These Toffee Cookies are the perfect balance of soft, buttery texture and crunchy toffee bits. Packed with the rich flavor of caramelized sugar and studded with almond toffee pieces, each bite is an irresistible mix of chewy and crisp goodness!
What Are Toffee Cookies?
Toffee cookies are a unique treat that fuses the indulgent richness of caramelized sugar with a soft, chewy texture cookie base.
The blend of toffee chips and buttery dough creates a cookie with both sweetness and texture that’s truly irresistible.
Drawing inspiration from New Zealand’s use of praline for a nutty, crunchy toffee element and the American approach to a rich, chewy cookie base (imagine classic chocolate chip cookies), this recipe marries the best of both worlds.
The result is a perfectly balanced cookie that combines two baking traditions into one delicious bite.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- Almonds: The almonds add a nutty crunch to the toffee, giving it texture and depth. Feel free to substitute with other nuts, like pecans or walnuts, if desired.
- Salt: A small amount of salt balances out the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the toffee cookies. Skip the salt if you are using salted butter.
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Step-by-Step Instructions:
Make the Praline:
Combine the granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan (image 1).
Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns a golden caramel color. Be careful not to let it burn (image 2).
Once the sugar reaches the caramel stage, stir in the sliced almonds (image 3).
Quickly pour the mixture onto an aluminium-lined baking tray and spread it into an even layer. Allow it to cool completely (image 4).
Prepare the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter, caster sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes on medium speed. Do remember to scrape the sides of the bowl often to ensure even mixing (image 5).
Add the egg and mix until smooth (image 6)
In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside (image 7).
Gradually add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined (image 8).
Crush or chop the praline into bits and then fold in the crushed praline pieces using a spatula, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough (image 9 and 10).
Use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough into evenly sized mounds and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Cover the tray loosely with a plastic wrap and place it with the scooped dough in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This step helps the cookies hold their shape during baking and enhances their flavor.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Line another baking tray with parchment paper and transfer 4 cookie dough portions at a time to this baking sheet, ensuring there is plenty of space between each for spreading (image 12).
Flatten each cookie dough balls slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon to shape them into rounds (image 13).
Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are soft but set.
While the cookies are still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently reshape them into perfect rounds. This step helps achieve a uniform, neat appearance.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy your cookies once fully cooled!
These Toffee Cookies feature a soft, buttery dough with crunchy praline pieces, making them a perfect treat for any occasion!
I simply enjoy them warm with a cold glass of milk.
Storage Instructions:
Room Temperature:
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-7 days.
- To retain their crunch, add a sheet of parchment paper between cookie layers to prevent sticking.
Refrigeration:
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Make Ahead Instructions
Toffee Cookies are perfect for preparing ahead of time, whether you're hosting a gathering or craving fresh-baked cookies on demand. Here's how to make them in advance:
Prepare and Freeze Cookie Dough:
- After mixing the dough, scoop it into portions using an ice cream scoop and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze the dough balls until firm (1-2 hours), then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Label the bag with the date and baking instructions.
- The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Bake From Frozen:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking tray, leaving enough space between them.
- Bake directly from frozen, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the usual baking time for perfect, freshly baked cookies.
Freeze Baked Cookies:
- Allow baked cookies to cool completely before freezing.
- Arrange them in a single layer on a tray to freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- Store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or warm in an oven at 150°C (300°F) for a freshly baked feel.
Whether you freeze the dough or the baked cookies, this make-ahead method ensures you can enjoy the deliciousness of toffee cookies whenever the craving strikes!
Best Tips
- Overbaking can cause the praline bits to burn, resulting in a bitter taste (check the above image). Keep a close eye on the cookies and remove them from the oven as soon as the edges turn golden brown. The centers may appear soft but will firm up as they cool, giving them that chewy cookie texture.
- When making the praline, stir quickly after adding the almonds to ensure an even coating, and spread it out immediately to prevent clumping. Allow it to cool completely before crushing.
