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These Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies were created by Robin Innaimo, a talented student from our Handle the Heat Baking School.
Robin was one of two winners of our Cookie Semester’s ‘Recipe Creation Competition’, voted on by other students, earning her recipe a well-deserved spot on the HTH website! (you’ll see our other winner’s recipe soon )
A mom of five, Robin discovered her love of baking after her youngest daughter’s birth. As she delved into learning about baking, she found her passion growing. Baking became a source of relaxation for her, and her friends and family quickly began filling her schedule with different bakes they wanted her to try. Her journey brought her to Handle the Heat, where she continued to expand her knowledge and skills of the science behind baking, quickly becoming an integral part of our baking community.
And speaking of amazing students in our baking school… we’re currently working behind-the-scenes on one of the BIGGEST projects we’ve ever launched.
Want to be among the first to get a peek at what’s to come? Join the waitlist here.
Team HTH was thrilled to test this winning recipe, featuring the unique ingredient of caramelized white chocolate. The caramelization process drastically cuts the sweetness of white chocolate and adds a complex toastiness, complemented perfectly by the addition of tart freeze-dried raspberries.
The combination of flavors in these cookies received unanimous praise from our team – even from those who aren’t typically fans of white chocolate!
Congratulations on your exceptional achievement in creating this mouthwatering cookie, Robin, and thank you so much for sharing this delectable recipe with us!
How to Make Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
Ingredients for Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies:
- High-quality white chocolate – More on this below.
- All-purpose flour – Measured correctly to avoid cakey, dense, or tough cookies that don’t spread.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Check out my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article for more on how these leaveners differ, and how to test for freshness.
- Salt – I prefer the flavor of fine sea salt, but regular table salt is fine.
- Butter – I always recommend unsalted butter in baking. Your butter must be at a cool room temperature. If it’s too warm, your cookies will spread and flatten. Your butter should give slightly when pressed with your finger, but still hold its shape – about 67°F is perfect.
- Sugars – A combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar is added for moisture, flavor, and texture. Brown sugar adds to the caramelized flavor and texture, giving these cookies a chewy butterscotch taste. Using all granulated sugar would result in cookies that are too sweet. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here!
- Egg – One egg, at room temperature. Be sure to use a large egg, about 56 grams in shell.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Raspberry extract – Don’t skip, this adds a delightful depth of flavor to these cookies.
- Freeze-dried raspberries – Adds tartness and a slight crunchy texture. More on this below.
What is Caramelized White Chocolate?
If you have never tried caramelized white chocolate, you’re in for a treat! It takes the lesser-used chocolate in baking (white chocolate) and transforms it into something magical that even white chocolate haters will love. It adds a beautiful amber color and a deliciously toasty element, almost butterscotch in flavor and considerably less sweet than regular white chocolate.
Caramelized white chocolate can easily be added to other cookies, cakes, ice cream, or buttercream. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
How to Caramelize White Chocolate
Caramelized white chocolate is one of the easiest recipes you can make in your kitchen. It requires just one ingredient (white chocolate), two tools (heat-proof bowl and spatula), and 10 minutes of your time. I promise it’s worth the extra time!
Below are instructions for how to caramelize the white chocolate, but I highly recommend you also check out Cupcake Jemma’s great video tutorial here.
- Prepare your pan – Line a half-sheet pan with either parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate – In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate until melted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Adjust times based on the power of your microwave. If your microwave is higher wattage than 1000W, use 70% power. Stir until smooth.
- Continue to heat, stirring frequently – Place back in microwave at 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until smooth again. Use a hot pad when handling the bowl as it will become increasingly hot the longer it’s microwaved. Don’t panic as the chocolate will become thick and may look dry. It may even feel like it’s starting to seize up or even look like it’s about to burn, but keep stirring – it will eventually smooth out. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate reaches an amber color, about 10 minutes. Time will vary based on the power of your microwave. Use the sensory indicators and not timing to confirm. You’re looking for an amber color (almost like melted peanut butter), a lightly toasted smell, and you should be able to smooth the chocolate completely.
- Spread onto prepared pan – Using a spatula, spread chocolate onto prepared baking sheet as evenly as possible, to ¼-inch thickness. Place in the fridge to cool completely and solidify, about 20 minutes. Chop the chocolate into bite-sized pieces, measuring out 150 grams. Reserve remaining chocolate for topping cookies.
What Type of White Chocolate Do I Need?
