Add a crunchy, salty kick to a dessert classic with a tried-and-tested recipe for Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. You’ll love that there’s no need for dough chilling and that these cookies come out soft and chewy every time.
Table of Contents
- How to Get that Perfect Soft and Chewy Texture 🍪
- Why You’ll Love These Toffee Cookies
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Make Perfectly Round Cookies Every Time
- Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
It’s hard to improve upon a classic dessert, especially one as iconic as the chocolate chip cookie. But have you ever wondered if there’s a way to make them even better? From my red velvet cake mix cookies that Rachael Ray deemed “Brilliant!” to my caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookies, I always try to make old favorites even better.
So what does a chocolate chip cookie-obsessed recipe creator like myself do next? Grab that bag of salty, sweet and oh-so-crunchy toffee bits!
How to Get that Perfect Soft and Chewy Texture 🍪
Despite the crunchy textural addition of the toffee, I still love a cookie base that’s soft and chewy, and that comes down to two main factors:
- White to brown sugar ratio
- Bake and rest time
The more brown sugar a cookie dough contains, the softer the resulting cookies will be as a result of the added moisture provided by the molasses. (Check out my M&M cookies recipe for the softest cookies to ever hit your lips!)
On the baking front, in order for cookies to be chewy, they should be underbaked and removed from the oven when the centers are just set. It’s important to then let them rest on the hot baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
This recipe for toffee chocolate chip cookies marries that ideal chewy dough with crispy candy bits, many of which melt into the dough, resulting in the ideal salty-meets-sweet flavor and soft-meets-crunchy texture.
Why You’ll Love These Toffee Cookies
- Sweet meets salty. Toffee bits aren’t the only star of the show. The mix of semisweet chocolate chips, toffee bits and a touch of sea salt creates a tasty sweet and salty combo that’s absolutely irresistible.
- Easy to make.
- Freezer-friendly. Prepare the dough in advance, store it in the freezer and enjoy fresh, homemade cookies whenever a craving strikes.
- Soft and chewy.
- Sweet, crunchy, gooey perfection.
- Unsalted butter: Butter is a fundamental ingredient in most cookie recipes. It provides flavor and moisture, plus helps create a tender texture. You can substitute it with salted butter, but remember to adjust the added salt accordingly.
- Sugars: Like most cookie recipes (including my kids’ favorite mini chocolate chip cookies), you’ll need both white and light brown sugar. White sugar provides sweetness, while light brown sugar contributes to the cookies’ chewiness and softness.
- Eggs: Just like my Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, using cold eggs is essential because we aren’t chilling the dough before baking. This will help the dough maintain its temp and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Flour provides structure and thickness to the cookies. Precision matters in baking. Use proper measuring cups and spoons, plus learn how to accurately measure flour to guarantee consistent baking results every time.
- Baking powder and baking soda: You’ll need both of these leavening agents to help the cookies rise and achieve their desired texture.
- Kosher salt: I bake using kosher salt 99% of the time because it distributes more evenly and is milder in flavor. However, if you only have table salt on hand, use about ¼ teaspoon, as table salt is finer and denser, which means it’s more concentrated.
- Chocolate chips: Semisweet chocolate chips are the classic choice, but dark, milk or even white chocolate chips can be used.
- Toffee bits: Toffee bits add a rich, buttery sweetness that takes these cookies beyond ordinary chocolate chip ones.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat just until combined.
- Add chocolate and toffee. Gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and toffee bits until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop and bake. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving some space between each. Add a few chocolate chips atop each cookie dough ball for a bakery-worthy result. Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until they are slightly crispy around the edges and barely set in the centers.
- Cool and enjoy. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Tip: If you love the sweet-salty combination, try sprinkling a pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie just before baking. It adds an extra layer of flavor.
How to Make Perfectly Round Cookies Every Time
A fellow baker taught me a pro tip that has forever changed my cookie-shaping game. If you love uniformly shaped, perfectly round cookies, reach for that large circular cookie cutter (just larger than the size of your baked cookies) or even a drinking glass with a wide enough rim to fit over each cookie.
Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately place the cookie cutter on top and drag it around quickly on the baking sheet so that the cookie edges bounce off the cookie cutter’s insides. This will round out the sides and ensure you end up with perfectly circular cookies no matter what shape you started with. Genius!
- Soften Butter Correctly: Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. It should be pliable but still cool to the touch. Leave it out at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes prior to starting the recipe.
- Chill Cookie Dough: If the dough becomes too sticky while working with it, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes to firm it up. This can help prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Portion Cookie Dough Evenly: Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to ensure consistent cookie sizes. This helps them bake evenly.
- Space Cookies Appropriately: Leave enough space between cookie dough mounds on the baking sheet to allow for spreading during baking. Typically, about 2 inches apart works well.
- Store Properly: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to a week. If you want to keep them soft, you can place a slice of bread in the container, which can help maintain moisture.
Pro Tip: Freeze the dough! If you don’t want to bake all the cookies at once, portion the dough and freeze it. Then, you can bake a few fresh cookies whenever you’re in the mood!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your cookies spread excessively, it may be due to using overly softened butter or dough that’s too warm. Ensure your butter is softened but not melted, and, if your dough becomes sticky while working with it, consider refrigerating it for 15-30 minutes before baking to help prevent excessive spreading.
A pinch of sea salt on top enhances the sweet-salty contrast in each bite, adding depth to the flavor profile. It’s optional but highly recommended for a gourmet touch.
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with various chocolate options, such as dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or even chocolate chunks, to customize the flavor to your liking.
Yes, you can prepare the dough, shape it into cookie-sized portions, and freeze them for later. When you’re ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough on a baking sheet and bake as usual, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, cold
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup toffee bits
- Sea salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat just until combined, then beat in the chocolate chips and toffee bits.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing each mound at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until they are slightly crispy around the edges and barely set in the centers. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes
-
Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. It should be pliable but still cool to the touch. Leave it out at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes prior to starting the recipe.
-
If the dough becomes too sticky while working with it, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes to firm it up. This can help prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
-
Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh. If you want to keep them soft, you can place a slice of bread in the container, which can help maintain moisture.
-
If you don’t want to bake all the cookies at once, portion the dough and freeze it. Then, you can bake a few fresh cookies whenever you’re in the mood!
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