Home > Desserts > Heath Bar Cookies Heath Bar Cookies December 9, 2021 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Heath Bar Cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream! Borrowing from the concept of “Better Than Anything” cakes, we’re creating the ultimate “Better Than Anything” cookies — gooey, caramel-loaded chocolate cookies are piled high with whipped cream frosting and garnished with crushed toffee bits. Heath Bar Cookies are “Better Than Anything”! “Better Than Anything” cake is a rich chocolate cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce and then topped with whipped cream and crushed Heath® bars for the ultimate dessert. If you’ve tried this cake, you probably know it is nothing short of incredible. It’s rich, gooey, and completely indulgent. So what could possibly be better than that?! “Better Than Anything” COOKIES of course! This recipe begins with rich, thick, and chewy cake-like chocolate cookies filled with soft and sweet caramels and topped with whipped cream frosting and crushed Heath bars. Just like the cake, but in cookie form (and even better, in my opinion!). We highly recommend using the exact ingredients in the recipe to achieve the best results. So wait for a grocery store run if you don’t have the right cocoa powder or flour; the wait will be worth it so you don’t end up with lackluster cookies — or worse, cookies that don’t bake up properly. Heath Bar Cookies: Special Ingredients There are two ingredients in particular that aren’t super common in cookie recipes that you’ll want to pay close attention to for this recipe: cake flour and Dutch-process cocoa powder. Depending on how often you bake, you may already have these ingredients in your pantry. But if not, you can readily find both ingredients in most grocery stores. Special Ingredient #1: Dutch-process Cocoa Powder The cocoa powder really sets these cookies apart; Dutch-process cocoa powder offers a more robust and intensely deep chocolate flavor and adds a darker color to the cookie. It also produces a softer and more moist cookie. Regular cocoa powder will create a less flavorful and drier texture. Hershey’s® “Special Dark” cocoa powder is a Dutch-process cocoa powder that is also delicious in these cookies and is readily found at most grocery stores. We’ve also had a lot of luck finding Dutched cocoa powder made by Ghiradelli® in local grocery stores. You’ll know you have a Dutch-process cocoa powder because the container will say either “Dutch process” or “Dutched” cocoa. Special Ingredient #2: Cake Flour The other special ingredient in Heath Bar Cookies is cake flour– which isn’t a typical ingredient in cookies but is integral to the structure and flavor in this recipe. Cake flour has been milled to a fine consistency. It’s a low-protein flour which essentially means less gluten is formed when mixing together the cookie batter. Less gluten is going to produce a softer, gooier cookie texture. For reference, cake flour has about 7-9% protein while all-purpose flour clocks in at about 10-12%, and bread flour has an even higher protein content. QUICK TIP For best results, use store-bought cake flour (not DIY/homemade cake flour) which can be found near all-purpose and other types of flour in the grocery store. Adding Caramels To The Cookie Dough Now that the chocolate cookie dough is whipped together, it’s time to stuff it with caramel! My favorite (affordable) caramels are Werther’s® soft (not original) caramels (not sponsored). These caramels have a great flavor, hold their shape well, and we think they’re perfect in these cookies. These cookies are BIG (bakery style!), so we like to add two full caramels. A good alternative to caramels would be Rolo® candies — I’d recommend using 2-3 per cookie. QUICK TIP Make sure the caramels are completely encapsulated by the dough; otherwise, it will leak out and make a mess on the tray! Even when you’ve done a great job covering the caramels in cookie dough, occasionally some will seep out. This is why baking the cookies on parchment paper or a liner is highly recommended — the caramel will harden and then come right off with no mess. Top Cookies With Whipped Cream Frosting After the cookies have completely cooled, top the Heath Bar Cookies with a stabilized whipped cream frosting. Don’t worry — it’s easy to make! There are only three ingredients and if you have a stand mixer, you can whip it together in no time at all. To make this frosting, we combine cream cheese with powdered sugar and cream until smooth. After that, we add in heavy cream and whip it until we reach a nice, light, and fluffy consistency. QUICK TIP Avoid cream cheese in a tub; we need the firm brick-style, full-fat cream cheese. Avoid Neufchâtel or reduced-fat cream cheese. Finish Off Heath Bar Cookies With Toffee Bits Last, but not least, we add Heath milk chocolate English Toffee Baking bits on top of the whipped cream frosting. These baking bits make the perfect finishing touch for these Heath Bar Cookies! Heath Bar Cookie Tips Don’t substitute ingredients. This cookie recipe has been tested (and re-tested some more!). For best results, follow the recipe carefully using the right ingredients. I know there are some unique ingredients called for, but I recommend using those ingredients instead of trying random substitutes. Baking is finicky — it’s hard to say what will and won’t work out in place of what has been tested. Don’t skip or shorten the chilling time. Not only does the dough become more flavorful as it sits, but the chill time is also important for the texture and structure of these Heath Bar Cookies. The chilling time ensures these cookies bake up nice and thick instead of spreading too much. QUICK TIP Looking to make a Crumbl® Cookie Copycat? Beyond being inspired by “Better Than Anything” Cakes, I was also inspired by Crumbl’s Heath Cake Cookies which feature a gooey chocolate cookie layered with whipped cream frosting, sweet caramel, and a sprinkle of toffee bits! (Crumbl is a chain of cookie bakeries with locations across the United States.) While the recipe I’m sharing today isn’t an exact copycat recipe, the two recipes are similar. Crumbl topped their special edition cookie with sweetened condensed milk before adding the whipped cream frosting. So, if you’d like to copycat their particular recipe, try smoothing on a spoonful of condensed milk on top of the baked cookie before adding the whipped cream frosting. You’ll also want to leave out the caramel candies. More cookie recipes Gideon’s Bakehouse Cookie Recipe Copycat with chocolate and toffee Maple Cookies with a maple glaze (tastes like a maple donut!) Avalanche Cookies no-bake cookies with white chocolate and peanut butter Cowboy Cookies with cinnamon, coconut, and pecans Salted Caramel Cookies with cream cheese frosting and a caramel drizzle FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Heath Bar Cookies 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe Heath Bar Cookies are a chocolate lover's dream! Borrowing from the concept of "Better Than Anything" cakes, we're creating the ultimate "Better Than Anything" cookies -- gooey, caramel-loaded chocolate cookies are piled high with whipped cream frosting and garnished with crushed toffee bits. