Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds

Crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle, these Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds are packed with quick oats, crunchy sliced almonds, and sweet toffee bits, then finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

I've been taking some time to update a few older recipes on this blog. Recipes that are really good, but written and photographed really poorly. 

This cookie recipe is a oldie but goodie. It's one I've made on repeat over the years and I love the distinct crisp and chewy texture (thank you toffee bits!). 

The original recipe inspiration came from Giada De Laurentiis, and called for hazelnuts. While I have made them with hazelnuts many times, they are a hard to source nut. So I decided to try it with sliced almonds and was very happy with the results. 

The original recipe also made 4 dozen cookies, and I found halving the recipe made the perfect amount for my family. But feel free to double it if you want a lot of cookies! 

I think you'll find this pimped up chocolate chip cookie recipe is a keeper! 

Why This Recipe Works

The magic here is how the ingredients all work together to build texture and flavor.

Quick oats do something sneaky in cookie dough. They absorb moisture without making the cookies cakey or thick. That means you get chew in the center without losing the crisp edges. Regular oats would add too much heft and throw off the texture balance. Quick oats melt into the dough just enough to give structure without announcing themselves.

The double sugar situation (half granulated, half brown) is the perfect mix. Granulated sugar helps the edges spread and crisp up in the oven. Brown sugar brings moisture and that deep, almost molasses-like sweetness that makes toffee flavors taste richer. Using both in equal parts means you get cookies that spread just enough without going flat and sad.

Toffee bits and chocolate chips aren't interchangeable here. Toffee brings a buttery, caramelized crunch that melts slightly during baking, creating little pockets of sweet, almost burnt sugar flavor. Chocolate chips stay intact and give you those melty chocolate moments. Together, they create contrast. One note is boring. Two notes that play off each other. That's a good cookie.

The sliced almonds toast as the cookies bake, adding a nutty depth that rounds out all that sweetness. You could skip them, but you'd lose a layer of flavor and texture that makes these cookies feel more sophisticated than a standard chocolate chip. If you like, you can use any other tree nut you like in place of the almonds; pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts work well in this recipe. 

Equipment You'll Need

The right tools make the difference between cookies that look great and cookies that stick, burn, or bake unevenly.

• A couple of baking sheets: You need several so you can rotate batches and keep things moving. Dark pans absorb more heat and can burn the bottoms before the tops are done. Light-colored aluminum sheet pans are your best bet.
• Parchment paper or a silicone mat: Not optional. It prevents sticking without adding grease, and it makes cleanup about five seconds long. Silicone baking mats work too, but parchment gives you slightly crisper edges.
• Electric mixer: Creaming butter and sugar by hand is possible, but it takes forever and you won't get the same light, fluffy texture. A hand mixer or stand mixer does the job in under five minutes.
• Medium mixing bowl: For combining dry ingredients. Keeps your flour mixture organized and makes it easier to add everything evenly without overmixing.
• Cookie scoop or tablespoon: A rounded tablespoon works, but a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop gives you uniform size and shape every time. Consistent size means consistent baking.
• Wire rack: Cookies need air circulation to cool properly. Leaving them on the baking sheet makes the bottoms soggy. A wire rack solves that.

If you don't have an electric mixer, you can use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, but expect to work for it. If you don't have parchment paper, greasing the pan lightly will work in a pinch, though your cookies might spread a bit more.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lower temps mean slower baking, which gives the centers time to set without burning the edges. Don't skip preheating. Starting cookies in a cold oven throws off timing and texture.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl: 1/4 cup quick oats, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk them together so the leavening agents distribute evenly. Baking powder and baking soda both help with spread and lift, but in different ways. Together, they create that crispy-chewy balance.
3. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup room-temperature unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar using an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes, until fluffy and pale. This step is called creaming, and it's where you build air into the dough. If the mixture looks light and almost doubled in volume, you're there. If it's still dense and greasy, keep mixing.
4. Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for another 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should look smooth and cohesive, not curdled or separated. If it looks broken, keep beating. It'll come together.
5. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Use a spatula or wooden spoon here, not the mixer. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes cookies tough. Stir until you don't see dry flour anymore, then stop.
6. Fold in 1/2 cup toffee bits, 1/2 cup sliced almonds, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Distribute them evenly so every cookie gets a balanced mix of crunch and chocolate. Don't crush the toffee bits or almonds while stirring. 
   
   
   
7. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Don't flatten the dough balls. They'll spread on their own as they bake. Flattening them ahead of time leads to thin, crispy cookies without the chewy center.
8. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt. Just a small pinch per cookie. The salt crystals should be visible but not overwhelming. This is where the flavor goes from sweet to balanced. 
   
   
   
9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will flatten slightly as they bake. They'll continue to set as they cool, so pulling them a minute early is better than leaving them a minute too long.
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Those first 5 minutes let the structure set without overbaking from residual heat. Moving them too soon can cause them to fall apart. 
    
    
    

Storage Tips

Proper storage keeps these cookies tasting fresh for days, and freezing them is a game changer if you want to bake ahead.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Don't refrigerate them. The cold air dries them out and kills the chewy texture. If you're stacking them, put a piece of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking together or smudging the salt.

For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or warm them in a 300-degree oven for 5 minutes to bring back that fresh-baked feel. The texture holds up surprisingly well.

You can also freeze the cookie dough balls before baking. Scoop the dough, place the balls on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time. 

These cookies are so good; Crisp edges, chewy centers, crunch from the almonds, sweetness from the toffee, and just enough salt to make it all feel balanced.

toffee and chocolate chip cookies, toffee chocolate chip cookies, almond toffee chocolate chip cookies

dessert, cookies

American

Yield: 30 servings (about 2 1/2 dozen)

Author: Renee Paj

Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle, these Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with quick oats, crunchy sliced almonds, and sweet toffee bits, then finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup English toffee bits (like Heath)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. (About 3- 5 minutes).
4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.(about 3 - 5 minutes).
5. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, almonds, and chocolate chips.
6. For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt.
7. Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 12 -15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
8. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

The original recipe called for hazelnuts, but since hazelnuts are somewhat hard to find, I replaced them with sliced almonds and was very happy with the results. Feel free to substitute your favorite tree nut (or leave them out entirely) if you like.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

141

Fat (grams)

8 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

17 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

16 g

Sugar (grams)

12 g

Protein (grams)

2 g

Sodium (milligrams)

61 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

19 mg

Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.

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