Thick and Chewy Brown Butter Toffee Cookies

Published: Dec 19, 2019 · Modified: May 10, 2024 by Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links · 52 Comments

With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these Toffee Cookies are irresistible! Made with nutty brown butter and filled with chocolate covered toffee bits.

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The Best Toffee Cookies Recipe

This Toffee Cookies recipe, also called Heath Cookies, Heath Bar Cookies, or English Toffee Cookies, bakes up into beautifully soft cookies with chewy centers and crispy caramelized edges – the best combination you can find in a cookie.

Filled with chocolate covered toffee bits, there’s caramel-y butterscotch-y goodness in every bite.

Super easy to make

The dough is super easy to work with – foolproof, one bowl, and no mixer required. I also give step by step instructions on how to brown butter perfectly.

What is toffee?

Toffee is made by caramelizing sugar with butter. When it cools it’s brittle and crunchy. It’s very similar to caramel, however caramel is usually made with cream instead of butter and is only heated to about 248° F degrees so that it stays chewy, while toffee is heated to about 300° F.

Toffee tastes very much like caramel, the main difference being the texture.

What are toffee bits?

Toffee bits are crunched up pieces of chocolate covered toffee. Bits O’ Brickle are similar, but they’re not chocolate covered. You can use either one.

Where can I buy toffee bits?

Toffee bits are sold in the baking section of the supermarket, near the chocolate chips.

If you can’t find toffee bits, you can buy toffee candy bars such, as Heath or Skor, and chop them up into chocolate chip size pieces.

Brown butter adds nutty, toasty flavor

Browned butter adds a wonderful depth of flavor to these Toffee Cookies. Because they’re not loaded with chocolate or other strong flavors, the nutty flavor of the browned butter really shines through.

How to brown butter

Browning butter takes only a few extra minutes than melting butter, but it adds a lot of flavor.

I like to use a light colored pan so that I can see exactly what’s happening on the bottom. It’s much harder to see the milk solids turning golden brown in a dark pan.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil, stirring occasionally. After it boils for a few minutes, you will see the milk solids on the bottom of the pan start to turn golden. I often notice this on the sides of the pan first.

When it starts turning golden in color, turn the heat lower and let it cook until the solids are a golden brown. This takes less than a minute and it burns fast so keep an eye on it. Pour the browned butter into the mixing bowl, scraping in all the yummy browned bits, so that it stops browning.

Cool the brown butter before mixing with the sugars to prevent melting the sugars and curdling the eggs.

Ingredients

Brown sugar and granulated sugar – this recipe, like my Pecan Cookies, uses a higher ratio of brown sugar for its caramel-y, butterscotch-y flavor and its ultimate chewiness.

Brown butter – for its rich and nutty, buttery flavor that goes so perfectly with toffee

Chocolate covered toffee bits - I used Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Vanilla – to round out the caramel-y butterscotch-y flavor

Cornstarch – to make the cookies extra soft

All-purpose flour – measure by weight for the most accuracy. I use the dip and sweep method for measuring.

Salt – a teaspoon of salt brings out all of the flavors and adds a hint of sweet and salty

Baking soda – for leavening

Eggs - at room temperature

How to make Toffee Cookies

Combine the dry ingredients (the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt) in a bowl.
In another large mixing bowl – the one you’ve poured the browned butter into – whisk together the browned butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs.
Stir in the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain, then stir in the toffee bits.

I’m all for shortcuts, but this dough will need to be chilled for at least two hours or overnight. If the dough chills for longer than 4 hours, let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the dough is more workable. I like to bake the cookies when the dough is between 65° and 70° F.

Added bonus: chilling the dough brings out and deepens the toffee flavor.

How to bake

When the dough has chilled, roll it into balls. You can make them as big or small as you want. 2 tablespoon dough balls (40 grams) yields about 25 cookies.

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until the edges are set and just turning golden, about 9 minutes. The tops of the cookies should still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, and may even appear slightly underbaked in center. They will firm up while cooling.

Decorating tips for Heath Bar Cookies

I reserve some of the toffee bits while mixing the dough. After rolling the dough balls, I press some pieces of the toffee bits into the tops.
I also sprinkle some toffee bits on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Add a sprinkling of sea salt if you love that salty sweet combo.

Recipe add-ins and variations:

For a Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie add 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
For Butterscotch Toffee Cookies add 1 cup of butterscotch chips

Why do my cookies come out flat? Why are my cookies in puffy mounds?

The temperature of the dough and the oven has a big impact on how the cookies spread.
Dough that is too warm will spread too much.
Dough that is too cold might not spread far enough.
An oven that is not hot enough will cause the dough to spread too far.
An oven that is too hot (especially if the dough is too cold) will cause the cookies to stay in a puffy mound shape.

Check out my Pecan Cookies post for a discussion of cookie dough and oven temperatures, with pictures to show how the cookies will spread at each temperature.

I like to bake the cookies in a 350° F oven when the dough is between 65° and 70° F.

How to freeze cookies or make in advance

You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to set at room temperature until the dough is workable or at the desired temperature, then roll into balls and bake.

Cookie dough balls can be rolled and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bake as usual.

Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.

Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Let the dough ball thaw while preheating the oven. Let the cookie dough come to the desired temperature before baking.

MORE FAVORITE COOKIES TO LOVE:

Recipe

Brown Butter Toffee Cookies

Kelly

With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these Toffee Cookies are irresistible! Made with nutty brown butter and filled with chocolate covered toffee bits.

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 3 30

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cookies

Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter 227g
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 287g ( (dip and sweep method))
2 tablespoons cornstarch 14g
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar 99g
1 cup packed brown sugar 198g
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 oz chocolate covered toffee bits (I used Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits) 227g

Instructions

Brown the butter: Heat the butter in a light colored skillet over medium-high heat. It will come to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the solid particles at the bottom turn golden brown. Keep an eye on it carefully towards the end, it can burn quickly. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl to stop the browning. Let cool about 10 minutes so the sugars don’t melt when mixed into it.
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk sugars into cooled browned butter. Whisk in vanilla and eggs until thoroughly combined.
Pour dry ingredients into bowl and stir until no streaks of flour remain.
Stir in toffee bits.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down on the surface of the dough. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. If you chill longer than 3 hours, let dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the dough is easier to scoop.

To bake the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each (40g). Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Bake on the middle rack until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden brown, about 9 minutes. The tops of the cookies should still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, and may even appear slightly underbaked in the center. They will firm up while cooling.
Let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

I reserve some of the toffee bits and press them into the top of the dough balls before baking.
I prefer to use a metal, non-insulated baking sheet so the cookies brown properly on the bottom.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 353IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Keyword brown butter cookies, toffee cookies

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