil.
  • Salt: We will once again include 1/2 tsp of salt, with the additional option of sprinkling flaked sea salt on top.
  • Vanilla: Finally, include 1 tsp 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: 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/4 cup, 1 cup
caramel dripping from spoon into cookie

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 tsp 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.
salted caramel cookies

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!

  • Healthy Samoa Cookies
  • Paleo Snickerdoodle Cookies
  • Healthy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
  • Double Chocolate Mint Paleo Cookies
  • Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

salted caramel cookies
★★★★★ 4.6 from 13 reviews

Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies

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!

Prep: 20Cook: 20Total: 40 minutes
Yield 9 cookies 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

Cookie

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Caramel

  • 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.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together all cookie ingredients until well combined.
  3. Shape into cookies and press down center by using the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon. Form them so they have less cracks on the side while still having a dent in the center. They will flatten as they cook.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes and once they are golden brown, take out of oven and use teaspoon measuring spoon to press down center again to ensure indent.
  5. While cookies are cooling, start making caramel by adding coconut cream, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and salt in a medium sauce pan. Turn heat on medium and stir consistently.
  6. Once caramel comes to a boil, reduce 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!
  7. Once caramel has thickened, turn off heat and add vanilla.
  8. Add 1 tsp of caramel to each cookie.
  9. Optional drizzle with melted chocolate, sprinkle with finely chopped pecans, and extra flaked sea salt.
Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: dessert, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-freeMethod: ovenCuisine: AmericanDiet: Gluten Free
salted caramel cookies

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

erinliveswhole

There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

You May Also Like...

  • stack of samoas
    Healthy Samoa Cookies
  • tray of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
    Healthy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
  • stack of funfetti cookies
    Healthy Funfetti Cookies
  • stack of white chocolate cranberry cookies
    Healthy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
chocolate chip cookies
free ebook

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

download now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Emily says

    Posted on 12/23 at 1:40 pm

    VERY tasty. I melted soft caramels from Trader Joe’s as an easier swap and the final product still turned out great. Perfectly cooked cookie.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/27 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Emily, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  2. Jane says

    Posted on 12/19 at 9:51 am

    This is another great recipe but I did make a couple minor adjustments – I used a small cookie scoop and made about 18 cookies. Also reduced the salt in the caramel to 1/4 tsp (even that is slightly saltier than I prefer – maybe I am reducing the caramel too far?). Cookies baked up perfectly for me as written for time & temp.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/19 at 7:45 pm

      Hi Jane, so glad you loved them and made them your own!!

      Reply
  3. Jessica says

    Posted on 8/24 at 7:43 pm

    Sorry. Followed recipe exactly as listed. Usually I love making recipes from this site but this one was a huge bust. Only yields 9 cookies? I’ve never seen a cookie recipe not make at least a dozen. Spelling error under #5. Bottoms of cookies were burnt within 12 minutes, most of them were cracked and falling apart. Caramel never thickened after stirring for 20 minutes (just for good measure) and I had enough to drizzle for triple the amount of cookies, still assembled them as instructed, took a bite, totally let down. Very unfortunate.

    ★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/25 at 2:45 pm

      Hi Jessica, I’m sorry that you did not like the recipe! I’ve heard tons of good things about this one, bummed it didn’t work out for you. It sounds like something was off maybe with your ingredients and/or the oven temperature.

      Reply
  4. Anna says

    Posted on 1/29 at 6:30 pm

    Delicious

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/2 at 8:23 pm

      Hi Anna, so glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  5. Amanda says

    Posted on 6/13 at 11:32 am

    Have made these multiple times!! Soo good! Love the caramel sauce😍

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/13 at 1:54 pm

      Hi Amanda, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  6. Sydney says

    Posted on 3/9 at 6:50 pm

    For the coconut cream, is it just the hard part on top? Or mix the can together and measure the 1/4 cup? Can’t wait to try these! Caramel is my pregnancy craving hehe

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/10 at 10:42 am

      If its cream, then the whole can should be white. If it’s milk, just the top part will be white! So yes, just the white. ENJOY!

