Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
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 pieces takes these cookies to a whole new level of indulgence.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fold in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate, and toffee pieces until just combined. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes.
- 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
*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Don't burn the butter! Browned butter should have amber-colored milk solids. If they are dark brown or black, it's likely the butter is burnt and will taste burnt when mixed into the dough.
Storage/Freezing/Make ahead: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. The cookie dough balls can be frozen but should be defrosted in the fridge overnight and then brought to room temperature before baking. You can make and scoop the dough then refrigerate it overnight before baking it the next day.
