These Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, chewy, buttery, and loaded with rich dark chocolate and sweet, crunchy toffee chips. They have soft, chewy centers, lightly crisp edges, and plenty of caramelized toffee flavor in every bite.
The brown sugar keeps these cookies soft and chewy, while dark chocolate adds a rich, slightly bittersweet contrast to the sweet toffee. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top brings everything together and keeps these from tasting overly sweet.
For that bakery-style look, I like pressing extra chocolate and toffee chips onto the tops of the dough balls before baking. They come out with puddles of melted chocolate, golden edges, and irresistible little pockets of crunchy caramelized toffee. And the best part? No chilling required! Just mix together, bake, and eat!
If you love a classic chocolate chip cookie but want something a little more special, these Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are it.
Love cookies? Then you have to try some of my other favorites: The MOST Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Salted Fluffernutter Cookies, Peanut Butter Overload Cookies, The Best Peanut Butter Cookies, Nutella Chunk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why you’ll love this recipe!
What ingredients do I need?
- Unsalted Butter: Use softened, room-temperature unsalted butter so it creams evenly with the sugars. The butter is a big part of the flavor and texture of these cookies, so I recommend using a good-quality butter if you have it.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar helps create those lightly crisp edges while balancing the brown sugar for the perfect cookie texture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and a deeper caramel flavor that works especially well with the toffee.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and help give the cookies their soft, chewy centers.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavors and adds warmth to the buttery cookie dough.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour gives these cookies enough structure to stay thick while still keeping the centers soft and chewy.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The combination helps the cookies spread and rise just enough without losing their thick, chewy texture.
- Kosher Salt: Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate and caramel flavors. Don’t skip it!
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is optional, but I love adding a little to chocolate desserts. It doesn’t make the cookies taste like coffee; instead, it deepens the flavor of the dark chocolate.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Dark chocolate gives these cookies a rich, slightly bittersweet flavor that balances the sweet toffee. You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer.
- Toffee Chips: Toffee is the star here! The little pieces add buttery caramel flavor and a delicious crunch throughout the cookies. You can use store-bought, or make your own Homemade Toffee Chips!
- Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: The mini chips add even more little pockets of chocolate throughout the dough. They also help make every bite extra chocolatey.
- Flaky Sea Salt: A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds the perfect sweet-and-salty finish and makes the chocolate and toffee flavors pop.
Recipe Variations
- Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies: Swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate for a sweeter, classic bakery-style cookie.
- Toffee Pecan Cookies: Add ½ cup of finely chopped toasted pecans for a buttery, nutty variation. The pecans pair especially well with the caramel flavor of the toffee.
Pro Tips
- Use room-temperature butter, but don’t let it get too soft. The butter should be softened enough to cream easily with the sugars but shouldn’t be melted or greasy. This helps the cookies bake up thick without needing to chill the dough.
- Cream the butter and sugars really well.Give the butter and sugars 2–3 minutes to become light and fluffy. This helps create the right cookie texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added. Once the flour goes in, mix just until you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing can make the cookies tougher.
- Don’t skip the extra toppings. Pressing additional chocolate chips and toffee bits into the tops makes a huge difference in how the finished cookies look.
- Bake on cool baking sheets. If you’re baking multiple batches, allow your baking sheets to cool completely before adding the next batch of dough. A hot baking sheet can cause the cookies to spread more quickly.
- Don’t overbake them. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you pull the cookies from the oven. They will continue cooking and setting on the hot baking sheet.
- Use flaky sea salt at the end to top. Regular table salt isn’t quite the same here. Flaky sea salt gives you little bursts of saltiness that balance the chocolate and toffee.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a cookie cutter or cup that is slightly larger than the cookie itself. Then immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, place a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter slightly larger than the cookie around it. Gently swirl the cookie into a perfect circle while it’s still warm.
Can I Substitute?
Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.
- Butter: Salted butter can be used in place of unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the kosher salt slightly.
- Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar can be used for an even deeper molasses and caramel flavor.
- Dark chocolate chips: Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips can be substituted depending on how sweet you like your cookies.
- Mini chocolate chips: You can use additional regular-sized chocolate chips if you don’t have mini chips.
- Toffee chips: Chopped Heath-style toffee bars can be used in place of packaged toffee bits. Chop them into small pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the dough. Or you can make them from scratch if you can’t find them in stores!
- Espresso Powder: This can simply be omitted. The cookies will still be delicious and chocolatey.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla bean paste can be used in the same amount for an extra vanilla-forward flavor.
Dietary Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use a good-quality cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Make sure your chocolate chips and toffee bits are also certified gluten-free if needed.
- Nut-Free: The recipe itself does not require nuts. Check the labels on your chocolate and toffee products if you’re baking for someone with a serious allergy, as some products may be manufactured in facilities that process nuts.
Leftovers and Storage
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For the softest cookies, place a small slice of bread in the container with them. The bread helps maintain moisture and keeps the cookies soft. Replace the bread as needed.
- If the cookies lose some of their softness after a few days, microwave one for about 8–10 seconds to bring back that warm, soft texture.
- Freezing Cookie Dough
- The dough can be frozen before baking, which makes it easy to have fresh cookies whenever a craving hits.
- Scoop the dough into individual portions and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake directly from frozen, adding approximately 1–2 minutes to the baking time. Add the extra chocolate chips and toffee bits to the tops before baking.
- Freezing Baked Cookies
- Allow baked cookies to cool completely before freezing. Place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container with parchment between layers if desired.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave before serving.
But, I Still Have A Few Questions…
Do I need to chill the cookie dough?
