Name: Brown Butter Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 115 grams unsalted butter (½ cup unsalted butter); 135 grams caster sugar (⅔ cup granulated sugar); 2 tablespoon water; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Flaky sea salt (for topping); 340 grams unsalted butter (1 ½ cups unsalted butter); 440 grams plain flour (3 ½ cups all-purpose flour); 1 ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (1 ½ tsp baking soda); 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 300 grams packed dark brown sugar (1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar); 100 grams caster sugar (½ cup granulated sugar); 2 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; 4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 200 grams milk chocolate chunks; 150 grams milk chocolate chips; 1 cup homemade salted toffee pieces; Flaky sea salt (for topping)

There are chocolate chip cookies, and then there are these. Nutty brown butter, pockets of melted chocolate, chewy homemade toffee and a scattering of flaky sea salt on top, these brown butter salted toffee chocolate chip cookies tick every box. They’re the sort of bake that fills the kitchen with the best smell going, and disappear from the cooling rack faster than you’d think possible.

Brown Butter Salted Toffee Choc Chip Cookies

I know making your own toffee sounds like an extra step you don’t need, but it really is worth it. It only takes a saucepan and a bit of patience, and it gives you little chewy, buttery pockets running through the dough that store-bought toffee bits just can’t match. The dough does need a good chill in the fridge, so this one’s best started ahead, but that’s part of what makes the texture so good. The wait is worth it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Browning the butter gives these cookies a deep, nutty almost caramel flavour that plain butter just can’t give you

The homemade salted toffee melts into gooey little pockets throughout the dough
A mix of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips means big melted pools and smaller bites of chocolate in every cookie
Chilling the dough gives you thick, chewy cookies rather than thin, spready ones

That flaky sea salt on top is the finishing touch that makes them taste properly bakery-style
The dough freezes brilliantly, so you can bake a few at a time whenever the mood strikes

Ingredients Breakdown

Unsalted butter – used twice in this recipe, once melted down for the toffee and once browned for the dough. Browning it is what gives the cookies their signature nutty flavour, so don’t skip that step.

Caster sugar – used in the toffee and alongside the brown sugar in the dough, where it helps give the cookies a slightly crisp edge.

Water – needed in the toffee to help dissolve the sugar evenly as it melts and cooks.

Fine sea salt – used in both the toffee and the dough to balance out all that sweetness and make the toffee and chocolate flavours really stand out.

Vanilla extract – adds warmth and depth to both the toffee and the cookie dough. Good quality vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference here – don’t use essence as this is like perfume.

Flaky sea salt – sprinkled on top of the toffee and the finished cookies for a lovely bit of crunch and a salty contrast to all that sweetness. Maldon is a good option if you’re after a UK brand.

Plain flour – the base of the cookie dough, giving it enough structure to hold all those chocolate and toffee pieces.

Bicarbonate of soda – helps the cookies rise and spread just the right amount. It’s called baking soda in the US.

Dark brown sugar – adds moisture, chew and a deeper caramel note than granulated sugar alone. Light brown sugar will work if that’s what you have, though the flavour will be slightly milder.

Eggs and egg yolks – the extra yolks here are what give the dough its rich, fudgy texture. Make sure they’re at room temperature before adding them to the warm brown butter.

Semi-sweet chocolate chunks and chocolate chips – using both gives you the best of both worlds, big melty pools from the chunks and smaller pockets of chocolate from the chips. A bar of dark chocolate, roughly chopped, works well in place of chunks.

Homemade salted toffee pieces – these are what really set this cookie apart. If you’re short on time, shop-bought toffee bits are a perfectly good substitute.

Brown Butter Salted Toffee Choc Chip Cookies ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

Make the toffee first. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. Add the butter, granulated sugar, water and fine sea salt to a small saucepan over a medium heat.

Cook the toffee. Stir as the butter melts, then keep cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns a deep golden amber and reaches around 149°C (300°F).

Finish the toffee. Take the pan off the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla extract.

Set the toffee. Pour the toffee onto the prepared parchment and spread it into a thin layer. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and leave it to cool completely until it’s hard.

Chop the toffee. Break or chop the cooled toffee into small pieces, about 0.5 to 1cm. Set aside 1 cup of it for the cookie dough.

Brown the butter. Add the butter to a light-coloured saucepan over a medium heat. Let it melt, then keep cooking, stirring or swirling frequently. It will foam up as it cooks, so keep going until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells deeply nutty and toasted. Pour it straight into a large heatproof mixing bowl, scraping in all those browned bits.

Cool the butter. Leave the brown butter to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s warm but no longer hot.

Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and fine sea salt.

Combine the butter and sugars. Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter and whisk until smooth and well combined.

Add the eggs. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.

Add the dry ingredients. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a spatula, mixing just until the flour is almost completely incorporated. Take care not to overmix.

Add the chocolate and toffee. Fold in the chocolate chunks, chocolate chips and toffee pieces, saving a little of each back for topping the cookies after baking.

Process shot - Brown Butter Salted Toffee Choc Chip Cookies

Creaming butter and sugar to make cookies

Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavour and texture, chill for 2 hours or even overnight.

Get ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into around 24 portions, roughly 65 to 70g each, and place them several inches apart on the prepared trays.

Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set but the centres still look soft and slightly underbaked.

Finish while warm. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a few extra chocolate chunks and toffee pieces into the tops and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Cool. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Tips for Success

Don’t overbake. The centres should still look a bit soft and underdone when you take them out, they’ll carry on setting as they cool.
Make sure the brown butter has cooled to warm, not hot, before whisking in the eggs, otherwise you risk scrambling them.

Chill the dough properly, ideally for the full 2 hours or overnight, for the thickest, chewiest cookies.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round glass, cup or cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie around it and gently swirl it in a circle. This nudges the edges into a perfectly round shape.
Use a mix of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips rather than just one, for the best combination of melty pools and smaller pockets of chocolate.
Add the flaky salt while the cookies are still warm so it sticks properly to the surface.

FAQ

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time? Yes, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking. Chilling it for longer actually deepens the flavour and helps create thicker, chewier cookies.

Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes. Scoop the dough into portions and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer the dough balls to an airtight freezer bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Why do I need to chill the dough? Chilling stops the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and gives the flour time to hydrate, which helps create that thicker, chewier texture.

How do I know when the brown butter is ready? It should smell deeply nutty and toasted, with golden brown flecks of milk solids throughout. Take it off the heat as soon as it reaches this stage so the milk solids don’t catch and burn.

Why do my cookies look underbaked when they come out of the oven? That’s exactly what you want. The centres should still look soft when you take them out, they’ll continue cooking and setting as they cool on the tray.

Can I use shop-bought toffee bits instead of making my own? Yes, shop-bought toffee bits work fine if you’d rather skip that step.

How should I store these cookies? Keep completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days.

Can I freeze the baked cookies? Yes, once they’re completely cooled, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

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