There are few flavor combinations better than caramel and chocolate, and these Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies take that combo to a whole new level with rich toffee baked into buttery chocolate chip cookie dough. These are extra special because I use my homemade toffee bits which are very easy to make and taste a million times better than store-bought. These cookies are golden with crisp edges and then chewy all the way through. They have a rich, buttery vanilla flavor and a perfect salty & sweet balance. You would think they'd be too sweet from the toffee, but they are just right! The layers of chocolate and toffee through the cookie dough are incredible. If you love these, you should also check out my popular Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy cookie recipe - this cookie recipe is easy to make because you don't need an electric mixer. You can simply make the cookie dough with a spatula in a large mixing bowl.
- Homemade toffee bits - I use my homemade toffee recipe, and if you haven't made toffee before, you'll be pleased to know it is SO easy and worth it! It only takes 10 minutes and the flavor is so good. If you don't have time, you can also use SKOR bits, but I really encourage you to make your own.
- Chewy chocolate chip cookies - these chocolate chip cookies are so chewy thanks to the homemade toffee bits and they have the most delicious crisp, caramel-y edges. The toffee also helps them stay chewy for longer since the amorphous sugar is hygroscopic and locks in moisture.
- Make ahead recipe - these cookies are great for gifting, shipping or making ahead for a special occasion since the toffee keeps them chewy.
INGREDIENTS FOR SALTED TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- Unsalted butter - soft butter adds incredible flavor and helps build some structure during the creaming step for crisp caramelized edges. Pull it out at least 2 hours before baking so it is softened to room temperature. You can also use salted butter, but then I recommend reducing the added salt by half to ¼ teaspoon.
- Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor to complement the toffee pieces that are going in! I like to use dark brown sugar for a more pronounced flavor, but you can also use light brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help them crisp up for crunchy edges.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will elevate the butterscotch flavor and it is really important in this recipe. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Toffee bits - I use my easy foolproof homemade toffee and break it up into small pieces. It is so delicious, easy to make and rewarding. You can also use SKOR bits or another brand that is made with real butter and not hydrogenated fat.
- Dark chocolate - I recommend dark chocolate with at least 60% to 70% cocoa content for a rich taste that will contrast the sweet and salty toffee. You can use semisweet and it will just be sweeter. I also like to use block chocolate and chop it up so it melts more evenly and I like the variation in size.
- Sea salt - this is optional but I highly recommend sprinkling a little bit of flaky sea salt on top of the dough balls before and after baking! It really elevates the flavour and is a sweet & salty dream! I like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes for this.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Cream butter and sugar. Beat together the soft butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and a bit fluffy. It will look more like wet sand than a pale and aerated mixture.
- STEP 2). Mix in egg. Add the egg mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla.
- STEP 3). Add dry ingredients. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Then, sprinkle in the flour mixture and fold it in until mostly combined, but a few streaks of flour still remain.
- STEP 4). Add chocolate and toffee. Fold in chocolate chips, then lastly fold in the toffee pieces until just combined.
- STEP 5). Chill the dough. Cover the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- STEP 6). Bake. Scoop mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place them on lined baking sheets and top with flaky sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and still soft in the middle.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will makes them dry and crumbly, and too little will cause them to spread excessively.
- For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
- Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape.
- Let the baked cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them. They are delicate while still warm from the molten toffee so they need a few minutes to set up.
RECIPE FAQ
You can use your favorite brand. My go-to is SKOR bits because they are made with butter and they have a thin coating of milk chocolate that makes them extra delicious!
I use fine sea salt or regular table salt for the dough because it distributes more evenly and dissolves easier. For topping, I like to use flaky salt and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes are my favorite.
I highly recommend chilling this cookie dough since it will help with the texture and it controls the spreading. The added toffee pieces will contribute additional sugar to the dough and cause it to spread more, so chilling will allow the flour to fully hydrate so the cookies don't spread excessively. Chilling will also help with the chewy texture. Nevertheless, do not chill for longer than 2 hours as it can have the opposite effect as the toffee dissolves into the cookie dough to promote spreading.
