A drizzle of caramel and chocolate make these delectable Toffee Cookies with Walnuts perfect for the holidays!

Toffee Cookies on a white plate

Festive Toffee Cookies with Walnuts

Wednesday was my last cookie exchange for the season. For the past 8 years, about 12 neighbors meet for coffee and nibbles, then swap cookies and go out for lunch. It is one of my favorite events of the Christmas season. I’ve had this recipe for Toffee Cookies in my holiday recipe binder for a while, but decided they needed a little festive drizzle…first with caramel, then followed by chocolate.

I am a toffee fanatic, so anything with Heath bars as an ingredient is just fine by me. These were chewy and wonderful with the double crunch of toffee and walnuts in every bite. The drizzle of chocolate and caramel is totally optional. I think I’d be happy with just a bowl of cookie dough; it’s that good!

Toffee Cookies on a square white plate

Cookie Exchange Cookies

Fast forward to 2016! I made these for our annual cookie exchange and figured they deserved some new photos. The same group of us still gathers in December to swap cookies, sip coffee and visit before heading out to lunch. We had our first measurable snowfall, but everyone trekked over and sampled my Cranberry Brie en Croute and Cream Cheese Tea Roll. These Toffee Cookies with Walnuts are perfect for your cookie exchange, but tasty enough to make any time of the year!!

Tips for Making Toffee Cookies with Walnuts

These toffee cookies are very basic but adding a little swirl of chocolate and caramel transforms them into something special.

  • I like chopping Heath bars into small chunks instead of using toffee bits. They’re slightly bigger giving a better boost of toffee!
  • Toasting your walnuts isn’t a must, but by warming the oils, the flavor will be even better. I toast them on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, shaking or turning halfway through. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
  • Refrigerate the cookie dough for about an hour to minimize spreading when they’re baked. Line your sheet pans with parchment for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
  • Use a cookie scoop/cookie disher to make consistent sized cookies.
  • If the cookies aren’t perfectly round when they come out of the oven, use a spatula to tap the cookie edges while they’re hot to make them more symmetrical.
  • To drizzle I like to put the chocolate or caramel into a quart-sized zip-topped bag and remove any excess air. Snip off a corner, then drizzle back and forth.
 
A glass plate of mini desserts
Neighbor ladies around a table while out for lunch
 
Toffee Cookies - Chock full of toffee and walnuts and drizzled with caramel and chocolate!

Toffee Cookies with Walnuts

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Yield 5 dozen

Festive Toffee Cookies for the holidays. Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped Heath bars (Eight 1.4 ounce bars)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Caramel Drizzle

  • 16 caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 tablespoon cream

Chocolate Drizzle

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Cream butter with electric mixer till light and fluffy. Add sugars and beat till well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time followed by vanilla.
  2. Mix in salt and baking soda, then flour. Combine Heath bar pieces and walnuts and mix in by hand till well dispersed. Chill covered dough at least one hour.
  3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place on baking sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, till edges start to brown. Cookies spread so leave 2-3 inches between dough balls. Allow to cool on baking sheet, then remove to rack.

Optional drizzles:

  1. To make caramel drizzle, place caramels and cream in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second increments, stopping and stirring, till smooth and melted. Allow to cool slightly and drizzle over cookies.
  2. To make chocolate drizzle, follow the same instructions as in the caramel drizzle.

Notes

Total time does not reflect chilling time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

2 cookies

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

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