Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Layers of shortbread dough, sweetened condensed milk, toffee bits and chocolate chips make these chocolate chip toffee bars absolutely fantastic!
Simple and delicious, these chocolate chip toffee bars are a classic.
A chocolate chip shortbread dough is layered with sweetened condensed milk, toffee, chocolate chips, dots of more shortbread, and baked until golden and caramelly.
To be honest, these bars are very reminiscent of the uber-popular 7-layer bars but without the coconut and butterscotch and with shortbread instead of graham crackers.
How to make chocolate chip toffee bars
It’s simple! First, a quick shortbread-type dough is mixed together.
It’ll appear crumbly at first, but when you press the dough together with your hands after mixing, it comes together perfectly.
We take the shortbread dough up a notch by adding in chocolate chips. We want chocolate in every layer of these bars.
Second, the crust gets baked for a few minutes so it can set up just a little.
Next, it’s time for the layers!
- sweetened condensed milk
- toffee bits
- reserved bits of shortbread dough
- chocolate chips
The whole pan gets baked until the sweetened condensed milk has bubbled and gone from milky to caramelly.
The contrasting textures in these bars are so delicious.
The crust is slightly crumbly (in a good way). Then you have chewy, crunchy, and a whole lot of rich, decadent, sweetness.
These chocolate chip toffee bars are excellent cut into squares and served at room temp (or even better, chilled!), but they are also really, really, really good served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
These bars also freeze really well and happen to be a popular keep-in-the-freezer-at-all-times kind of treat around here.
Simple, go-to bar cookies like this – well, you just can’t have too many recipes. They never go out of style!
Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups (331 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (141 g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter, softened (I use salted)
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts, optional
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package (227 g) toffee bits, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and brown sugar. Add the butter and eggs and mix with an electric mixer until crumbly. Press the dough together with your hands. It will have a texture similar to shortbread.
- Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the nuts (if using). The mixture will be fairly stiff, so it works best to mix with your hands.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the dough and set aside.
- Press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes until just starting to set (should still be somewhat soft).
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the baked crust. Top with all but 1/4 cup of the toffee bits.
- Pinch pieces of the reserved dough and scatter over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 25-30 more minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits on top. Cool completely before serving.
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Recipe Source: adapted from Kara’s Kitchen Creations
Recipe originally posted June 2009; updated December 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Made a half batch of these last night to use up half a can of condensed milk. I didn’t have toffee bits so I used those little caramel bits instead. Very tasty!
I just wanted to say THANKS! I have never posted anything on any of these sites, but your recipes are amazing. I’m not a great chef, but everything I make from this site tastes awesome! These squares sealed the deal – I’m a follower for life.
I made these for a book group but decided to sub coconut for toffee bits. I think it would have all been great if I hadn’t forgotten the sweetened condensed milk…I guess that’s what happens when you watch Downton Abbey while baking! All my bookies still loved them, though! I love your blog and all of your delicious recipes. It is my go-to for all my meal planning. Keep it up!
So I usually love everything I make from your site… But these were kinda a disappointment. The crust wasn’t really sweet at all, and I think they probably would have been much better with milk chocolate chips instead. The toffee flavor really didnt come through @ all. I was so bummed these just weren’t that great 🙁
Like I said… I seriously LOVE your blog & recipes… This one just wasn’t a winner in our book.
These were fabulous! My husband can’t get enough of them.
Stephanie – honestly, the nut issue really boils down to preference. These bars are so adaptable, you really could use any kind you like. I’ve made them with macadamia nuts and another time with pecans. (And sometimes I leave them out completely.)
These looks so yummy! I’ve made a version of “Hello Dolly Bars” referenced below that I changed the recipe on a bit for my co-workers & they loved! So I’m going to make these now for them as I bring them a treat each week to work, so I’m always on the hunt for new recipes each week.. My question is about the nuts which kind just regular peanuts? or Almonds, Pecans etc? I always get so confused when a recipe calls for nuts b/c there are so many out there lol Thanks for this find, I’m excited to make them Yum! 🙂
These are pretty close to ~Hello Dolly Bars~
these delicious little bars need to be made!!!
Hope you post a recipe for hello dolly bars!!!
i started baking when i was like 5. not even kidding. This was one of the 1st cookies/bars i ever made (because it was on the back of the “hersheys toffee chips” bag. Before the internet, “back-of-bag-recipes” were used a lot more frequently) and i used to make this one all the time because its so good!! and i also never used the nuts. Nuts ruin cookies. Hershey’s calls this “Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars”
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=3225&name=Rich-Chocolate-Chip-Toffee-Bars
I made these tonight for a Saturday night treat. We couldn’t wait until they were completely cool – the delicious smell was torture! Gosh these are good.
