With added crunch from the chopped almonds and mega chew from the toffee, these Thin and Chewy Almond Toffee Cookies are packed with buttery, brown sugar flavors. The toffee bits nearly melt into the cookie to create their chewy texture and add loads of butterscotch and vanilla flavor notes in these seriously addictive cookies.

Thin and Chewy are not your typical pair when talking cookies. There’s thin and crispy, soft and chewy, those with crunchy edges and gooey centers, and the infamous cake-y cookies. But a thin yet flexible cookie that also melts in your mouth? Now that’s what we are talking about here.

When selecting a recipe to bake, it’s hard not to be swayed by glossy chocolate pools and flaky salt of other gourmet cookies. But when you want to capitalize on all that brown sugar, butterscotch flavor without any downtime, these almond toffee cookies are where it is at. While many cookies recipes call for wait times up to 48 hours for caramel flavors to develop, the toffee and vanilla extract are present right away - no chilling required!

When testing this recipe, I baked the cookies right away, after chilling, on parchment paper, and on silicone baking mats. There was little difference in those that were baked off right away and those that were chilled. However, there were huge variations between those baked on parchment paper and those on a silicone mat.

These particular cookies spread significantly when baked on a silicone mat. The silicone also seemed to repel some of the moisture and fat from the cookies and prevented the bottoms from crisping up like those baked on parchment paper. These cookies still tasted amazing and were equally devoured, even if the texture was just slightly inferior to those baked on parchment paper.

The cookie dough for this recipe does not need to be chilled before baking. Should you choose to make the dough in advanced and want to bake them off later, then gently pat cookie dough balls down slightly before baking. There will be some spread either way, so definitely take the time to roll the cookie dough into balls before baking or use a mechanical cookie scoop. The cookies are done baking when the edges start to brown and crisp up. Once they come out of the oven, press a spatula around the edges to gently reshape the cookies before they cool and set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet set over a wire rack.

Almond Toffee Cookies

makes about 22 cookies

2 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 tablespoons milk
¾ cup toffee bits
¾ cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer), cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using), and mix until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. It is okay if a few streaks of flour are still visible. Add the toffee and almonds and mix until combined.

Using a medium-large cookies scoop (about 3 tablespoons), place the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes. When done, the edges should be slightly browned and set, while the centers are still soft. Cool cookies on the baking sheet set over a wire rack. Continue with the remaining cookie dough.

Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for 5 days. Cookies may also be stored in a zip-top bag in the freezer.

Baker’s Notes:

• For best results, bake cookies on parchment paper (not wax paper).

• If making in advanced, slightly flatten cookie dough balls before baking straight from the refrigerator.