Julie Clark
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Caramel Cashew Cookies
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Caramel Cashew Cookies have a gooey caramel brown sugar filling and nutty crunch from cashews. Most commonly a holiday cookie recipe, the filled cookies are favorites any time of the year.
Raspberry thumbprint cookies are one of my favorites for Christmas cookie exchanges, bake sales, and for cute gifts to give to friends. With their sweet centers, they make a cute pairing with peanut butter cookies and other sweet & salty cookies.
This thumbprint cookie is a little different because it is filled with buttery caramel. It’s a nutty cookie with my favorite nuts: crunchy cashews! Caramel Cashew Cookies have chopped cashews on the inside, but also a whole cashew on top. They are delicious and beautiful!
Ingredients in Caramel Cashew Cookies
These nutty cookies have a short ingredient list:
- Egg yolk. Save the white for an omelette or egg frittata. You’ll only need 1 yolk.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a common ingredient in cakes and cookies, helping to create a soft and tender texture. Just like in our easy chocolate chip cookies.
- Butter. I keep salted butter on hand, but you can use unsalted if that’s what you have. Add a dash of salt if you choose unsalted butter.
✨ See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients. ✨
How to Make Caramel Cashew Cookies
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and butter and beat well with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the milk and egg yolk and beat until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add flour and cornstarch to the wet ingredients and mix well. (If using a stand mixer, switch to dough hook. Otherwise, you will need to stir by hand with a sturdy spoon; this is a very thick dough.)
- Stir or knead in the cashews.
- Using 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheet, 1 ½ inches apart. Firmly press the top of each cookie with your thumb (or a round spoon handle or melon baller). Repair any large cracks around the edge of the cookie.
Caramel Filling for Cashew Cookies
This brown sugar filling is almost like a caramel icing. It is rich and sweet.
- In a medium pan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk. On medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until mixture is smooth.
- Then it’s time to fill the cookies!
- Carefully pour into depressions on cookies, then quickly top with a cashew.
pro tip
The icing sets quickly, so If you are adding cashews on top, pour 4 cookies at a time and add the cashews. If the icing gets too thick to pour, place it back on the stove at low heat briefly, stirring constantly.
Cookie Storage
One of the reasons that cashew thumbprint cookies are such a popular Christmas cookie recipe is that they freeze beautifully. The dough balls can be made ahead and frozen, either baked or unbaked.
These cookies freeze well for up to 6 weeks.The caramel center might be sticky so it is best to freeze them in single layers or place parchment paper between the layers.
Leave the cookies in the container while they are defrosting. Don’t open the container until they are fully at room temperature. This will help the cookies retain the moisture.
Caramel Cashew Cookies
Caramel Cashew Cookies have a gooey caramel brown sugar filling and nutty crunch from cashews. Most commonly a holiday cookie recipe, the filled cookies are favorites any time of the year.
Servings 40
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 teaspoons 2% milk
- 1 large egg yolk (use white for something else)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup cashews (finely chopped)
For the Caramel Filling:
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Heat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and butter and beat well with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the milk and egg yolk and beat until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add flour and cornstarch to the wet ingredients and mix well. (If using a stand mixer, switch to dough hook. Otherwise, you will need to stir by hand with a sturdy spoon; this is a very thick dough.)
- Stir or knead in the cashew pieces.
- Using 1 tablespoon of cookie dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheet, 1 ½ inches apart. Firmly press the top of each cookie with your thumb (or a round spoon handle or melon baller). Repair any large cracks around the edge of the cookie.
- Bake 9 – 11 minutes, or until the cookie bottoms are lightly golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the caramel filliing:
- In a medium pan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk. On medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until mixture is smooth.
- Carefully spoon the caramel into the depressions on cookies. The caramel sets quickly, so If you are adding cashews on top, pour 4 cookies at a time and add the cashews. Repeat until all cookies are filled. If the icing gets too thick to pour, place it back on the stove at low heat briefly, stirring constantly.
Notes
- Allow cookies to cool. Store in an airtight container.
- These cookies are also excellent with chocolate centers, made with melted chocolate chips, or toffee bits.
- For as shortcut, melt store-bought caramels in the microwave with a little evaporated milk, then fill the centers of the shortbread cookies.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
- The calories shown are based on the recipe making 40 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.
Nutrition
Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 36mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.5mg
could I use ice cream caramel topping? I like the taste better and it has a clear shiny look.