A while ago, someone I follow on Instagram posted a cookie they got at a bakery somewhere…and that cookie had oatmeal, cherries, and toffee in it. Now, I can’t remember for the life of me when that was, who posted it, or what bakery it was from, but that cookie got stuck in my brain and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, naturally, I had to make my own. That’s where these Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies came from. And if you think that flavor combo sounds as good as I do, you’re in the right place!
A New Fall Favorite
When we think of fall, the usual flavors come to mind: pumpkin, apple, maple, spices…But one fallish flavor I always go for that deserves way more attention is caramel (and toffee, in this case). Maybe caramel and toffee aren’t as tied to fall the way those other flavors are, but to me, their sweet, toasty notes are the perfect accompaniment to the crisp air and falling leaves.
I’ve made plenty of caramelly desserts before, pairing it with chocolate (obviously), apples, and even bananas, but I had never thought to put cherries and toffee together before. And boy was I missing out!
The sweet-tart chewiness of the dried cherries pairs PERFECTLY with the buttery, sugary, and slightly salty toffee. Pop both into a chewy brown butter oatmeal cookie and by golly you have yourself something truly heavenly.
Tips for Making Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe isn’t necessarily difficult, but it does have a few extra steps. For starters, we’re making homemade toffee bits — no store-bought stuff for us! (Ok, you can use store-bought if you really want to…but they’re easy to make and SO much better homemade.) Then, we’re browning the butter, adding vanilla bean paste to round out the flavor and malt powder for extra chewiness. And finally, we’re making these cookies BIG…because we want a thick, chewy, beast of a cookie to house all those cherries and toffee bits.
Sound good?
Here are a few tips to make sure your cookies turn out their absolute best:
- Homemade toffee bits. Y’all, homemade toffee is where it’s AT. It’s so flavorful and so buttery, and it’s only three ingredients: butter, brown sugar, and salt. That’s it! Heat it to 300°F on a candy thermometer, pour it onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, let it cool, break it up, and add them to your cookies. Pro tip: as you’re cooking your toffee, if it starts to separate and look a little weird, don’t panic. Just pull it off the heat, whisk it till it comes together again, and pop it back on the heat to continue cooking.
- Dried tart cherries. For this recipe, I prefer tart cherries to sweet ones, because they add a more complex flavor. I’ve found them at Trader Joe’s, Amazon, and even WalMart. If you can’t find tart cherries near you, sweet cherries will work great as well. In a pinch, I think dried cranberries would be equally delicious, though they don’t have the same chewiness that dried cherries do.
- Brown half the butter. Why only half? I like the texture of the cookies that way. When I’ve browned all the butter, the cookies lose some of their thickness, even after chilling the dough. My theory is that browning only half the butter and beating the other half with the brown sugar helps beat some air into the dough. That said, if you really want to brown all your butter, go for it!
- Malt powder. Is this absolutely necessary? Probably not. But I find that adding a little malt powder to my cookies not only enhances the flavor, but also adds chewiness. I don’t know why it works, I just know it does. If you don’t like malt powder and don’t want to buy it just to use a tablespoon, feel free to skip it.
- Chill. Your. Dough!! I KNOW it’s annoying…especially when you want cookies NOW! But chilling your dough for even a couple of hours makes such a difference. You get softer, more flavorful cookies that don’t spread too much when they bake. Plus, with the melted brown butter, this dough is a little on the wet side, and chilling it gives the butter a chance to solidify a bit. Pro tip: Let the chilled dough sit at room temp while your oven preheats to make it easier to scoop. I’ve broken multiple cookie scoops because I tried to scoop dough that was too hard (#impatience). Don’t be like me.
- Make them BIG. We’re using our large cookie scoop for this one (approx 3T). Not only are you going to want these in jumbo size because they’re delicious, but also…they just bake up nicer than a smaller cookie. Have you ever had a bakery cookie and wondered why they’re just so much thicker and softer than the ones you make at home? There’s a good chance they’re just bigger!
- Do the Cookie Scoot. Due to melting toffee bits, you may end up with some cookies that aren’t as round as you’d like. If that happens, grab your largest round cookie cutter or the lid of a wide-mouth mason jar and “scoot” it around the outside of each warm cookie to nudge it back into a circular shape. Here’s a YouTube video showing you how to do it (plus some other great cookie tips from Erin Clarkson of Cloudy Kitchen, one of my fave baking bloggers).
And there you have it! I think we’re ready to get baking, don’t you?
More Fall Cookies You’ll Love
Looking for more fall cookies? Check these out:
- Northern Ginger Cookies. Soft maple ginger cookies spiked with espresso and dipped in a maple espresso glaze.
- Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. Soft, deeply chocolatey crinkle cookies spiced inside and out with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice.
- Brown Butter Oatmeal Scotchies. Oatmeal butterscotch cookies with brown butter, butterscotch chips, and a splash of rum.
- Chai Spice Snickerdoodles. Snickerdoodle cookies with a homemade Chai spice blend in place of the cinnamon.
- My Great-Grandma Rena’s Molasses Cookies. Classic soft molasses cookies…just like Grandma used to make!
- Amaretto Dream Cookies. A cookie full of dark chocolate, almonds, and coconut, with a boozy hit of amaretto and juuust a splash of anise. Somehow, they taste just like fall smells.
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Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
Toffee Bits Ingredients
- 1/2 c butter
- 1 c light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 c butter, softened
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 T malt powder (optional)
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 4 tsp milk
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c toffee bits
- 1 c dried tart cherries
Instructions
Toffee Bits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add brown sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously for about a minute, until everything is well-combined and the sugar has melted. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture reaches right around 300°F on a candy thermometer.Note: if it separates at any point, don't panic. Just remove the pan from the heat and whisk vigorously until it combines again, then return it to the heat and continue cooking.1/2 c butter, 1 c light brown sugar,, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Once it reaches 300°F, immediately pour the toffee onto your prepared baking sheet and let it spread out (you can spread it out further for thinner toffee bits if you want, using a heat-proof spatula).
- Let the toffee cool for about 20 minutes, then break it into bits. I found that tapping it with a wooden spoon broke it up nicely, but a knife and cutting board work well too. Or, to avoid flying shards, you can put it into a plastic bag and break it up with a rolling pin or wooden spoon.I like a mixture of big and small bits of toffee in my cookies, but you do you and break them into whatever size you like!
- Measure out 1 c of toffee bits for your cookies. The remainder can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. They're great on ice cream, as a cake topping, or just for snacking. 😉
Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
- Brown HALF of the butter (leave the other half at room temp to soften). See my post on "Brown Butter" for instructions. Pour brown butter into a bowl or other container to cool for 20 minutes.1 c butter,
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and malt powder (if using).2 c all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 T malt powder
- Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the other half of the butter with the brown sugar until smooth, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla and milk and mix until combined.1 c brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, 4 tsp milk
- Add the COOLED brown butter and the granulated sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.1/2 c granulated sugar
- Add eggs and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.2 large eggs
- Add flour mixture and mix on low just until combined. You should still have some bits of unmixed flour throughout the dough. Fold in dried cherries and toffee bits.1 c toffee bits, 1 c dried tart cherries
- Refrigerate dough for 2 hours or overnight. This step is CRUCIAL — don't skip chilling your dough!When you're ready to bake, set the dough out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften up a bit (it will make scooping easier).
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon and your hands, form dough into about 3T balls and place 2" apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until beginning to brown around the edges and set in the middle.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month.
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