No! That’s one of the things I love about these cookies. The dough goes straight from mixing to scooping to baking, so you can have warm, bakery-style cookies without waiting for the dough to chill.
Why do these cookies stay thick without chilling?
The balance of butter, flour, sugars, and leavening helps these cookies bake up thick and chewy without requiring a refrigeration step. Using softened, not melted, butter also helps control how much the cookies spread.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. If you’d like to prepare the dough ahead, cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Because chilled dough will be firmer, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping and baking.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
The most common reasons are butter that was too warm, dough that wasn’t chilled enough, or an inaccurate flour measurement. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted, and chill the dough before baking.
Why are my cookies not spreading?
If the dough is very cold or your flour was over-measured, the cookies may stay too thick. Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for a 10-15 minutes before baking and make sure you’re measuring flour accurately.
How do I know when these cookies are done?
The edges should be lightly golden and set, while the centers should still look slightly soft and underbaked. They will continue to cook and set on the baking sheet after coming out of the oven.
Why do you slightly underbake the cookies?
Slightly underbaking helps keep the centers soft and chewy. If you bake them until the centers look completely done in the oven, they can end up firmer and crispier once they cool. Ultimately, it is up to your cookie preference.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of kosher salt slightly so the cookies don’t become overly salty.
Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
Yes. Dark brown sugar will give the cookies a deeper molasses and caramel flavor and may make them slightly darker and chewier.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Absolutely. Milk chocolate will make the cookies sweeter and creamier, while dark chocolate provides more contrast to the sweet toffee.
Can I use semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Yes. Semi-sweet chocolate is an easy substitute for dark chocolate and works especially well with the toffee.
Can I leave out the espresso powder?
Yes. Espresso powder is completely optional. It enhances the chocolate flavor but doesn’t make the cookies taste like coffee.
Can I use instant coffee instead of espresso powder?
You can, but espresso powder is more concentrated and designed to dissolve easily in baked goods. If using instant coffee, use a small amount and finely crush it first.
What kind of toffee bits should I use?
I love using my homemade toffee chips for this. However, packaged toffee bits work well and are easy to mix into the dough. You can also chop a toffee or Heath-style candy bar into small pieces.
Can I make homemade toffee for these cookies?
Yes, you absolutely can. Use your favorite recipe or try out mine! Then chop it into small pieces and use it in place of the packaged toffee chips.
Why did some of my toffee melt out of the cookies?
Toffee melts as it bakes, and some caramelized spots around the edges are completely normal. Chilling the dough can help limit spreading, and keeping the toffee pieces distributed throughout the dough helps keep them contained.
Can I add nuts?
Absolutely. Chopped toasted pecans are especially good with the chocolate and toffee. Walnuts would also work well.
Can I make these cookies smaller?
Yes. Use a smaller scoop and reduce the baking time. Start checking them several minutes earlier since smaller cookies will bake more quickly.
How do I get perfectly round cookies?
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter around each cookie and gently swirl it in a circular motion. This helps shape the edges while the cookie is still soft.
Why did my cookies turn out hard?
Overbaking is usually the biggest reason. These cookies should come out of the oven with soft-looking centers. Also make sure your flour isn’t over-measured, since too much flour can create a drier, firmer cookie.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. The dough can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. If it becomes very firm, let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before scooping.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes. Scoop the dough into portions and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Can I freeze baked cookies?
Yes. Cool them completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
How do I keep chocolate chip cookies soft?
Store them in an airtight container and add a small slice of bread to the container. The bread helps maintain moisture and keeps the cookies soft.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes. The recipe can be doubled if you’re baking for a crowd. Work in batches if necessary so you don’t overcrowd the baking sheets.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, this recipe makes approximately 22-24 large cookies.
Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
Yes. A hand mixer works perfectly for creaming the butter and sugars and mixing the wet ingredients. Once you add the flour, you can mix on low speed or finish folding the dough together by hand.
Why are my cookies spreading unevenly?
Make sure your baking sheets are cool before adding a new batch of dough. Placing cold dough on a hot baking sheet can cause uneven spreading. Also make sure the dough portions are similar in size.
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Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup toffee bits
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
For Topping
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips reserved
- ¼ cup toffee bits reserved
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 room-temperature butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and espresso powder, if using. Mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the dark chocolate chips and ¼ cup of the toffee bits for topping. Add the remaining dark chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and toffee bits to the dough. Mix on low speed just until evenly distributed.
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough directly onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Press a few of the reserved dark chocolate chips and toffee bits onto the tops of each dough ball. This gives the cookies that bakery-style appearance with visible pools of chocolate and toffee.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers still look slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Immediately sprinkle the warm cookies with flaky sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The cookies are intentionally slightly underbaked when removed from the oven so the centers stay soft and chewy as they cool.
- Toffee will melt and caramelize in places during baking. Those crispy, caramelized bits around the edges are part of what makes these cookies so good.
- For the best-looking cookies, don’t skip the extra chocolate chips and toffee bits on top.
- If using salted butter, reduce the kosher salt slightly.
- Espresso powder is optional, but enhances the flavor of the dark chocolate without making the cookies taste like coffee.
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Nutritional Content Disclaimer
I choose not to include nutritional information with my recipes, as these values can be calculated from the ingredients provided. With my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and my own family experience with disordered eating, I understand how focusing on numbers can affect our relationship with food. My philosophy is that all foods have a place—sweet, savory, nourishing, or indulgent. I aim to share recipes that support a healthy, joyful approach to eating. My hope is that this space also encourages a balanced, healthy relationship with food for you and your family too.