Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars
These chocolate toffee shortbread bars are delicious. The buttery crust is topped with creamy chocolate and studded with sweet caramelly toffee bits. Yum.
I hate to be redundant but these beauties are best summed up by reiterating the recipe title: a buttery, chocolate-infused shortbread crust topped with creamy chocolate and studded with sweet and salty, caramelly toffee bits. Got it?
And in the vein of redundancy, the adjectives I would use to describe these morsels are as follows: Delicious. Tasty. Heavenly. Yummy. Dare-You-To-Eat-Just-One. (Uh, I’m not sure that last one was officially an adjective but you get my drift. Just don’t blame me when you can’t stop eating them, that’s all.)
Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
The Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (106 g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet, semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped (if you don’t have a scale, use about 1/2 cup)
The Topping:
- 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate, finely chopped (again, if you don’t have a scale, use about 1 cup)
- 1 ½ cups toffee bits, or about 4-6 Heath bars, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Alternatively, place the butter in a large bowl and use a hand mixer. Beat for 3 minutes, or until the butter is smooth. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix briefly.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat in gradually (you can cover the bowl and your mixer with a towel to avoid flour flying all over the place or just mix in very slowly). Mix until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the 3 ounces of chocolate to the mixer and mix until the rest of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix!
- Line a 9 X 13-inch pan with foil, leaving long foil ends on the side. Lightly grease the foil.
- Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and press down the mixture with a spatula and/or your fingertips. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is bubbling. Remove the crust from the oven and place the hot pan on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle the 6 ounces of chocolate over the hot bars and cover the pan with foil to let the chocolate melt. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the softened chocolate over the crust. Sprinkle the toffee pieces (or cut up Heath bars) over the chocolate and press down gently with your fingers.
- Let the bars cool to room temperature. If the chocolate is not set by the time the bars are cool, just pop the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Using the long edges of foil as handles, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into bars.
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Recipe Source: adapted from Dorie Greenspan: Baking From My Home to Yours
My mom has been making this for over 60 yrs and I recommend it, w/o any salt or cinnamon. It is way too Yummy!! I can only make this about once or twice a year . Great bar cookies, the best to give to friends 🙂
Are these freezable?
I haven’t frozen them, but I suspect they’d be fine.
I just want to say that these are one of the best things I have ever eaten. I crave these on a regular basis. They are so, so good, and truly addicting. Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful recipes!
Would using only 1 cup of toffee bits be ok? I don’t have anymore…
Viktoriya – That should be fine, they just might not have quite as strong of a toffee flavor.
I made these last night and they are almost all gone. They are so yummy and so addicting. I absolutely love the butter, salty/sweet combo. Thank you for always taking recipes to the next level and for using butter!
I discovered your blog before Christmas, and love it! I made these today, and they are so yummy! Funny story – I intended to make your Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars, made sure I had all the ingredients, and went grocery shopping. When I got home, I proceeded to make THESE. Didn’t even realize it wasn’t the same recipe until I was about to put them in the oven and thought “wait, what about the sweetened condensed milk?”. Lol
What a “happy accident”! I’m so glad I have somewhere to take them or my diet would be in serious trouble. I also plan to make one of your soups and salads tomorrow for a dozen people. Will let you know how they turn out. Thank you!!
Can I just use choc chips?
Nicci – chocolate chips melt a little differently than baking chocolate (thanks to different amounts of cocoa butter) but if that’s what you have on hand, it should probably work ok. Just make sure not to overheat the chocolate chips while melting.
How would the chocolate chips overheat when you only put them on after removing crust from oven? Am I missing something? You don’t melt them on the stove, do you?
Nope, you’re right, Ev! I think when I responded to that comment above all those years ago, I was getting this recipe confused with another.
That’s what I’ve always used, just chocolate chips, no toffee, lol. They are delicious and if I weren’t a food addict, I would eat these everyday!! lol ::)
i just made these and am planning to link the recipe back to you on my blog!
thanks again for a great recipe!
If I’m ever convicted of a heinous crime and need a last meal, will you please make these for me? Thanks. They look like something I would love but could not be trusted with in the house. 🙂 Oh, and PS, I’m not plotting any crimes as of now, but another week of snow might just do me in!
That sounds and looks wonderful. I like how you experiment with different techniques and flavors. They are so amazing and buttery and delicious and just oh so good. Pretty sure I could eat the whole pan myself right now. This sounds DELICIOUS. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I just made these, and they are so good!! Thanks for posting this! I’ll definitely be making them again.
Thanks, Jeana!
These were delicious! I even think I underbaked my shortbread, but it still tasted like heaven in a bar.
Tiffany – glad you liked it!
OH MY! These look deadly! A must make for sure! Bookmarked!!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
This looks sinfully delicious…I’m on my way to the grocery store and trying this recipe tonight!
Sounds great ! Your photos are beautiful :] !
Oh I might have to make these, my father loves toffee and chocolate together! great combo!
Heath bars have always been my favorite candy bar, so these are right up my alley 🙂
I’ve always wanted to try this style of cookie, but they never seem to come to mind when I’m ready to bake. Based on your pictures, it looks like I need to move them further up the list =)
Wow! I made these to take to a friend who had a baby and she may only get a couple, these are to die for! They are so amazing and buttery and delicious and just oh so good. Pretty sure I could eat the whole pan myself right now. LOVE your blog, thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
Julia – so glad these worked out for you…I hope there were enough left over for your friend. I guess you could always make a second batch!
Okay, you’ve twisted my arm. (FYI, it was the salty sweet and toffee that got me. :)) I’m printing out the recipe and slapping it ON TOP of the must try stack of recipes.
~ingrid
i think you’ve coined an awesome adjective to describe a very worthy bar. bravo, mel!
I love the way you have these stacked up in the photo. Do I get to eat all four? Definitely drool worthy.
They look lovely! Your photos are getting better and better with every post. YUM!
This looks like a must-bake!
Just your description alone is making me drool! All of my fav ingredients in 1.. Yummy!!
Hi Mel!!! I ABSOLUTELY Love your blog! You have THE BEST RECIPES!!! And the most Yummiest! Pictures!!! When My Airman returns home I will be serving your Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Dessert!!!! My kiddos have talked me into making a ‘practice one’, you know, to be sure it tastes good!!! Wink!!! Stop by my blog and pick up your AWARD!!! Blessings, EMichelle
Hi Mel!
Love your blog and all your recipes!
I have a question. Since I am from Croatia I don’t know how much butter is in two sticks. So, if you could tell me either in weight measurements or cup measurements I’d be extremely grateful.
Thank you!
Ana
Hey Ana – sorry about not including measurements to help you. I’ve edited the recipe with the equivalent of 2 sticks butter (which is 1 cup). Thanks for letting me know to include that!
Great blog! Those bars look sinful.
You’re in trouble. I’m supposed to be on a diet and you keep getting me with your desserts! Maybe I can just pretend to taste a bite of yours. Seriously there will be desserts in heaven, and they won’t end up on my back side!
Tonight. Tonight is the night that I am making these! I have been holding onto some chocolate that my mom brought back from Belgium waiting for a recipe to pair it up with. Thanks Mel!
Yum, yum, yum! I love chocolate and toffee. 🙂
Oh yumm, these look like the perfect toffe bar! I’ve been wanting a recipe for these goodies and this one looks delicious. Bookmarked !
YUM! These look like the perfect picnic/BBQ dessert!
These look soo good. Would love to bake them up today, but I would eat the entire batch myself!