These Toffee Shortbread Cookies are made using just 6 ingredients. The addition of buttery toffee bits take these cookies over the top! They are tender and buttery with a melt in your mouth texture. This shortbread dough has both granulated sugar to give the cookies crispness and brown sugar to keep them moist on the inside with a caramel flavor that complements the toffee perfectly. Sprinkle with flaky salt to finish for a salty sweet combo that's unmatched!
This recipe needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours and can be made up to one week ahead of time. Yields 24 cookies.
Love shortbread recipes? Try my Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies and my classic Slice and Bake Shortbread Dough Recipe.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Shortbread cookies are easy to prepare and made using simple ingredients. The dough requires chilling so pop it in the fridge up to one week before baking. This will save you time, especially during the busy holiday season for an upcoming event or cookie exchange.
- Everyone loves a buttery cookie and these great cookies sure deliver! There is one cup (two sticks) of butter in the dough. Additionally, the toffee is super buttery making for a great addition to the shortbread base.
- These cookies are slice and bake cookies so a rolling pin is not required. This means you will prepare the cookie dough, shape it into a log shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and allow it to chill. Once it's chilled, the cookie dough is sliced with a knife into ½ inch rounds then baked.
Ingredients needed to make toffee shortbread cookies
- Butter: Butter is the star of the show in shortbread cookies. For this recipe, we use salted butter that's chilled so it's cold. No need to bring your butter to room temperature before baking! If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough. The salt helps balance the sweetness of the sugars and toffee in these cookies.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar helps add sweetness and a slight crispness to these shortbread cookies.
- Brown sugar: A small amount of brown sugar helps add a touch of moisture to these cookies. And the molasses in brown sugar adds a caramel flavor that complements the toffee bits so well. Light or brown sugar work equally as well in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: While traditional shortbread only contains butter, sugar, and flour, using vanilla helps enhance the flavor of shortbread dough. I recommend using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla because the flavor tends to be better.
- All-purpose flour: Some recipes call for cake flour or a mixture of cake flour and all-purpose flour. To make this recipe as easy as possible, I opted for only all-purpose flour. I tested the recipe using half cake flour and half all-purpose flour and did not notice a huge difference in the texture of the baked cookie. I do have other shortbread cookie recipes on my site that call for cake flour and all-purpose. You can substitute all-purpose for cake flour in those recipes.
- Toffee bits: Make your own toffee bits for these cookies! If you do not have the time or would prefer not to make your own, use toffee bits such as Skor bits or Heath bits that are not covered in chocolate. For a flavor variation, substitute half of the toffee bits for toasted pecans to make Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies or substitute half the toffee for semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips to make Toffee Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies. I would not recommend adding milk chocolate, as they are very sweet and will make these cookies overly sweet.
- Flaky sea salt (not pictured below): This is optional, but adds such a great balance to the sweetness of these cookies. Sprinkle a bit on each cookie just before baking.
How to make shortbread toffee cookies
Step 1
To the bowl of a stand mixer add the cold butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Alternately, use a large bowl and a hand mixer / electric mixer.
With the mixer on medium speed, beat until super light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down sides of bowl and mix again if needed to incorporate any butter or sugar that needs to be mixed in.
Step 2
With mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour. This cookie dough may not come together in one ball of dough and it may look crumbly. That’s ok. As long as you can squeeze the dough together in your hand and it holds, it’s good.
Step 3
Add the toffee pieces, and stir on low just to blend evenly into the dough.
Step 4
Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap and place them next to each other on a clean work surface. Place half of the cookie dough on each piece of plastic wrap. With clean hands, press the cookie dough together firmly, trying to pick up any pieces of dough or toffee that fall off. Try to squeeze the dough together to avoid any holes in the dough. Using your hands, form the dough into a log shape.
Fold the plastic wrap over to cover the dough. Rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form logs that are 2 inches in diameter. Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.
TIP: To help the cookie dough logs from becoming flat on the bottom, place each one in empty paper towel rolls or toliet paper rolls that have been cut lengthwise from one end to the other. See photo in this recipe for reference.
Step 5
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed cookie sheet (or two, if you have two!) with parchment paper.
Step 6
Remove the cookie dough log from the fridge, one at a time, and unwrap the plastic wrap. Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice each log into ½ inch-thick rounds. Place the cookie dough slices on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart, as these cookies may spread especially if you have used homemade toffee bits. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with flaky salt (optional).
Step 7
Bake cookies until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown, 12–14 minutes. These cookies may spread as the toffee and butter heat up in the oven. You can leave them as is or use a 3 inch round cookie cutter or the rim of an overturned bowl to scoot the cookies into a round shape.
To do the "cookie scoot", place the cookie cutter or overturned bowl around the spread cookies. Circle the cookie cutter/bowl around the cookie. It's important to do this as soon as the cookies come out of the oven while they are hot and malleable. Let cool about 10-15 minutes on the hot baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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How to make ahead
Cookie dough can be made 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month. Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead. Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!
How to store Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Once cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature and serve.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), cold, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups toffee bits
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- To the bowl of stand mixer add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Alternately, use a large bowl and a hand mixer / electric mixer. With the mixer on medium speed, beat until super light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down sides of bowl. and mix again if needed to incorporate any butter or sugar that needs to be mixed in.1 cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour. This cookie dough may not come together in one ball of dough and it may look crumbly. That’s ok. As long as you can squeeze the dough together in your hand and it holds, it’s good.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Add the toffee pieces, and stir on low just to blend evenly into the dough.1 ½ cups toffee bits
- Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap and place them next to each other on a clean work surface. Place half of the cookie dough on each piece of plastic wrap. With clean hands, press the cookie dough together firmly, trying to pick up any pieces of dough or toffee that fall off. Try to squeeze the dough together to avoid any holes in the dough.
- Fold the plastic wrap over to cover the dough. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape. Rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form logs that are 2–2¼" in diameter. Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.TIP: To help the cookie dough logs from becoming flat on the bottom while chilling, place each one in empty paper towel rolls or toliet paper rolls that have been cut lengthwise from one end to the other.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed cookie sheet (or two, if you have two!) with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough log from the fridge, one at a time, and unwrap the plastic wrap. Place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice each log into ½"-thick rounds. Place the cookie dough slices on the prepared baking sheets about 2" apart, as these cookies may spread especially if you have used homemade toffee bits. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with flaky salt (optional).Flaky sea salt
- Bake cookies until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown, 12–14 minutes. These cookies may spread as the toffee and butter heat up in the oven. You can leave them as is or use a 3” inch round cookie cutter or the rim of an overturned bowl to scoot the cookies into a round shape. To do this, place the cookie cutter or overturned bowl around the spread cookies. Circle the cookie cutter/bowl around the cookie. It's important to do this as soon as the cookies come out of the oven while they are hot and malleable. Let cool about 10-15 minutes on the hot baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make ahead: Cookie dough can be made 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap in plastic and chill, or freeze for up to 1 month. Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead. Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
- To Store: Once cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature and serve.
- For Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies: substitute half of the toffee bits for chopped, toasted pecans
- For Toffee Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies: substitute half the toffee for semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. I would not recommend adding milk chocolate, as they are very sweet and will make these cookies overly sweet.