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Heath Bar Cookies 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Heath Bar Cookies are a chocolate lover's dream! Borrowing from the concept of "Better Than Anything" cakes, we're creating the ultimate "Better Than Anything" cookies -- gooey, caramel-loaded chocolate cookies are piled high with whipped cream frosting and garnished with crushed toffee bits. Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Heath Bar Cookies Prep Time 45 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Chilling Time 1 hour hour Total Time 2 hours hours Servings 6 large (4-ounce) cookies Chelsea Lords Calories 905kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $7.12 Equipment1M Open Star Piping Tip & Piping BagsLarge Sheet Pan & Silicone Liner IngredientsCookies▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter▢ 3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed▢ 1 large egg▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract▢ 1/2 teaspoon each: cornstarch, baking soda, fine sea salt▢ 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder Note 1▢ 1/2 cup cake flour Note 2▢ 3/4 cup all-purpose flour Note 3▢ 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips▢ 1 cup milk chocolate chips▢ 12 Werther’s soft caramels unwrappedFrosting▢ 2 ounces brick-style full-fat cream cheese (not cream cheese from a tub)▢ 1/3 cup powdered sugar▢ 1/2 + 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional▢ Heath milk chocolate English Toffee Baking bitsUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsCREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR: Cut butter straight from the fridge into small cubes. Add the cubed butter and brown sugar to a large bowl (or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment). Beat until completely combined and ultra creamy, about 3-4 minutes.ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add in the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Add in the cake flour (Read Note 4 first) and regular flour and again beat until combined. Don't over-beat the mixture. Add in the miniature and regular-sized chocolate chips. Fold the chips and cookies the dough with a spatula. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 45 minutes up to 2 hours.FORM COOKIE BALLS: After chilling, remove the bowl from the fridge and form cookie dough balls. Each ball should be just over 4 ounces (117 grams each). You should get 6 equal-sized balls from the dough. Roll into large balls and then split each ball in half and press 2 unwrapped caramels in the center. Roll the balls back up again, being careful to fully cover the caramels. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan or plate and return to the fridge or freezer to chill for 15 more minutes.BAKE: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an extra-large sheet pan with a Silpat liner (parchment paper works, but the cookies bake better on a Silpat liner). Add 3 cookie dough balls to the pan, leaving plenty of space in between each cookie. Bake for 13-18 minutes, erring on the side of slightly under-baking (we think they're perfect at 15 minutes). They're slightly under-baked but will firm up to a nice and fudgy/chewy cookie as they set. Remove from the oven and immediately press the edges of the cookie inwards with the back of a metal spatula to get the perfect round bakery-style cookie. Let cookies stand on the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool and finish firming up here. Repeat process with the last 3 cookies.FROSTING: Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl (fitted to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until completely smooth. While beating on low speed, slowly add in the heavy cream and beat until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape sides with a spatula as needed. Once all the cream has been added in, increase the speed of the mixers to medium-high and beat until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Watch carefully to avoid over-beating. Gently fold in the vanilla with a spatula if adding.DECORATE: Transfer whipped cream frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip. Generously frost each cookie, equally dividing the frosting up by the 6 cookies. (We use all the frosting between the 6 cookies -- these are supposed to be indulgent bakery-style cookies after all. 🙂 If you don't want to use all the frosting on the cookies, frost as much as you'd like on cookies and save the rest to use as a fruit dip or addition to other desserts. Immediately top with crushed Heath bits (just sprinkle on top to desired preference). Cookies are best enjoyed within a couple of hours of making them; otherwise, the frosting will begin to soften or weep. (See Instruction #7 if you won't be eating these all at once). STORAGE: Because of the frosting, these cookies don’t store or freeze well. If you’re going to have extra cookies that won’t be enjoyed the same day, I recommend storing the frosting and cookies separately and frosting right before serving. The frosting needs to be refrigerated in an airtight container, while the cookies do best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting will store nicely for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, but you'll need to whip it up again for a couple of minutes before adding to the cookies. Recipe NotesNote 1: Cocoa powder: The cocoa powder really sets these cookies apart; Dutch-process cocoa powder offers a more robust and intensely deep chocolate flavor -- I don't recommend using plain cocoa powder. Hershey’s® “Special Dark” cocoa powder is a Dutch-process cocoa powder that is readily found at most grocery stores. Note 2: Cake flour: This flour is responsible for giving the cookies a fluffier, more delicate, tender crumb. It helps keep these cookies soft and chewy. We combine cake flour with all-purpose flour to get the perfect texture. Cake flour is typically found on the baking supplies aisle in the grocery store near other types of flour. I don't recommend a different flour substitute or making "homemade" cake flour -- it doesn't work the same in this recipe. Note 3: Measuring: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of cake or regular flour and scoop, you will pack in way too much flour which affects the texture of these cookies. To properly measure your flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it’s overfilled. Then use the back of a table knife to level the measuring cup at the top. (Video visual here) Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 905kcal | Carbohydrates: 136g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 88g | Vitamin A: 882IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 4mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