I tried these with Reese’s and definetely need the toffee crunch. You also can’t really taste the peanut butter because the condensed milk is so sweet. I let these cool and tried them and mine were also really sticky and looked nothing like the ones in your photo…
I’m going to try a few of the ladies tips in the comments of putting them in the fridge and trying them again on day 2.
It was worth a try, but I need to find toffee bits 🙂
Took me awhile to find which recipe the yummy picture on your home page is, but I have now! I’m going to go make these right now. Thanks for making it so much fun to find new recipes. I think the litle paragraph you write keeps me motivated! So glad I found your blog last week!
Lee-Anne – sounds like it is worth a try to me!
Do you think that I could chop up reese’s peanut butter cups instead of toffee bits? I’m having a bit of a chocolate/peanut butter craving over here! 🙂
Christina – I’ve never frozen them but I actually think they would fare quite well if stored in an airtight container.
Can these be frozen?
I made these as thank you’s and sent some along with a meal I made for a friend in need. They are absolutely addicting! Yum! Yum! Yum!
I might have to change the name of these to include something with “crack” in the title. I made them yesterday for a gathering and everyone is addicted! My only change was making my own toffee bits…..thank you for sharing!
Oh my holy wow! These should be illegal. So VERY VERRY GOOD! ILLEGAL I SAY! I both love and don’t love you Melanie…oh chef of all things delicious. Such a complicated relationship. What might Freud say?
I realize that toffee is in the name, but do you think these would work without? Or would it defeat the whole purpose of the bar? I ask because my son is allergic to nuts and, unfortunately for us (and him, poor guy), toffee bits usually contain almonds.
Kim – sorry you have to work around a nut allergy! I’m sure that is no fun at times. I think you could definitely leave out the toffee bits – the top may be a bit less full of goodness, but they should still bake up fine.
A perfect treat. Looks like a keeper!
Oh man these were good! I made them to add to a meal I am delivering to a family in need but of course I had to test them to make sure they were good enough for them 😉 And my kids “needed” some too! I wasn’t sure the balls of dough on top were going to work but they melted down perfectly. I could eat the whole pan!
YUM! I substituted half whole wheat flour and it was great. Thanks!
chocolate + toffee = swoon. hope your vacation is (or was) enjoyable!
i made these with Hershey’s Skor bars (like Heath bars) and they turned out great! But, I would love to know where to find those toffee bits, too!
Has anyone made these with Heath bar bits rather than plain toffee bits? I can’t seem to find plain toffee in my grocery store and I’m hoping that using the Heath won’t make it too chocolate-y!
Megan – I’m sorry you are having such a hard time finding the toffee bits. I have always found them by the chocolate chips and have found them at Walmart and several of my main stream grocery stores. I think you could use the chopped up Heath Bars and it would just add another layer of chocolatey goodness to the bars.
Those look delicious! Thanks for sharing, again!
These look absolutely delish! Thanks for updating. ENJOY your time away….what fun! You deserve it! Gonna make your Chocolate Mousse Cake for a party tomorrow. Will post a review after I’m finished 🙂 YUM!
These bars are a family favorite. I have been asked to make these for parties countless times. We LOVE them!!!
This look deliicous! gloria
These bars have been our favorite for a long time! My boys sold these at a bake sale during our garage sale recently and I had a lady come back to get the recipe! Sooo good.
Ooh, those look SO good!!!
Mel, these look dangerously delicious!
So glad you get to take some time with the family. Enjoy.
I agree with Shana! I liked them even that much better on day 2. I kept mine in the fridge as well and then would take them out about 10-15 minutes before serving. Delicious! Love this recipe, I’m going to have to go make them again now 🙂
I made these for my husband’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. It’s a favorite recipe with us for sure! I think they were better a day or two after making. They seemed to come together more as they sat. I’m lamenting the fact that they’re all gone now.
Yummy! They look wonderful, and enjoy your vacation 🙂
Wowza!! These look soooo scrumpcious!!
You must be a mind reader! LOL!!
I have a terrible sweet tooth and I was craving some sweets for the weekend….guess what I’m making?!?
Have a safe and awesome getaway with the family unit!
Of course the LOVES there…..what’s not to love?!!
Great recipe! Have a happy and safe vacation!
mmmmm fabulous looking treats 🙂 I have a feeling these need to be made a reality sooner rather than later! Have a lovely holiday 🙂
I was searching your site yesterday for a bar recipe. I found this one from when you originally posted it in June 2009. I made them yesterday and then it was your post for today. I had to take a double look. They were amazing!!! My girls LOVED them. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy your vacation! These look fantastic, I love anything that combines chocolate and toffee!
I want to make these, like, yesterday!
Hope you have a wonderful vacation! Enjoy time away. These look yummy and I can’t wait to try them. Wish I had some toffee on hand and I would make them right now!!
YUM! These look delicious, Mel! I love the toffee and chocolate combination!
Have a wonderful vacation! Of course we will still love you while you’re away! 🙂