Brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies— a sweet and salty elevated twist on classic chocolate chip cookies! The nutty richness of brown butter paired with sweet, crunchy toffee bits takes these cookies to a whole new level of indulgence.
As a former pastry chef, I’ve always believed that the secret to an unforgettable cookie lies in the details— in this recipe, it’s brown butter and homemade toffee!
Just like my brown butter snickerdoodles and brown butter banana bread, these cookies use browned butter to add a deep, complex flavor that’s complemented by sweet, buttery toffee pieces.
They’re thick, super soft and chewy, and even better, they require no chill time like my brown butter pumpkin cookies!
Table of Contents
Tips for Extra Flavorful Cookies
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip! If your cookies are coming out dry and crumbly, it’s almost always due to using too much flour!
Use a large cookie scoop. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough evenly. This ensures uniform cookies!
Watch the brown butter. Browning butter requires constant attention, as it can quickly go from golden brown to burnt in a matter of seconds.
Cool the butter before using. Let the brown butter cool to room temperature before mixing it into the dough. This helps avoid melting other ingredients like the sugar, which can result in super flat cookies!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Brown sugar: This ingredient adds a caramel-like flavor to my brown butter blondies, perfectly complementing the caramel notes of the brown butter and toffee.
Chocolate chips: For melty pockets of chocolate, I recommend using a chopped dark chocolate bar (my favorite is Lindt!). Chocolate chips have a coating that prevents them from completely melting in the oven, but they will still work just fine. For a sweeter cookie, use white or milk chocolate.
Salted European butter: The extra salt balances the sweetness of the toffee flavor. European butter, like Kerrygold, has a higher fat content, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth texture, which is why I recommend it for this recipe, as I do with my brown butter krispie treats. If you use unsalted butter, add an additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough.
Toffee bits: Homemade toffee pieces add a delightful crunch and caramel sweetness! If you’re in a pinch, you can use store-bought toffee or heath bars.
Vanilla bean paste: I use vanilla bean paste in all of my cookie recipes because it gives them a richer, more intense vanilla flavor. You can also use just vanilla extract, though!
Recipe Instructions
1
Make the toffee bits. Making homemade toffee seems intimidating, but it is really easy!
If the toffee starts to separate at any point, take it off the heat and whisk it vigorously until it comes back together. Once completely cool, smash it into pieces!
2
Brown the butter. Browning butter involves cooking it until the milk solids at the bottom caramelize, creating a rich, nutty flavor. Make sure you let it cool to room temperature before using it!
I wrote an entire tutorial on how to brown butter if you are new to baking and want to learn more!
3
Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Then, whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste. The mixture should thicken, as shown above.
4
Mix in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. When almost combined, mix in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
5
Scoop the dough. A large, 3-tablespoon cookie scoop will yield 15 perfectly thick cookies with soft, gooey centers and crispy edges.
No dough chilling is required!
6
Bake! Space the toffee cookies 2-3 inches apart and bake until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still soft and underdone.
After baking, make sure to press extra toffee pieces on top for extra crunch!
Storage, Freezing, and Make Ahead
Storage: Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing: I recommend freezing the cookie dough balls after scooping in an airtight container for up to 1 month. They can be baked straight from the freezer!
Make ahead: The cookie dough can be made, scooped, and refrigerated overnight. When ready to bake, let the dough balls sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking (the time will depend on how warm your kitchen is).
FAQs
You can often find them in the candy or chocolate aisle or online!
Yes, you can use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop for smaller cookies. The cookies will bake for roughly 8-10 minutes.
Making brown butter is simple but requires constant attention! I wrote a detailed post on how to brown butter—it’s a must-read if you want more tips and tricks!
Not letting the butter cool to room temperature can cause this! If the butter is too warm or even hot, it will prematurely melt the sugars and cause the cookies to spread excessively when baking.
More Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Homemade Toffee
- 4 tablespoons salted European butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
For the Cookie Dough
- 14 tablespoons salted European butter
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate, 72%, or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup homemade toffee pieces, *from recipe above* or sub store bought toffee
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set it aside.
- Make the homemade toffee: Over medium heat, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla for 1 minute. Cook the sugar for 6-10 mins, whisking occasionally, until a thermometer reads 295°F/146°C and it has a melted peanut butter consistency. If at any point the toffee begins to separate, remove the pan from the heat and whisk vigorously until it comes back together. Then, pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet. Set aside to cool.4 tablespoons (56 g) salted European butter, 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Once cool (about the time it takes to brown and cool the butter for the cookie dough), use a meat mallet or heavy object to smash the toffee into pieces.
- Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat until it looks foamy, smells nutty, and has browned bits of milk solids. Scrape into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. You should have about 3/4 cup (160 grams) of browned butter.14 tablespoons (196 g) salted European butter
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once cool, whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Then, whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 cup (108 g) granulated sugar, 1 (55 g) whole egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Fold in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate, and toffee pieces until just combined. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes.2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 3/4 cup (66 g) chopped dark chocolate, 72%, 1/2 cup (66 g) homemade toffee pieces, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Scoop the dough with a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place them onto the prepared baking sheets, with 7-8 cookies on each tray. Make sure to press extra pieces of toffee and chocolate on top before baking!
- Then, bake the first tray of cookies for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still soft and underbaked. Let the tray cool on a wire rack while you bake the second tray. After 10 minutes, use a spatula to transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the rack to finish cooling. Press more pieces of toffee into the tops after baking for more crunch!
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Super delicious cookies. I bake a lot and these were very easy to do and will definitely be added to my make again list.
I love the way you include the ingredients in each step. It makes preparing a recipe so much easier.