These brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies are chewy, loaded with toffee bits and melty chocolate chips, and the brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that makes them taste anything but basic. The toffee melts right into the dough and creates little pockets of buttery crunch in every bite. Simple ingredients, no fancy steps, and the kind of cookie that disappears fast.
I first made these after I shared my homemade toffee bits recipe and kept thinking about all the ways to use them. Folding them into a brown butter cookie dough was one of the first things I tried, and honestly it was love at first bite.
If you love brown butter as much as I do, my brown butter chocolate chip cookies are proof that it's worth the extra 10 minutes every single time. These toffee cookies take that same base and make it even better.
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Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Brown Butter: It adds a warm almost caramel flavor to the dough that you can't replicate any other way. Totally worth the extra step.
- Toffee Bits: They melt into the cookie as it bakes and create little crispy, buttery pockets throughout. So good!
- Easy to Make: One bowl, no mixer needed, and you're done in about 30 minutes time including the butter cooling.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: You'll brown and cool the butter before using it. This step is what gives these cookies so much of their flavor, so don't skip it.
- Sugars: A mix of brown sugar, granulated sugar, and turbinado sugar gives these cookies depth, chew, and a little extra crunch. You can sub the turbinado for granulated if that's what you have, but it's one of those ingredients that makes my cookie recipes stand out.
- Espresso Powder: Just a small amount. You won't taste coffee, but it deepens the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness from the toffee. Feel free to leave it out if you don't have it on hand.
- Chocolate: I love doing a mix of chopped chocolate and chocolate chips, and a mix of dark and semi-sweet. Use whatever you love or whatever you have in your pantry.
- Toffee Bits: I use my homemade toffee bits and they make such a difference. You can also use store-bought Heath toffee bits in a pinch.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Start by browning the butter. You'll take one cup of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely. I usually throw it into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Step 2: In a large bowl mix together the browned butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar and turbinado sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix again until light and smooth.
- Step 3: Add in the baking soda, salt, espresso powder and flour and stir until mostly incorporated.
- Step 4: Fold in the chocolate and toffee bits.
- Step 5: Scoop the dough into large balls. I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Place 6 cookie balls on your baking sheet and sprinkle with salt flakes.
- Step 6: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside rim. Sprinkle with extra salt flakes and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't rush the butter cooling. If your browned butter is too warm when you mix it in, it can cause the cookies to spread too much. Ten-fifteen minutes in the freezer gets it there fast.
- Because of the toffee bits melting in the oven, your cookies may spread a little unevenly and won't always come out a perfect circle. Right when they come out of the oven, run a small spatula around each cookie to nudge in any spots that spread too far. Works like a charm.
- Use a mix of chopped chocolate and chips if you can. The chopped chocolate melts differently and creates those big, puddles of chocolate that make these cookies look as good as they taste.
- For more cookie tips and tricks, browse through all the cookie recipes on the blog. I've got something for every craving!
FAQ
Yes! This is my favorite trick to have fresh cookies whenever the craving hits. You can scoop the dough balls and store them in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
A little extra spread from the toffee bits is totally normal. Use the spatula trick right out of the oven to shape them back up. If they're spreading too much overall, make sure your brown butter was fully cooled before mixing.
I love a mix of semi-sweet chips and chopped dark chocolate to balance the sweet toffee, but use whatever you love. My coffee toffee cookies use a similar base and are another great example of how well these flavors layer together.
Storing & Freezing
These brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days and will stay nice and chewy.
They also freeze great. Store baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze unbaked dough balls and bake them fresh whenever you need them. I do this with my small batch brown butter chocolate chip cookies too - it's such a good way to always have a cookie ready to go.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter browned and cooled
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) turbinado sugar can sub in granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder can omit
- 2⅔ cups (372 g) all purpose flour can sub gluten free
- 2 cups (360 g) chocolate chips or chocolate bar chopped I like doing a mix of both
- 1 cup (236.59 g) homemade toffee bits
- flaked salt for topping
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. You'll take one cup of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely. I usually throw it into the freezer for 10 minutes.1 cup salted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl mix together the browned butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar and turbinado sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix again until light and smooth.1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup turbinado sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Add in the baking soda, salt, espresso powder and flour and stir until mostly incorporated.1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 2⅔ cups all purpose flour
- Fold in the chocolate and toffee bits.2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate bar chopped, 1 cup homemade toffee bits
- Scoop the dough into large balls. I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Place 6 cookie balls on your baking sheet and sprinkle with salt flakes.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside rim. Sprinkle with extra salt flakes and enjoy!flaked salt for topping
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