Brown Butter Toffee Cookies Recipe

If you love to bake, we have the perfect recipe for you to try. When it comes time to select the type of cookie that you would love to enjoy, there are plenty of options and varieties to choose from. If you're looking for something that's unique and incredibly tasty, look no further than these brown butter toffee cookies. They have an excellent brown butter batter and milk chocolate toffee bits that complement the batter so well. They would be great to serve after dinner or to add to the kiddo's lunch boxes for a special treat. 

Recipe developer Jessica Morone came up with this wonderful recipe, and trust us when we tell you that the cookies will knock your socks off. "My favorite thing about these is the flavor, the nutty caramelized flavor of the brown butter goes so well with the chocolate toffee pieces," Morone raves. Is that description mouth watering or what? "Brown butter is regular butter that has been cooked until it browns," she adds. "Cooking it like this gets out any water in the butter and turns the milk solids brown, which results in a deeper, nuttier flavor. Brown butter added to any recipe gives it a delicious, richer flavor." If you'd like to try and make these cookies, keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions.

Gather the ingredients to make brown butter toffee cookies

Let's kick things off by making a grocery list and heading to the store. That is the start of any great recipe. Begin your trip to the store by grabbing some unsalted butter and eggs. Then, make your way to the baking aisle. There, you will need to grab some brown sugar and granulated sugar. In addition, be sure to pick up some vanilla extract. You will also need to get all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Last but not least, toss a package of milk chocolate toffee pieces into your cart. We always like to remind readers to check for ingredients you may already have at home, so be sure to glance inside your pantry and fridge before heading to the store.

Line baking sheets and add butter to the pan

Grab a pair of baking sheets and lining them with parchment paper. Then, select a light-colored skillet or pot. "A light colored pan, like a stainless steel one, lets you be able to easily see when the butter starts getting darker," Morone notes. "It's harder to see when that happen in a darker pan, and since the butter can go from being browned to becoming burnt pretty quickly, you want to be able to see what is happening." 

Toss in the butter, crank up the heat to medium, and whisk the butter. Once melted, the butter will foam — continue whisking it for another five to seven minutes. The butter should start to brown, and there should be lightly browned pieces on the bottom of the pan. Once browned, remove the butter from the heat and immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl. Let it cool for about five minutes.

Make the cookie dough

Once the butter has cooled for about five minutes, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the same bowl. Mix them together until smooth. "You could use a stand mixer [for these steps] if you want, as long as you fold in the toffee bits by hand at the end," Morone notes. "But if you don't have a stand mixer this recipe is one you can easily mix up by hand."

Then, add the vanilla extract and eggs. Continue mixing until everything is well-combined. Take out a separate bowl and add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together to combine well. Toss the dry ingredients with the wet ones and continue mixing. The last thing you will need to add is the chocolate toffee bits. It's best to stir with a spoon or spatula, so they don't break apart.

Scoop and bake the cookies

Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or a spoon and drop rounded scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Be sure to space them at least 2 inches apart so they can expand as they bake. Then, stick the cookies in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to chill. "Chilling cookie dough before baking it makes is spread less when the dough is cooking," Morone notes. "While 15 to 30 minutes doesn't seem like a long time to chill the dough, it really does make a difference and cause the cookies to stay uniform while they bake." 

While you let the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 F. Once they have cooled, pop the chilled cookies into the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.

Cool the cookies and enjoy

After you remove the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool for about five minutes on the baking sheets. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Once cooled, you can serve the cookies to your family or lucky guests. "These are best served warm, so fresh out of the oven is the optimal time to eat them, or you can microwave them for a few seconds before eating the leftovers," Morone shares. "These are good at room temperature for up to 5 days, or a week in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to three month. You could also freeze the cookie dough before baking it, and bake it from frozen for fresh cookies whenever you want them." We hope these cookies satisfy your sweet tooth! 

Brown Butter Toffee Cookies Recipe
5 from 139 ratings
These brown butter toffee cookies taste sweet and delicious, with a subtle nutty flavor from the brown butter.
Prep Time
10
minutes
Cook Time
17
minutes
Servings
30
cookies
cookies on cooling rack
Total time: 27 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (8-ounce) package milk chocolate toffee pieces
Directions
  1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Add the cut-up butter to a large, light-colored skillet or pot. Melt the butter over medium heat, whisking constantly. After the butter melts it will start to foam, but continue whisking it for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the butter begins browning and there are lightly browned pieces on the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty aroma. Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the butter into a large, heatproof bowl. Let the butter cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs until well combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate toffee bits until they are well incorporated.
  5. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or spoon to drop rounded scoops onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the chilled cookie dough in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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