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Brown Butter Toffee Cookies Recipe

5 from 69 reviews

These Brown Butter Toffee Cookies combine rich, nutty browned butter with homemade toffee pieces embedded in a chewy cookie base. With layers of buttery caramel, melted semi-sweet chocolate, and a hint of sea salt, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors with a deliciously crisp texture from the toffee bits.

Ingredients

Scale

Toffee Layer:

  • 20 saltine crackers
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • Sea salt for topping (optional)

Cookie Dough:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (cubed)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the toffee: Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Lay the saltine crackers in an even layer in the bottom of the pan and set aside.
  2. Melt butter and sugar: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and allow it to boil for 4-5 minutes without stirring to form the caramel.
  3. Pour caramel over crackers and bake: Remove from heat and pour the caramel mixture evenly over the saltines. Spread with a spoon or spatula to cover fully. Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes until bubbly.
  4. Add chocolate and chill: Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top. Let sit for several minutes until melted, then spread chocolate over caramel with a spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Transfer the pan to the freezer while preparing cookie dough.
  5. Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the cubed butter, swirling and stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until it foams and then turns golden brown with toasted milk solids. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let cool slightly for 10 minutes.
  6. Mix dry ingredients: While butter cools, whisk together flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
  7. Combine wet ingredients: To the browned butter, add both sugars and whisk until combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth with no yellow streaks.
  8. Form dough: Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until combined. Initially dry, the dough will come together as you mix.
  9. Prepare toffee pieces: Place dough in freezer for a few minutes. Remove toffee from freezer and chop into small pieces with a sharp knife (avoid using hands to prevent melting chocolate). Add nearly all toffee pieces to dough and stir to evenly distribute. Save some toffee for topping later. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days; let sit at room temperature briefly if chilled more than 24 hours.
  10. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  11. Scoop and bake: Form dough into 2 Tablespoon-sized balls and place spaced on sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are golden and tops are just set.
  12. Add topping and cool: Immediately upon removal, sprinkle reserved toffee bits on cookies. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • To double the amount of toffee, spread saltine crackers on a sheet pan and double the toffee ingredients, baking as directed.
  • Use a sharp knife to chop toffee rather than hands to avoid melting the chocolate.
  • Allow chilled dough to soften slightly if refrigerated more than 24 hours for easier scooping.
  • Sea salt topping is optional but adds a nice flavor contrast.

Keywords: brown butter cookies, toffee cookies, caramel toffee, homemade toffee, dessert, chocolate chip cookies, sea salt cookies