If your cookies spread a lot, then it could be that the dough either wasn't chilled at all or was chilled too long. A brief chill time will help hydrate the flour so the moisture is locked in, while a long chill time in this particular recipe will cause the toffee bits to dissolve and the dissolved sugar will cause excessive spreading. It could also be cause by too much baking soda or not enough flour added. Too little flour will mean the cookies will not have enough structure to hold their shape and the dough will be too wet. For best results, measure the flour is using a kitchen scale to ensure you use the right amount.
If your cookies didn't spread, then it is likely you added too much flour. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Also, if the dough balls are too small, then the dough will not have enough time to spread before they are already cooked through. I use a 1.35 oz cookie scoop. If you are still having trouble with spread, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking.
These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
If you love cookies, check out these recipes!
Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style! The BEST Fudgy Flourless Brownie Cookies Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ferrero Rocher CookiesCraving more cookies?
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Video
Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon (7ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 6 oz (170g) dark chocolate coarsely chopped (about 1 ¼ cups, but you can reduce to 1 cup - I like a lot of chocolate)
- ½ cup (80g) Homemade Toffee Bits
- flaky sea salt for topping
For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
Instructions
- Combine soft butter with both sugars in a large bowl and mix by hand using the creaming method (spreading the butter and sugar mixture back and forth along the bottom of the bowl) with a wide spatula until smooth, pale and a bit fluffy. You can also use an electric handheld mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a few times to ensure everything is evenly blended.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the butter mixture and fold it in until it is mostly combined but a few streaks still remain. Before all of the flour is combined, add the dark chocolate chunks and toffee bits and fold them through so they are evenly distributed.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours - do not skip this step or the cookies will spread too much. Also, I don't recommend refrigerating longer than this or it will have the opposite effect. Too much time will cause the sugar in the toffee to dissolve into the dough and cause it to spread and caramelize excessively.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion the dough into 14 portions and roll into smooth balls (if you try to make fewer larger cookies they will spread too much). Place them onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges and still slightly gooey in the center (they will set as they cool).
- Some of the toffee will have melted out of the dough and caramelized on the edges (which is delicious), causing the cookies to look a bit misshapen. To fix this, transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and immediately, while the cookies are still hot, use a large round cookie cutter or a spatula to shape the cookies into rounds by nudging the oozing toffee around the edges back towards the center. I either take my cutter, place it over the cookie so it contains it, then move it around in concentric circles to shape the cookies, or I just take my spatula and literally push in the edges. The cookies are still malleable while the sugar is hot so this works just fine. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before the chocolate sets and enjoy!
Denise
These taste incredible! Loving the flavor of the homemade toffee bits in the cookie, I swear my husband ate half the batch already! Will definitely make it again
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Denise! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Lauren Lowery
Make these cookies!! Trust me. Absolutely divine, could barely restrain myself from eating at least 5 before completely cooling. Don’t be scared off by the toffee making - easier than you think and perfect, step by step instructions including fixing a split make it a breeze. Try stop yourself from eating that too!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Lauren! Glad you enjoyed them!
Jessica
Hi! Can I bake these and then keep in an airtight vacuum seal freezer bag in the freezer and thaw at room temp before enjoying?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Jessica! Yes you can 🙂 That is a great way to store them long term.
Tisha
How many days will these cookies keep for? Can I freeze and then bake, and if so, how long should I bake them for? Thanks so much in advance!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Tisha! Yes, you can you freeze the dough. Thaw the dough before portioning and rolling into balls. Bake as directed.
Charmaine
What brand is the chocolate bar you are chopping for the cookies in your video?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Charmaine! It is a Canadian brand - PC Organic.
Charmaine
Hi Christine! I'm in Canada, too and have access to PC products. Can you tell me which bar this is specifically? I've looked and I am only seeing PC organic chocolate chips and smaller PC organic hazelnut chocolate bars. Thank you!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Charmaine! I can't seem to see it online either. Maybe they have been discontinued.
Candice
Made them and they are magnificent. The homemade toffee is a game changer.
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Candice! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Courtenay
These are amazing, and the homemade toffee really elevates the flavor! I know you said not to refrigerate the dough to long, but can I freeze the dough before I bake?
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Courtenay! Yes you can you freeze the dough. Thaw the dough before portioning and rolling into balls.