High-quality white chocolate with at least 28% cocoa solids, like Callebaut White Chocolate, works best when caramelizing. However, this recipe has been successfully tested by Team HTH using Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate, which is 20% fat content. The lower the fat content, the dryer the chocolate will be in the process of melting. It will still work, but you may need to stir longer after each interval and trust the process that much more faithfully.
You can alternatively purchase pre-caramelized white chocolate:
Can I Use Regular White Chocolate Instead of Caramelized?
Yes, though your cookies will be slightly sweeter as the caramelization process drastically lowers the sweetness of the white chocolate. Using white chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks or chopped white chocolate baking bars works fine as a 1:1 ratio in place of the caramelized white chocolate, if preferred.
Can I Use Fresh or Dried Raspberries Instead of Freeze-Dried?
This recipe has not been tested with fresh raspberries, frozen raspberries or dehydrated raspberries. Freeze-dried raspberries contain no excess moisture and pack a very concentrated punch of flavor. Substituting fresh, frozen or dried raspberries will drastically alter the moisture content and flavor of the cookies and would likely create adverse effects. Freeze-dried raspberries are available at Target, Trader Joe’s, and also online here.
Can I Use a Different Freeze-Dried Fruit?
- We haven’t tested this ourselves to see how the flavor would be, but it should work just fine to swap the freeze-dried raspberries (and possibly the raspberry extract, depending on the substituted fruit) for another freeze-dried fruit.
- Freeze-dried strawberries are available at Target and online here.
- Keep in mind that some fruits will be naturally sweeter than raspberries, so the overall sweetness level of the cookie will change.
Can I Make This Recipe With a Hand Mixer?
Yes, a hand mixer will work just as well as a stand mixer.
Can I Halve or Double This Raspberry Cookie Recipe?
Yes, that will work just fine. Simply halve or double all ingredients.
Do You Need to Chill This Dough?
No, it’s not required for this recipe. Immediately baking after mixing will result in delicious cookies. In testing, Team HTH didn’t notice any improvements in flavor after an overnight chill, but the cookies were slightly thicker and chewier. Wrap the pre-portioned dough balls in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container before refrigerating, and refrigerate for up to 72 hours. Bake as directed below. Learn more about chilling cookie dough here.
How to Store Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store cookies with a tortilla or piece of bread to keep them soft for longer.
Can You Freeze Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies?
Yes! Freeze the pre-portioned balls of Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookie dough in a freezer-safe container or Ziptop bag. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge or for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, then bake as directed below. Check out my How to Freeze Cookie Dough article for step-by-step instructions (and how to bake from frozen).
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:
For the caramelized white chocolate:
-
250
grams
high-quality white chocolate*,
chopped
For the cookies:
-
1 ½
cups
(192 grams) all-purpose flour
-
¾
teaspoon
baking powder
-
½
teaspoon
baking soda
-
½
teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
½
cup
(113 grams) unsalted butter,
at cool room temperature
-
¼
cup
(50 grams) granulated sugar
-
¾
cup
(150 grams) light brown sugar
-
1
egg,
at room temperature
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla
-
1
teaspoon
raspberry extract
-
1
cup
(150 grams) caramelized white chocolate,
chopped, plus more for topping**
-
½
cup
(13 grams) freeze-dried raspberries,
coarsely chopped
-
2
tablespoons
(4 grams) freeze-dried raspberries,
crushed, for topping
-
Line a half-sheet pan with either parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
-
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate until melted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. If your microwave is higher wattage than 1000W, use 70% power. Stir until smooth, then place back in microwave at 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until smooth again. Use a hot pad when handling bowl as it will become hot the longer it’s microwaved.
-
Don’t panic as the chocolate will become thick. It may feel like it’s starting to seize up and even look like it’s about to burn, but keep stirring. It will eventually smooth out. Continue heating and stirring every 15-20 seconds until the chocolate reaches an amber color, about 10 minutes. Time will vary based on the power of your microwave. Use the sensory indicators and not timing to confirm. You’re looking for amber color (almost like melted peanut butter), lightly toasted smell, and you should be able to smooth the chocolate completely.
-
Using a spatula, spread chocolate onto prepared baking sheet as evenly as possible, to ¼-inch thickness. Place in the fridge to cool completely and solidify, about 20 minutes. Chop the chocolate into bite-sized pieces, measuring out 150 grams. Reserve remaining chocolate for topping cookies.
Make the cookies:
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
-
Add egg, beating on medium-low speed until combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add extracts and mix until combined.
-
Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on low until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
-
Add the caramelized white chocolate and mix on low until just combined. Fold coarsely chopped raspberries into the dough.
-
Divide the dough into 1 ½-tablespoon sized balls using a medium cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets. Garnish the top of each cookie ball with a few pieces of caramelized chocolate.
-
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and the center appears set. Once cookies are removed from the oven, immediately use a round biscuit or cookie cutter slightly larger in diameter than the baked cookies to reshape into perfect circles. Sprinkle crushed raspberries over cookies. Cool completely.
-
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
*Chocolate with at least 28% cocoa solids, like Callebaut White Chocolate, works best when caramelizing. However, this recipe has been successfully tested by Team HTH using Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate, which is 20% fat content. The lower the fat content, the dryer the chocolate will be in the process of melting. It will still work, but you may need to stir longer after each interval and trust the process that much more faithfully.
**You can also use regular white chocolate in this recipe, though your cookies will be slightly sweeter as the caramelization process drastically lowers the sweetness of the white chocolate. Using white chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks or chopped white chocolate baking bars works fine as a 1:1 ratio in place of the caramelized white chocolate, if preferred.
Photos by Joanie Simon.
This is such a yummy and unique cookie, and very to make once you get past the white chocolate step. It took my two tries to caramelize the white chocolate, as I burned it the first time. The second time I made sure that I was really stirring between each step, and I was able to do it. It did take a long time to do, but once that step was complete, the rest of the recipe comes together easily. I will definitely be making this again.
My white chocolate burned! Did I not stir enough between microwave intervals?
Hi Yvonne! Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! You may not have stirred enough, or your microwave wattage may have been up too high. Check out Tessa’s step-by-step instructions in the pink tip box, above the recipe, and be sure to watch the video we linked by Cupcake Jemma here, which shows nicely how to caramelize your white chocolate. I hope it goes smoothly next time!
I’m struggling to find raspberry extract near me, but don’t want to miss out on the raspberry flavour! Are there any substitutes you can recommend?
Hi Beth! We haven’t tried any other extracts in place of the raspberry extract, and it honestly does add so much delightful flavor to these cookies. It’s available on Amazon here 🙂
Hi Beth,
My friend from the UK made my recipe without raspberry extract and said her daughter, who stayed with me during a US visit said they tasted just like Connecticut, USA. I made her my recipe while she was staying with me. I hope you give them a try even without the raspberry extract.
Happy baking,
Robin
Do you cool completely on the baking pan or on the cooling rack?
Hi Kake! You can cool these cookies completely on the baking pan, or once they’re solidified and no longer very warm, you can move them to a cooling rack if preferred. Let us know what you think of these cookies once you’ve given them a try 🙂
what can be use as an egg substitute?
Hi Shruti! Feel free to experiment here, but we don’t use egg substitutes in our baking. Let us know how it goes if you try these cookies. Happy baking 🙂
I ❤️ these Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies! I have limited time, so I split the process in two by caramelizing the white chocolate, chopping, and freezing it in the recipe quantities. A few weeks later (today) I made the cookies. The raspberries lend a lot of flavor and a little tartness to balance the sweetness. My husband is a real chocolate lover, but these are one of his new faves.
These were absolutely delicious and unlike anything I’ve made before. I love the flavor combination! It took me significantly longer than 10 minutes to caramelize the white chocolate (I ran the microwave on 70% power as recommended for my wattage, and the process took 30+ min including all the stirring), but it was still worth the effort. I scooped and portioned the dough immediately after making it, but I chilled the dough scoops for about 40 min before baking because it seemed too soft to go straight into the oven. The cookies are incredibly tasty and I only wish I had doubled it!
What brand of raspberry extract did you use? There are so many with “other natural flavours “….whatever that means.
Would have to look at the list of ingredients to replicate what Robin has.
Way to go Robin!
Hi Lesley! We used McCormick raspberry extract during HTH team testing, as that was most easily-accessible to all members of our team at our local grocery stores. I’m not certain if this is what Robin used in creating the recipe, but the result was absolutely delicious for us 🙂
These look delicious, but I don’t have a microwave. Can the caramelized white chocolate be made in a double boiler? Thanks!
Hi Micah! We haven’t tried caramelizing using anything but a microwave, so I can’t say for sure! I know there are methods for caramelizing white chocolate using the oven, and it may be possible using a double boiler too, so have a look online to see if you can find a process that works for you. Good luck! 🙂