Look no further; this Heath Bar Cookie Recipe is your new go-to for quick, crowd-pleasing treats.
This isn’t just any cookie. With a soft, buttery base and crunchy bits of Heath Bar folded into every bite, this Heath Bar Cookie Recipe strikes the perfect balance between nostalgic sweetness and gourmet indulgence.
Perfect for busy bakers, this Heath Bar Cookie Recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re prepping for a last-minute gathering, a festive cookie exchange, or just need a sweet fix on a weeknight, these cookies deliver every time.
As a tested and trusted favorite, this Heath Bar Cookie Recipe has earned rave reviews for its rich chocolate undertones and signature toffee crunch. It’s a recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
Why These Heath Bar Cookies Will Become Your New Favorite
There's something magical about the combination of toffee and chocolate. Heath bars bring that perfect caramel-like crunch with a chocolate coating, and when mixed into cookie dough, they create pockets of toffee goodness throughout each bite.
What makes this recipe stand out is the perfect balance of textures. The edges get slightly crisp while the centers stay wonderfully soft and chewy. The toffee bits melt slightly during baking, creating little caramelized spots throughout the cookies that are absolutely heavenly.
Unlike other toffee cookie recipes that can turn out hard or too crunchy, these Heath Bar cookies maintain their soft texture for days (if they last that long!). The brown sugar in the dough enhances the caramel notes from the toffee, creating a deeply flavorful cookie that's hard to resist.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Ingredients You'll Need
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Heath bar pieces
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions and Tips
- Flour Substitution: For gluten-free Heath bar cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.
- Butter Options: You can use salted butter and reduce the added salt to ½ teaspoon. For dairy-free, use plant-based butter sticks.
- Sugar Varieties: Dark brown sugar can be used for a deeper molasses flavor.
- Heath Bar Alternatives: If you can't find Heath bars, you can use any chocolate-covered toffee bars or even plain toffee bits with additional chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Options: Try milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie, or dark chocolate chips for less sweetness and more chocolate intensity.
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Preheat your oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) in one bowl.
- In another bowl, cream butter with both sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Fold in chopped Heath bar pieces and chocolate chips, reserving some Heath pieces for topping.
Shape and Bake
- Scoop dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each.
- Press reserved Heath bar pieces on top of each dough ball.
- Bake until edges are golden but centers still look slightly underdone.
- Remove from oven when cookies appear slightly underbaked - they'll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet.
Cool and Store
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Dough : Cream the butter and sugars, mix in eggs and vanilla, then fold in dry ingredients and candies.
- Shape and Bake : Scoop dough onto baking sheets and top with extra chopped Heath pieces.
- Cool and Store : Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Equipment For Heath Bar Cookie Recipe
- Cookie Scoop: A medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoon size) ensures uniform cookies that bake evenly.
- Electric Mixer: While you can make these by hand, an electric hand mixer or stand mixer makes the creaming process much easier.
- Quality Baking Sheets: Heavy aluminum baking sheets prevent burning on the bottom of cookies.
- Silicone Baking Mats: These provide even heat distribution and make cleanup a breeze. Parchment paper works well too.
- Cooling Racks: Essential for properly cooling cookies without them becoming soggy on the bottom.
Expert Cooking Tips for Perfect Heath Bar Cookies
- Chill the Dough: For thicker cookies with concentrated flavor, refrigerate the dough for 2-4 hours before baking.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature for proper incorporation.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off, rather than scooping directly from the container, which can pack in too much flour.
- Watch the Baking Time: For chewy toffee chocolate cookies, it's better to slightly underbake than overbake. They'll firm up as they cool.
- Cooling Time Matters: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for exactly 5 minutes – any longer and the melted toffee might stick to the sheet.
Variations
Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Cookies
Add an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips for more chocolate goodness. You can use a combination of semi-sweet, milk, and white chocolate chips for complex flavor.
Heath Bar Blondies
Press this dough into a 9×13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F for delicious toffee bar cookies.
Gluten-Free Heath Bar Cookies
Substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum if your blend doesn't already include it.
Nutty Heath Bar Cookies
Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for complementary crunch and flavor.
Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
For an extra layer of nutty flavor, brown the butter before creaming it with the sugars. Cool to room temperature before using.