Emily
I have never made any sort of caramel or anything, and I was feeling adventurous today.
The process was daunting but man, did this toffee come out PERFECT.
What saved me was the instructions on what to do when the butter split, which happened like 3 times. But also being able to follow the progress in the video to make sure I was on the right track helped alot.
Thanks for this!! and thanks in advance for the toffee chocolate chip cookies that are currently in my oven
christina.marsigliese
You are welcome Emily! Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad the toffee was a success 🙂
Liz A
Love this recipe! Made it last Christmas and am about to make it again but realized I bought dark chocolate chips with no sugar added. Wasn't sure how to adjust the recipe or if I even need to or not. Do you have any recommendations? If not, I'll just return and get the right kind. Thank you so much!! ❤️
christina.marsigliese
Hi Liz! Thanks so much! The main difference is that the chocolate may actually spread a bit more or less depending on what the ingredients are in the chocolate. If it has a high cocoa butter content to make up for the lack of sugar, then they will spread more. If there is filler in it like maltodextrin, then they might spread more so the result will be cookies that are thicker or slightly thinner. Overall, I think it will be fine if you don't feel like making the trip back to the store.
Iman Hashmi
I don't see any recipe/instructions mentioned for the toffee bits? I think you may have forgotten to link it?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Iman! That recipe for the toffee bits is in the works and will be posted next week! If you want to make these cookies sooner you can use Skor bits.
Denise
Another excellent cookie, a nice variation of the chocolate chip by adding the toffee pieces. I used skor bits, but may try and find something else that is a bit larger next time. Soft and chewy with crispy edges - perfect!
christina.marsigliese
Thanks for the feedback Denise! Sounds good with the skor bits!
Avy
Delicious cookies I always get compliments when I make these for friends/coworkers! One question: can i refrigerate over night???
christina.marsigliese
Hi Avy, thank yoU! I don't recommend refrigerating overnight because the sugar from the toffee will dissolve into the dough and cause the cookies to spread excessively.
Rachel
These cookies were delicious and easy to make. I made two batches for Thanksgiving. They were a huge hit! Thank you for the recipe.
christina.marsigliese
You are welcome Rachel! I'm so glad you found the recipe easy and delicious 🙂
Fay
Cal I double this recipe?
christina.marsigliese
Yes.
Yvy
I missed the chill for 2 hours step. Doh! They didn't spread on the cookie sheet as expected and it seemed like there was way too much flour. 10 minutes in I took a spatula and flattened then flipped them. They tasted really good in spite of looking a bit strange. Next time with the 2 hour chill time they'll likely be perfect.
Shannon
This is my first time making one of your recipes - and what a winner it is! I knew from tasting the dough that it was going to be a keeper. Love the combo of the chocolate and skor bits. And the texture is phenomenal! Thanks for sharing
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Shannon! I hope you continue baking more recipes here and enjoy them 🙂
Mia
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing. They are perfectly crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. The dark chocolate and sea salt with the toffee are a killer combo! My new favorite cookie!
Mia
I forgot to add the 5 STARS!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Mia!
Stephanie White
These are really good? Do you have the nutritional information somewhere?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Stephanie, no I'm sorry I do not.
Hiam
These values are approximate and based on 18 cookies per batch:
Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximately 34g)
Nutrient Amount Per Serving % Daily Value*
Calories 180 9%
Total Fat 9g 12%
- Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
- Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
- Total Sugars 15g
- Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin D 0.2mcg 1%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 50mg 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Notes:
Calorie count may vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients used. These calculations assume SKOR toffee bits and 70% dark chocolate chips as listed in the recipe. Additional toppings like flaky sea salt may slightly affect sodium levels.
Sally Faisal
Wow these might be the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tried. The sweet and salty taste is so good.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Sally! I love the toffee with the sea salt too.
Shai B.
I love skor bits and these cookies were a dream for me! Sweet and salty and chewy and gooey, I would highly recommend this recipe.
M
This recipe was brilliant, caramelized edges and had just the right amount of sweetness for me and the way my cookies spread was beautiful. Made my own toffee since it wasnt available so the crunch made it more flavorful!!!
christina.marsigliese
You are amazing to make your own toffee! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe!