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These big, chewy cookies are loaded with dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate toffee bits, and brown butter for maximum flavor. These chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and toffee may just become your favorite cookie yet!
I first downloaded TikTok when the world shut down and it quickly became my favorite social media app.
I still enjoy seeing my friends’ photos and updates on other sites, but TikTok is so much fun and I learn a lot. And I get great recipe ideas!
I mean, learning about cinnamon rolls with heavy cream was basically life changing, ok? And I have lost count of how much I have made the TikTok grinder sandwich.
My newest TikTok inspiration? These chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and toffee!
ADDING BROWN BUTTER AND TOFFEE BITS TO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
I’m no stranger to adding brown butter or toffee bits to my baked goods. I’ve made brown butter chocolate chip cookies many times and love putting toffee bits into everything from kitchen sink cookies to my brownie trifle.
But when I saw Tessa from Handle the Heat make her browned butter toffee chocolate chip cookies on TikTok, I knew I needed to put my own spin on this combo.
I mean, how could I not combine nutty brown butter, sweet toffee bits, and chewy chocolate chip cookies? So I took my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and the inspiration from Tessa and made my own version.
This recipe makes BIG, chewy cookies. The flavors are rich and nuanced thanks to the brown butter and they have just enough sweetness from the toffee and brown sugar. Oh, and plenty of chocolate from both the dark chocolate chips and the Heath toffee bits.
If you’re looking for a decadent cookie that’s familiar while still being a little bit unexpected, this is it.
HOW TO MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These big, bakery-style cookies might seem fancy and might require a couple extra steps, but none of the steps are hard! Which means you can impress your friends and family pretty easily with this recipe.
Ingredients for chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and toffee
Most of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are about the same as you would use for my favorite chocolate chip cookies. You’ll need:
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 2/3 cups bread flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 10-ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- 1 8-ounce bag Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bits
- flaky sea salt
If you don’t keep cake flour on hand, you can use a simple cake flour substitute instead. Make sure that you know how to measure flour correctly before you get started, though!
If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t stress – it’s easy! Learn how to brown butter and you’ll find yourself wanting to add it to everything.
Brown sugar helps make these cookies chewy. If you run out of brown sugar, I’ve got an easy brown sugar substitute you can use. You can also learn how to soften brown sugar to save yourself a trip to the store next time yours has hardened up.
When buying the toffee bits, make sure you grab the milk chocolate toffee bits instead of the Bits O’ Brickle (which don’t have any chocolate on them). You can find them in the baking aisle with the other baking chips.
If you’re curious what the deal is with flaky sea salt, check out my guide on the types of salt.
Making this recipe
To make these chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and toffee, start by sifting the flours together with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cooled brown butter and the sugars. Beat together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, then add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips and the toffee bits.
Now it’s time to chill the dough. This dough needs to rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours. I have made them before the 24 hours were up and I promise that they just weren’t as good!
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to scoop.
Portion the dough into 3-ounce portions and place the balls onto a lined baking sheet. Make sure you leave plenty of space between the cookies for spreading.
Bake the cookies for 16-18 minutes – they’ll be golden brown on the edges but still soft and look a bit under-done on the center. Immediately sprinkle them with a bit of flaky sea salt and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
At this point, you can keep baking cookies or put the dough back in the fridge to make more cookies later – the dough can rest in the fridge for up to 72 hours total.
RECIPE FAQS
Why use both cake flour and bread flour?
I’ll admit, using a combination of a lower-protein flour (cake flour) and a high-protein flour (bread flour) seems a little silly, but it’s the way the New York Times does it and it makes the best chewy chocolate chip cookies!
What are toffee bits and where do I find them?
There are two kinds of toffee bits made by Heath (Hershey’s): Bits ‘O Brickle and milk chocolate toffee bits.
The Bits ‘O Brickle are just pieces of toffee, while the milk chocolate toffee bits are topped with (you guessed it) milk chocolate.
I like to use the milk chocolate toffee bits in these cookies for an extra dose of chocolatey goodness. I find them in the baking aisle of the grocery store by the other baking chips.
Do I have to chill the dough?
I have baked these cookies before they chilled for a full 24 hours and they just weren’t as good. I definitely recommend chilling for a minimum of 24 hours before baking, but you can chill the dough for up to 72 hours.
If you’d like, you can bake a few batches over the course of a couple of days, even! Just place the dough back into the fridge until you want to bake more cookies, for up to 72 hours total.
Can you freeze these cookies?
The dough for these chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and toffee is perfect for freezing!
Simply follow my instructions for how to freeze cookie dough and you can bake them whenever you get a craving for a big, chewy, chocolatey cookie.
You could also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to a month.
What if I want to make smaller cookies?
3 ounce portions of dough make for BIG cookies. If you want to make more traditional-size cookies, use a regular cookie scoop and bake the cookies for around 12 minutes. Remember that under-baking is better than over-baking with these!
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter and Toffee
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 10- ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- 1 8- ounce bag Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bits
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine cooled brown butter and sugars together at medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Gradually add in the chocolate chips and toffee bits and mix until just combined. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
- When ready to bake, place dough out on the counter for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to soften up a bit, this will allow you to scoop the dough a bit easier. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Scoop dough into balls approximately 3 ounces apiece. Place dough balls onto prepared baking sheet leaving a few inches between each cookie to allow for spreading. Bake 16-18 minutes until golden brown but still soft. If desired, immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly before you get started.
- If you don’t have cake flour on hand, try a simple cake flour substitute.
- Learn how to brown butter.
- Out of brown sugar or yours has hardened? Learn how to make a brown sugar substitute and how to soften brown sugar.
- Try freezing the dough for cookies on demand! Follow my instructions for how to freeze cookie dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I appreciate the excellent guidelines for making cookies. I look forward to discovering more fascinating bread recipes that you create and being able to share them with my friends and family.
I click print and it goes right back to the recipe, not going to the Print for the printer at all. Very frustrating.
Hi there – When you click print, the page it takes you to allows you to choose what you’d like included on the printout (imperial or metric ingredient amounts, notes section, etc.). All you have to do is it “print” at the top of the page to finalize the printing. Hope this helps!
Jamie
Did you really mean bread flour?
Hi Pat – I do! Happy baking –
Jamie