Heath Bar Cookie Bars
Press the dough into a 9×13 baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes for easy bar cookies that feed a crowd.
Storage
Counter Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking, especially if the toffee bits are exposed.
Freezing Baked Cookies
Fully cooled cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.
Freezing Cookie Dough
Roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
The Toffee Trick Grandma Never Told You
When I first tried baking a Heath Bar Cookie Recipe, something was missing. The flavor was there, but it didn’t have that melt-in-your-mouth magic I remembered from my childhood. Then I stumbled upon a secret my grandmother once whispered over a batch of warm cookies: “It’s all in the way you break the bar.”
Now, I swear by this trick: chop half your Heath bars into a fine crumble—almost like a toffee dust—and the other half into hearty chunks. The fine bits melt right into the dough, giving every bite that rich, buttery toffee essence. The chunks? Oh, they stay intact, forming gooey little pools of caramelized heaven. It’s a small step, but it turns a great Heath Bar Cookie Recipe into an unforgettable one.
FAQ
What is a Heath bar made of?
A Heath bar consists of a thin layer of crunchy toffee made from sugar, butter, and almonds, covered in creamy milk chocolate. This classic American candy bar gets its signature taste from the caramelized toffee center that has a distinct buttery flavor. Introduced in 1914, Heath bars remain popular both as standalone treats and as ingredients in desserts like Heath bar cookies.
What's in a Heath bar cookie?
Heath bar cookies typically contain flour, butter, sugar (both white and brown), eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and chopped Heath bar pieces. The toffee bits melt slightly during baking, creating pockets of caramelized goodness throughout the cookie. This gives the cookies their signature chewy texture with crunchy toffee bits and rich chocolate flavors in every bite.
What's the difference between a Skor bar and a Heath bar?
The main difference between Skor and Heath bars is their texture and manufacturing. Heath bars (used in Heath bar cookies) have a slightly harder, crunchier toffee with a distinct almond flavor and are made by Hershey's. Skor bars feature a more buttery, brittle toffee and thinner chocolate coating. Heath bars also have a rougher texture while Skor has a smoother finish.
What happened to HEATH Bars?
Heath bars are still being produced and widely available, despite rumors of discontinuation. In 1996, Hershey's acquired the brand from Leaf, Inc. and continues to manufacture them today. Heath bar cookie remain popular recipes, and the candy bars are still sold in stores nationwide. You can find them in both standard size and miniature versions, perfect for baking into cookies and other desserts.
Ready to Bake Your New Favorite Cookies?
This Heath Bar Cookie Recipe is more than just a sweet treat—it’s a delicious blend of chewy, crunchy, and gooey textures that bring the nostalgic magic of toffee and chocolate into every bite. Whether you're baking for the holidays, a midweek snack, or just because, these cookies are guaranteed to impress.
And if you loved this recipe, don’t miss our other homemade favorites! Try the Easy Homemade Protein Granola Bar Recipe for a healthy snack on the go, or whip up some Homemade Vanilla Wafer Cookies for a simple classic with a buttery twist.
Have you baked these Heath bar cookies yet? Drop a comment below and let us know how they turned out! We’d love to hear your twist or see your cookie creations.
Happy baking—and don’t forget to save and share this recipe for later!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Heath Bar Cookie Recipe
Heath Bar Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl (large) For wet ingredients
- 1 Mixing bowl (medium) For dry ingredients
- 1 Electric mixer Hand or stand mixer works fine
- 1 Cookie scoop Medium size (1½ tbsp) for even portions
- 1 Baking sheets Line with parchment or silicone mats
- 1 Cooling rack For cooling cookies evenly
- 1 Spatula To fold in chocolate and Heath bar pieces
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups All-purpose flour Spoon and level for accurate measure
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt Reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter
- 1 cup Unsalted butter Room temperature
- ¾ cup Brown sugar Packed
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs Room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups Chopped Heath bars Half fine half chunky (for best texture)
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips Optional: mix white/milk/dark chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in chopped Heath bars and chocolate chips. Reserve some chunks for topping.
- Scoop dough onto baking sheets. Press extra Heath bits on top.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are golden and centers look slightly underdone.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Leave a Reply