Chocolate Brown Butter Toffee Cookies

I thought I knew what good cookies were until I tried brown butter for the first time. My neighbor brought over a batch of these brown butter toffee cookies last winter, and I couldn’t stop thinking about them for weeks.

The thing about brown butter is that it takes regular cookies and makes them taste like they came from a fancy bakery. You heat the butter just until it turns golden and smells nutty—it’s easier than it sounds, I promise. Add some toffee bits and you’ve got cookies that are crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and packed with that rich, caramel-like flavor that brown butter brings to everything.

What Kind of Toffee Should I Use?

You have two main options for toffee in these cookies: homemade toffee bits or store-bought Heath brand toffee bits. If you’re feeling ambitious, making your own toffee gives you control over the sweetness and crunch factor, plus it tastes incredible when it’s fresh. But let’s be real – Heath toffee bits from the baking aisle work perfectly fine and save you a ton of time. You can also chop up Heath candy bars if that’s what you have on hand, just make sure the pieces are roughly the same size as commercial toffee bits so they distribute evenly throughout the dough. Whatever you choose, avoid anything that looks too soft or sticky, as it won’t hold up well during baking.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Unsalted butter: This is really the star of the show here – the brown butter gives these cookies their signature nutty flavor. I wouldn’t recommend substituting this one, as margarine or other fats won’t give you that same rich taste.
• Bread flour and all-purpose flour: If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all all-purpose flour instead (so 2 1/2 cups total). Your cookies will be slightly less chewy but still delicious.
• Dark brown sugar: Light brown sugar works fine, or you can make your own by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses.
• Semisweet chocolate: Feel free to use chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or even dark chocolate chunks. Just keep the amount around 10 ounces for the best cookie-to-chocolate ratio.
• Toffee bits: Store-bought Heath bits work great, but you can also use chopped up toffee candy bars or even butterscotch chips for a different flavor twist.
• Instant espresso powder: This just adds depth to the chocolate flavor, so you can skip it entirely if you don’t have it on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making brown butter is taking it too far – you want a nutty, golden color with dark bits at the bottom, but if it turns black or smells burnt, you’ve gone too far and need to start over.

Make sure to let your brown butter cool completely before mixing it with the sugars, otherwise the heat will start cooking your eggs and create a grainy texture instead of smooth dough.

Don’t skip chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking, as this prevents the cookies from spreading too much and helps them hold their shape while developing those crispy edges.

For perfectly chewy centers, slightly underbake your cookies – they should look just set around the edges but still soft in the middle when you pull them out, since they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan.

What to Serve With Brown Butter Toffee Cookies?

These rich, buttery cookies are perfect on their own, but they’re absolutely amazing with a cold glass of milk for dunking. I love serving them alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea – the espresso notes in the cookies pair beautifully with both. For a fun dessert spread, try crumbling them over vanilla ice cream or using them as a base for an easy cookie parfait with whipped cream and fresh berries. They also make great gifts when packed in a tin, and honestly, they’re so good that people will be asking for the recipe!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These brown butter toffee cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to add a slice of bread to the container to help keep them from getting too crispy. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing so they don’t get sticky.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, or freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet before transferring to freezer bags. The dough balls can go straight from freezer to oven – just add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Refresh: If your cookies get a bit stale or you want to warm them up, pop them in a 300°F oven for about 3-5 minutes. This brings back that fresh-baked texture and makes the toffee bits all melty again. Frozen cookies can be thawed at room temperature in about 30 minutes.

Preparation Time	30-45 minutes
Cooking Time	12-14 minutes
Total Time	24-72 hours (including refrigeration time)
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 4100-4400
• Protein: 45-55 g
• Fat: 230-250 g
• Carbohydrates: 480-520 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup toffee bits (homemade or heath brand)

For finishing:

• Flaky sea salt, for topping

Step 1: Brown the Butter

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz)

In a medium stainless steel sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter.

Swirl the pan occasionally and continue to cook as it foams and makes crackling noises.

Once the crackling quiets down, keep swirling or stirring until the butter smells nutty and brown bits form at the bottom.

As soon as the bits turn amber, remove from heat and pour the browned butter, including the brown bits, into a large mixing bowl.

These flavorful bits are essential—don’t leave them behind!

Step 2: Mix in Sugars and Cool

• browned butter from Step 1
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

Add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to the hot browned butter.

Stir until the mixture is well combined and smooth.

Set aside to cool to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, and instant espresso powder (if using).

Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures an even distribution throughout the dough.

I like to use instant espresso powder to boost the chocolate flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Step 4: Make the Dough

• cooled butter-sugar mixture from Step 2
• dry ingredients from Step 3
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup toffee bits (homemade or Heath brand)

Once the butter-sugar mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs, extra egg yolk, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.

Gradually stir in the dry ingredients from Step 3 using a rubber spatula.

Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Fold in the chopped semisweet chocolate and toffee bits.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.

This rest allows the flavors to deepen and creates the perfect cookie texture.

Step 5: Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough for Baking

After the dough has chilled, let it sit at room temperature until it softens enough to scoop, which usually takes about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 6: Portion and Bake Cookies

• dough from Step 4
• flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)

Divide the dough into 3-tablespoon portions using a large cookie scoop and drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them apart.

If you want to freeze cookies for later, portion the dough balls now and freeze them until solid, then store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Remove the trays from the oven and, if desired, immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for extra flavor.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

I always add a touch of flaky sea salt on top—the contrast makes each bite extra irresistible.