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These Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are about to be the BEST cookies you’ve ever tried.
This Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe has gone completely viral. It’s been featured on Good Morning America, and TikTok videos of people making this recipe have gotten millions of views.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 but just had to update it with recipe improvements and new photos. These cookies deserved it!
In fact, my recipe photographer Ashley, who shot all 50 recipes in my cookie cookbook, said this may just be my BEST COOKIE RECIPE yet. People have been known to fight over these cookies. Yes, they’re that good.
This Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is kind of a mouthful to say. But when you actually have a mouthful of one of these cookies, I think you’re going to love me.
These are one of the most flavorful chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted, and the texture is absolutely perfect. You NEED to try this recipe. If your friends and family are anything like mine, they plead and beg you to make it again and again.
Yes, this recipe is a little extra work. But the best things in life usually are.
You may even want to make a double batch so you have plenty of dough to freeze when the craving hits. Trust me… it WILL hit!
How to Make Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to Brown Butter:
- Use a stainless steel sauté pan for best results.
- Nonstick prevents the butter from browning completely and prevents you from being able to visually see how browned it’s getting. Same with the dark color of cast iron.
- Something with a wider surface area, like a sauté pan over a saucepan, encourages browning more quickly.
- Don’t step away from butter that’s browning after it’s melted. It can go from browned to burnt quickly.
- At the same time, don’t be afraid of letting that color develop. It should become a rich and fragrant amber.
- Scrape all the brown bits into the mixing bowl – that’s where the flavor lives!
- I highly recommend using unsalted butter – learn why here.
Do I Really Need to Use Bread Flour?
You don’t absolutely have to use bread flour, but it adds a ton of chewy texture to these Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies that’s worth the extra trip to the store. If you don’t have bread flour, then use a total of 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour in the recipe. Make sure to weigh your flour accurately. If you add too much flour, your cookies may end up dry, dense, or crumbly and barely spread.
Granulated Sugar + Dark Brown Sugar
- To make these Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies extra delicious, we’re using a combination of granulated white sugar and dark brown sugar.
- This combination brings sweetness, a fantastic texture, and a butterscotch flavor that’s so rich and delicious.
- The molasses in the brown sugar draws in more moisture, making the cookies thicker, softer, and chewier.
- You can use light brown sugar instead, but you may lose some of the additional flavor.
- Whatever you do, don’t lower the sugar in this recipe. Find out why here.
Eggs + an Extra Yolk
Eggs are essential to forming a beautifully pliable dough and cookies that stay soft for days – and we’re adding an extra yolk for extra richness and added chewiness. Eggs should be at room temperature when beginning your dough, but separate the one yolk from its white while cold for best results (yolks are more fragile and tend to break more easily when warmer).
Why is There Espresso Powder in This Recipe?
I really like the way the bitter espresso plays off the sweetness of the toffee and the nuttiness of the browned butter. It’s totally optional, if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, feel free to simply omit it.
What Kind of Chocolate for Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies?
I like to use semisweet Ghirardelli baking bars and chop them up coarsely for this recipe. Feel free to use chocolate chips, but note that you won’t have the same delicious marbled result you get from chopping your own chocolate.
Where to Find Toffee Bits?
You can find them at many grocery stores in the Heath brand with the other chips in the baking aisle. If you can’t find them, I have a super easy recipe to DIY Homemade Toffee Bits which I used for these cookies here. It takes just 15 minutes and tastes so much better than store-bought!
Do I Really Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
I know, it’s annoying, but I promise you it’s SO worth it, especially for this recipe which uses melted brown butter. Both the taste and texture of the cookie improve during this time. Think of it as a marinating time where everything just gets better and better!! Freezing does not work the same as chilling, so there are no shortcuts here. Learn more about this process, and why it’s so important, in this article here.
Can I Make Smaller Cookies?
Yes, though I much prefer the crisp edges, chewy texture, and soft center 3-tablespoon-sized Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you want to bake smaller cookies, scoop into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Portioning the Cookie Dough Before vs. After Chilling
- I recommend following the directions in the recipe for chilling the dough in one big mass, and then portioning the dough because it prevents the dough from drying out while chilling.
- However, if you’re finding it too challenging to scoop the Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie dough at this point, feel free to scoop before chilling.