      Reply
  7. Julia says

    Posted on 1/16 at 12:29 pm

    Loved these!! First time making caramel and it was not as hard as I expected! I used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar and butter instead of coconut oil- worked great! I still used the coconut cream. Topped with chocolate drizzle, chopped pecans, and you need the sea salt flakes! So good 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/17 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Julia, I am so happy you did it and loved the cookies!!

      Reply
  8. Megan J says

    Posted on 1/13 at 3:34 pm

    I love the simplicity yet deliciousness to these ! Plus, anything healthier that my kids will eat deserves an extra 5 stars ! ⭐️

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/14 at 11:41 am

      Hi Megan, so glad you and your kids enjoyed them!!

      Reply
  9. Laura says

    Posted on 1/4 at 9:05 am

    I was intimidated by making caramel but it was actually so easy! I made some without chocolate drizzle and some with – I liked the ones with chocolate better, the ones without were a little too salty for me.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/4 at 3:42 pm

      Hi Laura, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  10. Anar says

    Posted on 1/4 at 7:09 am

    These salted caramel cookies are SO GOOD. I love that the recipe only calls for a few ingredients, and that caramel sauce is divine!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Anar says

      Posted on 1/4 at 7:10 am

      These salted caramel cookies are SO GOOD. I love that the recipe only calls for a few ingredients, and that caramel sauce is divine!! Thanks for sharing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/4 at 3:35 pm

      Hi Anar, I am so happy you loved them!

      Reply
  11. Casey Colodny says

    Posted on 12/24 at 11:22 am

    My husband and I absolutely LOVE these cookies! I like to drizzle melted chocolate overtop or sometimes I’ll just sprinkle chocolate chips on top instead! Pairs so well with the salted caramel flavor.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/27 at 11:55 pm

      Hi Casey, I am thrilled you two loved them!

      Reply
  12. Grace says

    Posted on 12/24 at 10:56 am

    Made these for Christmas Eve and they were sooooo yummy!! Thanks for the delicious and gluten-free friendly recipe <3

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/27 at 11:54 pm

      Hi Grace, I am so happy you loved them!!

      Reply
  13. Kiley says

    Posted on 12/23 at 10:37 pm

    LOVE these! Made them just in time for Christmas and they’re definitely a hit! How should I store them?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/27 at 11:53 pm

      Hi Kiley, I am so happy you liked them!! They can be stored in a container on the countertop or freeze them.

      Reply
  14. Lilly says

    Posted on 12/14 at 10:28 pm

    Made them today, and they were so amazing!! No surprise because I love all of your recipes, but these were as good as they look!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/15 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Lily, I am so happy you loved them!

      Reply
  15. Jillian says

    Posted on 12/8 at 8:30 pm

    These were absolutely incredible, especially with the chocolate drizzle!!! The salted caramel wasn’t as hard to make as I thought, and the cream from the top of a can of coconut milk worked great. Everyone in my family loved them, too. Yum!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/9 at 1:58 pm

      Hi Jillian, I am so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

erin in front of a building

Hey there!

I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

grocery lists

Shop My Grocery Downloads

Do you head to the grocery store and feel overwhelmed with all of the options? Well, I've created FIVE downloadable and printable grocery lists from five different and popular grocery stores. All of my absolute must haves from Whole Foods, Target, a regular grocer, Trader Joe's, and Costco!

Shop Now

Popular Posts

chickpea brownie on a tray

Chickpea Brownies

bite out of healthy cookie dough ball

Healthy Cookie Dough Balls

cauliflower wings on plate

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

pouring syrup on stack of oatmeal blender pancakes

Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

chocolate chip cookies

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

Download Now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Trending Recipes

avocado corn salad

Avocado Corn Salad

cilantro lime shrimp on plate

Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

paleo cookie skillet with ice cream

Healthy Cookie Skillet

banana bread muffin on a rack

Paleo Banana Bread Muffins

Featured On

good housekeeping logo
parade logo
feed feed logo
business insider logo
everyday health logo
country living logo
bar desserts
truffles
bar desserts
bar desserts
muffins
vanilla birthday cake with chocolate icing

Get latest updates To your inbox!

Back to Top
© 2023 Erin Lives Whole
  • Privacy Policy
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled