Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The sweetness in these cookies tastes so much like caramel without actually having to make any caramel. Plus there’s a touch of warm cinnamon. I love a sweet treat that has a little bit of depth.
Texture: The cookies themselves are ridiculously soft and chewy, thanks to the brown sugar, cream cheese, and cornstarch. All that is perfectly balanced by the crunchy little bits of toffee.
Ease: Super simple!
Pros: Not your average cookie, but perfect for satisfying any cookie craving.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Yes! I’m already thinking this would make a great ice cream sandwich.
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Ultra soft and chewy Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies have a hint of cinnamon, a touch of cream cheese, and tons of crunchy toffee for big flavor in every bite.
If you follow my Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookie posts, you may remember how I experimented with using granulated sugar vs. brown sugar in cookie recipes. I always prefer a heavy dose of brown sugar because not only does it lend a soft chewiness to cookies, it also adds that caramel butterscotch-y flavor that I LOVE. These cookies are made entirely with brown sugar, so just imagine how soft, chewy, and flavorful they are. I also added in a bit of cornstarch to really boost that soft texture. Lastly, using a touch of softened cream cheese in addition to the butter totally rounds out the flavor profile, adding a slight tang to contrast the sweetness of the brown sugar and toffee. This ALSO adds a nice soft chew to the cookies.
Am I a cookie queen or what?! I’m not sure if I should be excited about that prospect or if it’s mostly pathetic. The amount of cookies I’ve baked is astonishing. If we ever face some sort of doomsday scenario I’m not sure my cookie expertise would help me survive for long. Not unless zombies/aliens/robots love cookies. That’s a movie I’d like to watch.

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Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature
- 2 ounces (57 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (8 ounce or 227 grams) package English toffee bits, such as Heath (1 1/3 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the toffee bits with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop out 2-tablespoon sized balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the dough slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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My toffee turns out dark not like the photo of a brighter lighter color. How does one achieve the color?
LOVE your book!!!! Can’t wait for HTH Bake School!
You’re the best!
Hi Ben! Can you please elaborate? Are you making your toffee homemade?
Is this recipe available anywhere?
Hi Katelyn! Yes, so sorry about that, Imperial Sugar keeps changing the link without notifying us. I just updated the link in the post 🙂 Enjoy your cookies!
Ohh these cookies are making me so hungry!! Beautiful pics!
Love this photo! These cookies sound amazing!!
Must have this recipe, so yummy!
Wonderful cookies! Brown sugar is the way to go! 🙂
These are so gorgeous!
These are SO my kind of cookie. Brown sugar is totally my jam for cookies..love love love the caramely, chewy-ness it provides! Pinning!