- There’s a bit more risk that your dough will dry out in the fridge this way, so just be sure to store the cookie dough balls in an airtight container or good quality ziptop bag, to prevent them from drying out.
- Then simply bake the pre-portioned Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies straight from the fridge after the 24-72 hour chill time!
Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
Yes! Freeze the portioned Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie dough balls after letting the dough marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Place dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove frozen balls of dough to an airtight container and store for up to 6 weeks. Click here for my full guide on how to freeze and bake frozen dough.
Tessa’s Favorite Tools for This Recipe
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
Visit my Chocolate Chip Cookie headquarters for more recipes, tips, and insights into the science of cookie baking!
-
2
sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
-
1/2
(100 grams) cup granulated sugar
-
1
cup
(200 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
-
1 1/2
cups
(190 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1
cup
(127 grams) bread flour
-
1
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1
teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
1
teaspoon
instant espresso powder,
optional
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking powder
-
2
large eggs plus 1 egg yolk,
at room temperature
-
2
teaspoons
vanilla
-
10
ounces
(283 grams) semisweet chocolate,
chopped
-
1
cup
toffee bits,
homemade or Heath
-
Flaky sea salt,
for finishing
-
In a medium stainless sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling becomes quieter, continue to swirl the pan or stir until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Be sure to keep the brown bits at the bottom of the pan as well, they hold so much flavor!
-
Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the hot butter, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
-
In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, and baking powder.
-
To the cooled butter mixture, whisk in the eggs, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Gradually stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chunks and toffee bits. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours.
-
Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop, about 1 hour.
-
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Divide the dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls using a large cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets. Dough may be slightly challenging to scoop.
-
At this point, you can portion the dough, place it on a baking sheet, and freeze just until solid. Remove frozen balls of dough to an airtight container and store for up to 6 weeks.
-
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the cookies, if desired. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
-
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
This post was originally published in 2014 and updated with recipe improvements, more tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
November 2022 Baking Challenge
This recipe was one of two November 2022 chocolate chip cookie selections for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s cookies:
wonderful cookie, love the bits of toffee and sea salt with the chocolate. it’s a win win cookie and I don’t think it’s that involved, pretty easy to make.
These cookies were amazing. Multiple people asked for the recipe os they can make them themselves. I can’t wait to make them again!
Hi Megan! So happy to hear that these were such a hit! 🙂
Both my daughter and I declared these the best cookies we’ve ever eaten! We didn’t have bread flour, so used all AP. They were great. And, we homemade the toffee chips. I may never buy the bagged ones again! Refrigerated the dough for 48 hours. Really, these are amazing!
Woohoo! So fantastic to hear that, Ashley!!
Wonderful recipe!
I always make these cookies all the time and they are consistently good. Great recipe!
This is quite possible THE best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! The addition of the toffee adds such a depth! We will make these again and again!
Wow, what a compliment! So thrilled you enjoyed these so much, Dawnya!
These are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies! That started last year when I made them. My guy likes the toffee in them, too. I like them with pecan pieces mixed in.
I made this and they were disappearing so quickly, I had to hide them away so I could try one. XD
Yummy!! My kids loved them!
Delicious, picture perfect, AND a side stash of EASY homemade toffee?! How can you not LOVE these cookies? I added a cheeky nip of Screwball PB Whiskey to the brown butter because why not? 😉 Thanks for another great recipe, Tessa!
So thrilled to hear that you enjoyed these cookies so much, Taylor! Love your “cheeky nip” of PB whiskey added – yum!! 😉
These cookies are absolutely fantastic! They’re a tad more work than standard chocolate chip cookies, but browning the butter provides an incredible depth of flavor that just can’t be beat, and the chopped chocolate and toffee bits add another layer of enjoyment.
So happy to hear that you enjoy these cookies so much, Rae!
Yum yum yummy! Initially, I was nervous to make the browned butter but found it easy with the instructions. I was shocked by how much flavor it helped develop with the dark brown sugar. Loved this recipe will be making it again (&again & again).
Yay! So excited to hear that these cookies were a big winner for you, Emily 🙂
Wait so do you have to additionally freeze the cookie dough before baking?
Hi Alanna! No freezing required, but chilling is necessary to firm the butter back up and give these cookies some structure, as well as allowing them to fully develop their flavor! More details can be found in the Tip Box above the recipe, so be sure to read everything up there before you being 🙂 Happy baking!
I can’t stop eating these cookies! By far one of the easiest Chocolate Chip cookies to make thanks to Tessa’s tutorial on how to brown butter. They are so good my neighbor turned his car around to chase me down and tell me how good they were.
Hahaha that’s too funny, Trudi! So glad these cookies are so delicious, and clearly your neighbors agree lol
I love these cookies so much! The brown butter and toffee combine to make such a delicious cookie. Plus I love not having to use a mixer to get a cookie with such an elevated taste! These really are a must make cookie.
Yay!! So thrilled you loved these cookies so much, Gina!
These were delicious! I loved the toffee bits. But browning butter was not very fun and I definitely burnt my hands and wrists from the splash.
Hi Monica! Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! I hope you’re okay! It sounds like the heat may have been a little too high while browning the butter. I’d recommend turning it down a little more next time, so you can enjoy these cookies burn-free!
The best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!
Hi, can you use an alternative to bread flour in the recipe please?
Hi Ann! Tessa explains an all-purpose flour alternative in the Tip Box above the recipe, including measurements! It’s really worth using the bread flour, though – it adds a ton of chewy texture to these cookies that’s worth the extra trip to the store. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
These chocolate chip cookies are definitely next level x2. Browned butter gives a delicious depth of flavor, and the homemade (easy!) toffee bits add an unexpected extra deliciousness!
We are so happy to hear that you enjoy these cookies so much, Becky!!
Hands down the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever made…and I’ve made a bunch! The homemade toffee bits are worth every bit of the effort, and the browned butter adds a wonderful, deep flavor. Thanks for an incredible new go-to cookie recipe!
Woohoo! So thrilled to hear that, Emily!
Came out amazing!!
So happy to hear that, Samantha!
I really enjoyed the brown butter in this recipe. They were so good, but a different good than the cookies that have normal butter. I didn’t make the toffee myself and I feel like that would have made them even better! Will be making these again!
this is my go to cookie ALWAYS!!
These are so good!
I follow the recipe for making your own toffee. Very easy and successful. I normally brown my butter for CC’s anyway. I didn’t use chunked chocolate but used Guittard’s Super chips — they’re bigger and more like discs. I skipped the salt on top. Not my thing.
Made these cookies for Thanksgiving, including making the toffee bits, they turned out so good and were a huge hit with everyone! I only had chocolate chips though, I think it would’ve been better with the chocolate bar, next time I will for sure use the correct chocolate.
These are so delicious! I love the hint of espresso powder in them to enhance the flavour.
Excellent !!! A friend made these and I have now switched to this recipe instead of my high school recipe book from 1964 .
Very flavorful cookie, and the brown butter takes them to the next level. The toffee is the perfect complement, and the chopped chunks are a great alternative to regular chocolate chips.
My favourite cookies
I mean you just can’t go wrong with these cookies! Amazing!!
These cookies were amazing! I made the toffee from her homemade toffee recipe as well. I will be making these again soon.
Holy Cow – these were the best chocolate chip cookies ever! My absolute favorite flavors in one bite! Friends that I had given my other cookies to were absolutely floored with this one! And it’s no waiting for butter to soften – just brown it, and it’s sooo easy! Thanks Tessa and Team!
Always a favorite of everyone! The combination of the toffee and chocolate makes for an incredible taste sensation!
One of the Best cookies I’ve ever made. 10/10
If you want to elevate your chocolate chip cookie game, make these! Everyone tells me this is their favorite cookie ever! The brown butter and toffee editions are fabulous.
This is my ultimate favorite cookie!! I actually enjoy all the steps in making it and the result is amazing!!! There is a satisfaction in knowing that you made the toffee that goes into this cookie!
Love the flavor of these! So impressive!
These cookies are the best combination or chewy and crispy – I love the effect of refrigerated dough. Worth the wait!
These are amazing! My daughter is home from college and we loved making these together!
This recipe is so good! Her recipes always come out great, and this one is no exception! She also links a recipe to homemade toffee which is really easy. 🙂
These were the most delicious cookies we’ve ever made! The homemade toffee and browned butter made them extra delicious. My dad doesn’t even like cookies and he loved these.
These are always so delicious, even if I am impatient and don’t let them marinate
These last couple times though I have had trouble with them not spreading right and the toffee oozing out from the sides! Is it because I froze them for a bit before I put them in the oven? any advice?
Hi Sam! I’m sorry to hear your cookies keep spreading strangely! I have a few ideas as to why this could be happening. Not chilling these cookies well before baking (at least 24 hours) will adversely affect the outcome of these cookies. In addition to lending so much more depth of flavor and chewiness to the baked results, the butter needs to set back up, and the flour needs time to fully hydrate. Unfortunately, placing them in the freezer for less time won’t work the same way. Tessa explains the science behind this more in this article here!
Also, are you weighing your ingredients? Weighing vs. measuring by volume can also have a huge impact on your baked goods, as it’s so easy to add too little or too much flour to any recipe, and spreading will be altered (as well as taste and texture) if this happens. Tessa also talks about how to measure properly in this article here.
Additionally, is your leavening agent fresh? If baking powder/soda sit around for a bit, they can lose their rising powder, which can result in flat cookies, cookies that don’t spread, and a whole mess of other things. Tessa talks about how to test for leavener freshness in this article here!
One last thing to leave you with is a little tip I learned from Tessa! If your cookies spread a little, or are even just not as perfectly round as you would prefer (which often happens with so many mix-ins like this recipe), try using a round cookie or biscuit cutter that’s slightly larger than the size of your cookies, and swirl the cookie cutter in circles around the cookie edges a few times. Make sure you do this straight out of the oven (before they have a chance to set up). This makes the cookies perfectly round! Here’s a link to the reel on our Instagram, where we shared this fun cookie hack a few months ago 🙂
I hope this helps, and if not, please feel free to reach out again and we can try to troubleshoot with you further! Happy baking 🙂
I made these twice in one week for friends and family! One person said “these cookies should be illegal” because they were so delicious! Definitely a hit and a recipe that I will keep on hand at all times. The homemade toffee is a game changer! Thank you for sharing!
Haha that’s an amazing quote from your friend, Cayla! So glad these were such a hit!
These are amazing! So much flavor! My family loved them; will be made again.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Kris!
Fantastic! These cookies are insane. The flavors that develope when dough sits are worth the wait. Be prepared to make time and time again, people will remember these and request them. Can’t reccomend enough. So delicious.
So happy to hear that, Holly!
Delicious!!! Every little step is worth it in the end!!!
These are amazing! I made my own toffee from a recipe that uses European butter (I live in France) with a little water added and I accidentally put too much water, so the toffee in the cookies is more soft than crunchy, but the flavor is terrific!!
So glad you were able to use a homemade toffee, Emily! Happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies 🙂
I have never been a fan of toffee, but apparently that’s because I haven’t been making my own! The flavors in this cookie are just outstanding!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these cookies, Brittney!
Sooo much flavor packed into one ckie.
Thanks for sharing!
I never thought I was a toffee person, but I tried it and my mind has been changed! I LOVE these cookies! Such a huge hit with everyone. Will now always keep some frozen dough in my freezer for these.
Hi Robin! So glad to hear that these cookies were such a hit! 🙂
Delicious I may brown butter for all my cookies from now on!
This is my FAV cookie recipe. Made them soooo many times!
I made these using Tessa’s toffee recipe also (slightly messed up because I used European butter, you really need American butter or it separates), and they are so delightful and decadent. Would definitely recommend!
So glad these were delicious, Crissey! 🙂
The caramelly taste is to die for… if you got a little bit of extra time… BROWN YA BUTTER
and lick the spoon too
I have made a LOT of cookies in my life and this is hands down the best one I’ve ever tasted! My whole family complimented me! Definitely will make it again 🙂
Handle the Heat introduced me to the amazing flavor profile of browned butter in baking. These cookies did not disappoint! And a sprinkle of flakes finishing salt add a little something extra.
probably only the BEST cookie ever. the homemade toffee only elevates the flavor that much more. this has been a favorite among all that have tried them!
Fantastic! The three main flavors (Brown Butter, Toffee, Chocolate) work SO well together. Just amazing!
So glad you enjoyed these cookies so much, Josh!!
These cookies are fabulous. I made the toffee and used them to create this great tasting dessert. Recipes were easy to follow and I’m so glad these cookies were this month’s challenge.