Easy Cookie Brittle

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: I started testing this Easy Cookie Brittle recipe after trying cookie brittle from a local shop. While tasty, the store-bought version couldn’t compete with my homemade version! This is the perfect sheet pan recipe. I love that there’s no scooping of individual cookies, and because it’s a typical brittle, it bakes up crisp and firm—so it stays fresher longer than a traditional gooey chocolate chip cookie. Something I’ve learned over my long career as a professional chef is that making doughs in advance and letting them “age” really benefits the flavor and texture, so if you have time, definitely do that.

My Easy Cookie Brittle is your go-to during the busy holiday season, or anytime you want an addictive, crunchy, sweet treat that’s so easy and fun to make and enjoy! Just press the buttery, chocolate-studded dough in a pan, pop it in the oven, and in minutes, you’ll have a batch of goodies that delivers everything you love about crispy chocolate chip cookies, without any fuss.

I started testing this recipe after sampling some cookie brittle from a local shop. That store-bought brittle was tasty, but my homemade cookie brittle is so much better! If this recipe has you craving even more chocolate chip goodness, I’ve got you covered with Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, and of course, my Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies.

• Classic vibes, new take: My Easy Cookie Brittle recipe offers a deliciously updated and easy way to create thin, crispy chocolate chip cookie goodness.
• Incredibly fast: With a 10-minute prep and a 20-minute bake, this recipe is a breeze—it’s great for kids to help bake.
• No special equipment needed: It’s a snap to mix this dough by hand.
• Delectable toffee notes: The thin layer of cookie dough caramelizes beautifully, for that dreamy toasty, butterscotch flavor.
• Best all-around treat! Perfect to serve with ice cream, hot chocolate, or eggnog, or as part of a dessert charcuterie board.

Table of Contents

• What is Easy Cookie Brittle?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Easy Cookie Brittle
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Easy Holiday Recipes

What is Easy Cookie Brittle?

• Easy Cookie Brittle is a streamlined version of thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies with the satisfying snap of brittle. The dough is spread in a jelly roll pan and cut into pieces, so you get treats with all of the toffee-flavored crispness of the buttery edge of a cookie. Cookie brittle, also known as cookie bark or sheet pan cookies, came about as a time-saving strategy to eliminate scooping individual cookies, but their deep flavor and delicate texture have made them a new cookie classic. My chocolate chip cookie brittle is perfect for holiday gift giving, Christmas parties, or for an anytime snack!

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 10×15-inch (25×38-cm) jellyroll pan
• Parchment paper
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife or pizza cutter

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Butter

• Butter gives the cookie brittle rich flavor.
• The butter melts and spreads during baking, contributing to the crispy caramelization and delightfully snappable texture.
• Additionally, butter helps bind the dough together.
• It’s important to use room temperature butter so that the dough comes together easily. Here are the best ways to soften butter.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the chocolate chip brittle.
• Importantly, granulated sugar melts quickly, spreads, and dries as it caramelizes, which is key to creating the cookie brittle’s delicate texture and signature crispiness.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar deepens the flavor of the brittle by adding a warm, molasses sweetness.
• Moist dark brown sugar gives the cookies a slight chew.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of light brown sugar instead. The texture will be similar, but the flavor won’t be as rich.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract adds the warm, rounded sweetness that is crucial to a chocolate chip cookie’s signature flavor.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.

Salt

• Salt is essential to enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness in this easy brittle recipe.
• Additionally, salt enhances the caramelization because it draws out some moisture from the cookie dough, helping the sugar melt and spread more easily.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour gives the chocolate chip brittle structure.
• Substitute: Use an equal amount of a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour substitute, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, or another gluten free flour.

Mini chocolate chips

• Mini chocolate chips add delicious cocoa flavor and creamy texture.
• Using mini chips is key for this recipe: regular-sized chocolate chips will keep the brittle from breaking properly, and using chopped chocolate will change the texture of the brittle, as it will melt into the dough.
• Substitutes: You can use an equal amount of mini white chocolate chips, toffee bits, or finely chopped nuts.

How to Make the Brittle

1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 10×15-inch (25×38 cm) jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Start the dough: In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, mix together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until blended.

3. Fold in the flour and chips: Fold in the flour until just combined, then stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Press into pan and bake: Press evenly into your prepared pan, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

5. Cool briefly and cut: Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into pieces while still warm.

5. Cool completely: Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Make it crunchier: Mix in 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of finely chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Customize your cookie brittle!
  • Give the brittle a festive twist by using mini white chocolate chips and sprinkling chopped dried cranberries on top.
  • Add a sophisticated touch by using mini bittersweet chips and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top.
  • Pump up the flavor by adding 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of finely chopped almonds to the chocolate chip dough and sprinkling flaked coconut on top.
• For the ultimate texture, bake just until golden-brown and crisp: Underbaking will give you soft, bendy cookies instead of the crisp brittle you’re going for, and overbaking will make them too hard.
• Use the proper pan size: The right thickness of the dough is crucial to the proper texture, so use a 10×15-inch (25×38-cm) jelly roll pan.
• Cut the brittle while it’s still a little warm, or it will crumble. Let it cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes, cut the brittle, and then let it cool completely before serving.
• Cut or break the cookie brittle: Cut into triangles or diamonds for a neat presentation.
  • For a more rustic look, you can cool the cookie brittle completely and then break it into shards.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

• Make the dough and refrigerate it: Place the dough in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to two days.
• Make the dough and freeze it: On a piece of parchment paper, form the dough into a slab the size of the jelly roll pan.
  • Wrap the dough slab well and flash-freeze it in the pan or on a tray for an hour or two until it firms up.
  • Remove the dough from the pan, and store the in the freezer for two to three months.
  • Before baking, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before spreading it in the pan and baking.

How to store leftovers:

• Store leftover chocolate chip cookie brittle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

FAQs

How do I make sure my chocolate chip cookie brittle has the perfect texture?

• Measure the ingredients carefully. Too much flour will make the brittle tough.
• Spread the dough evenly into the pan. If it’s uneven, thick areas will be too soft, and places that have too little dough could burn.
• Bake the chocolate chip brittle for 15 to 20 minutes until it’s golden brown and crisp.

Can I make cookie brittle gluten-free?

• To make your cookie brittle gluten-free, simply replace the regular all-purpose flour with the same amount of a 1:1 gluten free baking mix, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, or use an equal amount of a different gluten-free flour.
• Additionally, make sure your other ingredients are certified gluten-free.

How do I make sure my brittle isn’t greasy?

• If your butter is melted or overly soft, it could make your brittle greasy.  See my tips on how to soften butter to get it to the perfect consistency.
• Mix the dough until blended, but don’t over-whip it.
• Using a warm pan can make your brittle greasy. If you’re making multiple batches with one pan, let it cool between batches.

More Easy Holiday Recipes

• Peanut Butter Chews
• Classic English Toffee
• Candy Cane and Chocolate Peppermint Bark
• Pure Maple Candy
• Chocolate Covered Almonds

Try These Recipes!

Sheet Pan Cookies (8-in-1)

Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Rugelach

Fruitcake Cookies