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Browned Butter Toffee Cookies have a chewy interior and crisp exterior with crunchy toffee pieces inside and on top. A quick drizzle of icing is optional, but makes these simple cookies extra special!
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I’ve always considered baking and creating new recipes a hobby of mine. Well, after a couple college degrees, some time in corporate R&D and now running a food blog, it’s become more than a hobby – it’s my job. And I LOVE it.
However, with an increasing number of recipes on my site, it’s inherently become more and more difficult to make a new “favorite (you name it).” Well, this recipe just happens to be one of them!!!
My husband (and biggest critic/fan) took a bite and said “I don’t know what these are, but they’re my new favorite cookie recipe!!” So, of course, I knew I had to share them with you all!! 🙂
Ingredients Needed
- Salted Butter – Butter alternatives such as margarine will not work well for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work great.
- Egg
- Vanilla
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Toffee Bits – I use the Heath Brand without the chocolate (though you can also use the type with chocolate).
- Icing Ingredients – The icing is optional, but adds a nice touch!! You’ll need powdered sugar, browned butter and milk.
How to Make Browned Butter Toffee Cookies
The first step is making the browned butter! If you’ve never made it, don’t worry, it’s actually quite simple. You’re essentially going to put the butter into a saucepan on the stove and heat it until it’s starting to brown.
Then you’ll pour it into a bowl and refrigerate until it’s cooled and back to a solid state. You’ll set aside two tablespoons of the browned butter for the icing and use the rest for the dough.
The dough is simple to make. You’ll start by creaming the butter and brown sugar. I find it easiest to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Next, you’ll add the egg and vanilla and mix until well-combined. Then, the dry ingredients will be added along with the toffee bits and stirred until a dough is formed.
Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, making sure to give the cookies a little room to spread. Bake them in a preheated oven until they’re light brown around the edges.
Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the icing by mixing the reserved browned butter, powdered sugar and milk and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Sprinkle additional toffee bits over the icing while it’s wet, so they’ll stick nicely.
What does Browned Butter do to cookies?
Adding browned butter (rather than regular butter) to cookies gives them a rich, more complex flavor. It’s a little bit nutty and reminds me of butterscotch. The combination of browned butter and the molasses flavor from browned sugar is just SO good!
Tips for Making Deliciously Chewy Cookies
- Don’t overbake (or you’ll end up with crunchy cookies). I recommend taking the cookies out of the oven when they’re just a light golden brown around the edges and still pretty soft in the center. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Bake them on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will result in cookies that are easy to remove from the pan and retain their shape.
- If your cookies look puffy when they come out of the oven, carefully tap the bottom of the pan on the counter. This will deflate them a bit and create a super chewy cookie!
- Cool the cookies before placing them in a container to store. If they’re covered while they’re still warm, the heat will create condensation and make super soft (possibly even soggy) cookies.
Other Popular Cookie Recipes
Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies
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Browned Butter Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup toffee bits
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons reserved browned butter
- 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- Additional toffee bits for topping optional
Instructions
Make the Browned Butter
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir the melted butter frequently for 5-10 minutes or until the butter starts turning brown.
- When the butter starts to turn color, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
To Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Give the browned butter a stir to make sure the brown particles are well-distributed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1/2 cup of the browned butter (save the remaining 2 tablespoons for the icing).
- Add the brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla until well-combined, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt and toffee bits; mix.
- Use a cookie scoop to transfer the dough into evenly-sized cookies onto the cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes on the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool
For the Icing
- Place the remaining 2 tablespoons browned butter into a microwave-safe mixing bowl; microwave until completely melted.
- Add the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk; stir. Add additional milk until the desired consistency has been reached.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies and sprinkle with additional toffee bits, if desired.
Just did a trial run of these cookies for a possible Thanksgiving dessert. Only way to describe is Excellent.