Tessa's Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Full of rich chocolate goodness with nutty bursts throughout, thanks to the toffee.
TEXTURE: Chewy, gooey, fudgy brownies with delightfully crunchy bits from the toffee pieces and chocolate chips.
EASE: So easy! You don’t even need a mixer for this recipe.
PROS: A quick, delicious brownie recipe.
CONS: None.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? I’ve already made these brownies SO many times!
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Though I’ve published more than 50 (!!!) brownie recipes in the past 15 years, I still find inspiration to develop new flavors.
Little did I know just how popular this new recipe would be!
I originally published this Toffee Brownies recipe in 2013, but it needed a overhaul. So, I went to the kitchen! After a few tweaks, I sent a batch to Joe’s workplace, only to receive an empty pan with unanimous feedback demanding another round of “taste testing.”
I’m not exaggerating – I’ve made these brownies over 10 times since creating the recipe because people keep asking me to make them.
And I don’t mind one bit. These brownies are everything I want in a dessert!
They’re quick and easy to make. They’re chocolate-forward (a definite win in my book). They’re rich and chewy with crunchy toffee throughout – aka texture heaven.
Give these brownies a try the next time you need a chocolate fix (so, right now, right? 😉). You won’t be disappointed!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Toffee Brownies
The Chocolate Chips
Semi-sweet is my favorite, but feel free to fold in any variety of chocolate chips you prefer. Whatever you do, don’t skip the chocolate chips! They help to develop that shiny crust on top of brownies. Learn more about the shiny crust on brownies here.
The Toffee
You can use store-bought or homemade! For extra gourmet brownies, use my Homemade Toffee Bits recipe. You can also use Heath brand English toffee bits (as pictured below), available in supermarkets by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.
Butter + Oil
- With any cocoa powder-based brownie recipe, we need quite a bit of fat to prevent the cocoa powder from drying the brownies out and making them crumbly.
- These brownies use a combination of melted butter and oil for the best balance of taste and texture.
- I typically use vegetable oil, but any flavorless oil should work – just make sure your oil is fresh to avoid a rancid flavor.
- Check out my side-by-side baking experiments comparing Butter vs. Oil in Baking here.
Why is There Cornstarch in Brownies?
I have found that adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch makes brownies thick and chewy, like box mix brownies, and improves the shiny crust on top – so don’t skip this ingredient. Learn more about that shiny crust on the top of brownies here.
The Sugar
We’re using a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar in this Toffee Brownie recipe. This creates a flavorful brownie with plenty of moisture, without adding too much moisture. It also complements the caramelized toasty flavors of the toffee perfectly.
Can I Reduce the Sugar in These Brownies?
- Don’t reduce the amount of sugar in Toffee Brownies unless you want dry and crumbly brownies.
- Reducing the sugar will also result in a dull (not shiny) crust.
- The sweetness will mellow as the brownies cool and set.
- If you’re worried these brownies will be too sweet for your preference, simply use dark or bittersweet chocolate chips to help balance the sweetness without ruining the texture of the brownies.
- Learn more about sugar’s role in baking brownies here (spoiler alert: sugar does so much more than just sweetening!)
What’s The Best Pan for Baking Brownies?
I highly recommend using a light-colored metal 8×8-inch baking pan like this one, lined with foil or parchment paper. Do not use glass, silicone, or ceramic pans for baking brownies. Learn why in my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article here.
Can I Double This Toffee Brownie Recipe?
Yes – simply double all ingredients and bake in a light-colored metal 9×13 metal pan, adding a few minutes to the bake time.
How to Cut Toffee Brownies for Clean Slices
For perfect slices, allow brownies to cool fully (chilled is even better!). Use a sharp knife and run it under hot water, carefully wiping it off in between each cut.
How to Store Toffee Brownies?
Toffee Brownies taste best the day they are baked but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. When chilled, they become even more fudgy!
Can You Freeze Toffee Brownies?
Yes! Brownies freeze beautifully. Freeze the whole slab or individual slices by wrapping in plastic wrap and storing inside a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature before serving.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Best Ever Chewy Brownies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Malted Brown Butter Brownies
- Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Toffee Chocolate Chunk Bars
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (74 grams) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder1
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips2, divided
- 1 cup (170 grams)
toffee bits3, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter. Microwave for about 1 minute, or until the butter is melted. Whisk in the sugars then let cool to just warm. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Whisk in the oil and cocoa powder.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits, reserving a handful of each.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with extra toffee bits and chocolate chips. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies are set and a cake tester inserted into the center has moist crumbs attached. If you prefer a less fudgy brownie, bake an additional 5-7 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center has only melted chocolate attached. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.4
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2024 with a new and improved recipe, photos, and more baking tips. Photography by Joanie Simon.
Loved this recipe! I used her toffee bit recipe for the toffee bits & followed the recipe exactly. Everyone loved them. Tessa’s recipes are always so reliable & the level of detail takes out the guesswork for even the most beginner baker. I cooked them to a temperature of 185F which took a bit more than 30 mins.
I want to try this recipe so bad but the crowd I’d be feeding this to, dislikes chocolate chips/chunks but loves brownies (go figure). Would it be possible to omit the chocolate chips on top and just add very few throughout the batter? And then separately, if I was to omit it altogether would that work as well?
Sounds like you need some new friends, ha! 😉 The chocolate chips make the brownies a little thicker and help develop the shiny crust on top, so I wouldn’t omit them entirely, if at all possible. Try reducing the chips to 1/4 cup in the batter and none on the top and see what they think! Let us know how it goes.
Haha I do need to re-evaluate their taste in dessert. But thank you so much! I will try that out.
Made these for a friend as a birthday treat. Now she requests them every birthday!
My go-to brownie recipe! Brought to a potluck a few weeks back and was told it was the best brownies somebody had ever had.
So happy to hear that, yay!
Easily one of the most delicious brownie recipes I’ve ever made. I used store bought toffee, and they were so good!
That’s music to our ears! So happy you enjoyed these 🙂
Can I use chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
Sure! I’ve used chopped chocolate for this recipe, and it makes drool-worthy puddles of chocolate on top and adds a delicious texture throughout 🙂 Enjoy!
Dang, I shouldn’t have read this post hungry cause now I’m drooling! These brownies look SO GOOD! Toffee + brownies: two of my favorite things! 😍 Thanks for the cornstarch tip, too! I’m going to make and bring these to a girl’s weekend coming up. I can’t wait!
These are so good!! Super easy to make. I made no modifications and used store-bought toffee. I will definitely be making these again!
Wow, these brownies are for the chocolate lovers in your life. They are decadent, gooey and oh so delicious! The recipe is easy to follow, although I did have to bake a little bit longer than the recommended time. I used dark chocolate chips and I think that helped to cut a little bit of the sweetness….very, very yummy!!!
The recipe was easy to follow. I really enjoyed making the homemade toffee! The bake time was different than listed, so I had to keep testing them. Great flavor though!
They were delicious, especially with the home made toffee!
These are a GREAT alternative when you’ve already made your favorite “Best Ever Chewy Brownies” 3 times in the last 2 months and you want to just mix it up a little bit!
No but really, they’re fantastic!