- Bake only a few cookies at a time to ensure they bake evenly. Rotate the tray at around 8 mins mark for consistent results.
- For a salted caramel effect, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. The salt beautifully contrasts the sweetness and enhances the toffee and caramel flavors.
- Instead of making homemade praline, you can opt for store-bought toffee bits or add chocolate chips for a classic twist. For added crunch and a unique flavor, try incorporating your favorite chopped nuts like pecans or hazelnuts into the dough.
- For a deeper, richer flavor, try using browned butter in place of regular butter. You can also substitute half of the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar to add a caramelized depth to the cookies.
- While the cookies are still warm, you can use a large round cookie cutter to gently reshape them into perfect rounds. This helps create a uniform, neat look and enhances their presentation. Just make sure to do this quickly, as the cookies will firm up as they cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute the homemade praline with store-bought plain toffee bits, or toffee chips for a quicker alternative. If you like more variety, Skor bars or Heath bits also make great substitutions. These can easily be found in the baking aisle at your grocery store.
Yes, you can replace the egg with 1/4 cup of yogurt or a flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water). However, without the egg, the cookies may turn out a bit flatter and crispier. The egg helps provide structure, resulting in thicker cookie that have a crisp edge and a chewy center.
Absolutely! Sprinkle some sea salt on the cookies while they’re warm for a salted caramel effect. You can also fold in chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, or additional nuts for variety or red and green M and M's for a festive look.
This can happen if the praline or caramelized sugar is overcooked, as burnt sugar turns bitter. Keep a close eye while making praline to avoid this issue.
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Easy Homemade Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
Praline
- 200 gms Granulated Sugar
- 50 gms Water
- 50 gms Sliced Almonds
For Cookie Dough
- 113 gms (1/2 cup) Butter softened
- 100 gms (1/2 cup) Caster Sugar
- 4 gms (1 tsp) Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 210 gms (1 and 3/4) Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
Prepare the Praline
- In a medium saucepan, heat sugar with water until it dissolves and caramelizes into a golden color.
- Stir in sliced almonds, pour the mixture onto aluminium foil, spread it out and let it cool.
Mix Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, white sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy aroind 8 to 10 mins. Do remember to scrape the sides of the bowl every now and then for even mixing.
- Incorporate the egg and beat well.
- Meanwhile, crush or chop the cooked praline until you have some small and some big bits of praline. Add this crushed praline to our cookie dough and combine to spread it evenly.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Crush or chop the praline pieces and gently fold in the crushed praline or toffee bits until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the dough into even portions and place them on a baking tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This helps the dough hold its shape while baking.
- Preheat the oven to the (180°C/360°F). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Arrange 4 dough balls on the sheets leaving enough space between them. Slightly flatten the dough balls to form rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are soft.
- While the cookies are still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to gently reshape them into perfect rounds for a uniform look.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Before you start making the caramel, prepare a baking tray by lining it with aluminum foil. This ensures you can immediately pour the praline mixture onto it once you add the almonds, preventing the caramel from burning and making cleanup easier.
- Praline Tip: Stir quickly after adding almonds to ensure even coating, and immediately pour onto the foil-lined tray.
- Overbaking: Keep an eye on the cookies while baking. Overbaking can cause the praline bits to burn, resulting in a bitter flavor. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges turn golden.
- Chilling the Dough: Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape. Don’t skip this step!
- Customization: Add a sprinkle of sea salt for a salted caramel effect, or mix in chocolate chips or nuts for extra flavor.
- Reshaping: While the cookies are still warm, use a large round cookie cutter to reshape them into perfect rounds for a clean, uniform look.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This recipe was initially published on May 2, 2020. Now edited on December 2, 2024 with detailed recipe, step by step instructions with photos and better images.
Aparajita says
How long can these cookies be stored without them going soft.I want to bake these ahead for my Christmas hampers.
Thank you.
sushma iyer says
Hi aparajita.. If stored in an air tight container this would stay good for a week 🙂