Oatmeal Carmelita Cookies
Day 11 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipes 2020
A soft, chewy oatmeal cookie with layers of caramel and chocolate on the inside, topped with crunchy walnuts, this cookie is about to become one of your favorite holiday cookie recipes…but now I think about it, you can make this one of your favorite year long cookie recipes because besides the fact that it is absolutely scrumptious, these cookies aren’t super holiday-ish! Once again, just like I’ve promised in the past 10 recipes, you are going to LOVE these!
Want to try something that’s maybe a little less time intensive? That’s okay! Check out my other holiday cookies like these eggnog snickerdoodles or these soft sugar cookies.
Oatmeal Carmelita Cookies
These delectable cookies are based from a family recipe that we have loved for years and dedicated to my brother, Nate. Nate is an emergency medicine doctor outside of Dallas, Texas and is one of my heroes. He and his coworkers have been through a lot with the pandemic and as I was thinking of recipes, my mom suggested I convert his favorite dessert recipe into a cookie recipe. I’m going to have to make a batch and send them to Dallas or bribe his oldest daughter (who is quite the baker herself) to make some in my place. Thank you to Nate and all of the medical professionals who have worked so hard this year to keep us all safe and healthy. I have admired your strength and resilience and sincerely appreciate the extra hours you may be putting in during the holiday season to help those who need you most! Thank you, thank you!
Like I said above, these cookies are based on a recipe that my family has loved since I was a little girl. We’ve always called them “oatmeal carmelitas” and if Mom made them for Sunday dessert we were sure happy. The original dessert is in a bar form, with an oatmeal crust, a center of caramel and chocolate, and then topped with a crunchy oatmeal topping. They are seriously delicious.
I took a look at the ingredients of the recipe and played around with a few different ways I could turn the bars into cookie form and with a few tries and taste bites from my professional taste tester husband, decided that I liked this form best: an oatmeal cookie base, pushed down in the middle with caramel and chocolate filling and walnuts sprinkled on top. These cookies are chewy, chocolatey, crunchy, basically everything that makes a yummy dessert absolutely irresistible!
What’s the best kind of caramel to bake with?
I am very particular with my caramels. Mostly because my mom spoiled us every Christmastime by making her homemade caramels which are absolutely to die for. Almost every time I try a caramel I am somewhat disappointed in its flavor and texture….and then one time I was introduced to Peter’s Caramel and I knew it was a winner! I usually go big and order the 5 pound caramel loaf on Amazon and it lasts me a looong time. It’s so convenient to have a delicious, easy to melt caramel loaf in my pantry for baking. This caramel is absolutely delicious and I would 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone!
How to Make Oatmeal Carmelita Cookies
To make the cookies you will need the following ingredients:
- Cold Butter, cut into tablespoons
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Old Fashioned Oatmeal
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- All Purpose Flour
- Cake Flour
- Walnuts
- Baking Caramel
- Chocolate Chips (Milk or Semisweet)
MIX. To make the oatmeal carmelita cookies, beat the cold butter on low in an electric mixer until somewhat softened. Add sugars and cream until butter is smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix on LOW until well combined. Sift other ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients. Mix on low until well combined.
MEASURE AND SCOOP. Measure cookie dough mounds into 3 ounces (small cookies) or 5 ounces (large cookies). You will make the indentation for the caramel and chocolate once the cookies are removed from the oven. Cookie dough mounds should be tall and cookie dough should be cold and stiff (or cookies will fall flat. Pop dough into the refrigerator for 30 minutes if you are nervous that your dough is too soft/warm).
BAKE AND MAKE INDENTATIONS. Place cookie mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mats to bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be slightly browned on top and start to crack. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, use a spoon or the lid of a small seasoning bottle to make a round indentation. There should be at least ¼ of a ridge of cookie around the edges. Allow them to cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes.
FILL AND TOP. Melt caramel and fill the indentations about ½ way full. Let caramel cool completely or refrigerate cookies to speed up the process. Melt chocolate (in 30 second intervals) and pour onto top of hardened caramel. Top immediately with chopped up walnuts.
Here is the recipe! I hope you love these cookies as much as I do!
Oatmeal Carmelita Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 C Unsalted, COLD butter, cut into tablespoons
- 1 ¼ C Light Brown Sugar
- 1/2 C Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ C Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
- 1 C Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 inch cube Peter's Caramel (or 12-14 baking caramels)
- 1 small bag Chocolate Chips (Semisweet or Milk)
- 1 C Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Beat the cold, cut up butter on low in the electric mixer until somewhat softened.
- Add sugars, mix on low until well combined and there are no longer chunks of butter.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix on low until well combined.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, then add to mixer. Mix on low until the wet and dry ingredients are mixed.
- Measure cookie dough into 3 oz (small cookies) or 5 oz (large cookies) round mounds of dough. You do not need to roll the dough into balls, just form into a round shape. Place cookie dough at least 2 inches part (small cookies) or 3 inches (large cookies)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be done when they are starting to brown on top.
- Remove cookies from the oven, and take the lid of a small seasoning bottle or a spoon to make an indentation in the center (do not press all the way through the cookie). Let cookies sit for another 30 or so minutes to finish baking on the hot cookie sheet. DO NOT remove them from the sheet.
- Melt caramel in the microwave (follow instructions on the bag) and pour caramel, filling the indentations about 1/2 way full. Let caramel set up, you can refrigerated if you'd like to speed up the process.
- Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second increments. Mix the chocolate in between the 30 second increments to prevent burning.
- Spread the melted chocolate on top of the caramel filling and immediately top with a small handful of chopped walnuts on each cookie.
For more holiday inspired cookies:
