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Heath Bar Cookies

Heath Bar Cookies

"OMG, these are the best cookies I've ever eaten in my life," I mumbled to mom the other day, mouth full of cookie, one hand reaching for another. "Would you please get the recipe from Claire? Puhleeezzzz?" Claire is my mother's friend, a lovely woman in her 80s, recently widowed, who brought my mom these fabulous cookies for a book club gathering. I couldn't figure out what was in them that made them taste so good. I recognized some chocolate and a few nuts, but what was the rest? Praise be to mom who delivered Claire's recipe a few days later. Heath Bars. The secret ingredient was Heath Bars. Well no wonder! If you like toffee as much as I do, you'll love these cookies.

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Heath Bar Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar pieces (Eight 1.4 ounce bars)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

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Heath Bars are popular American chocolate-covered-toffee candy bars. Heath Bar toffee bits are often available in the baking section of grocery stores. Either chopped up candy bars or the bits can be used for this recipe. The bars have chocolate, the bits don't.

1 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine Heath Bar pieces and chopped walnuts. Set aside.

2 Cream butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (a couple minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time, and vanilla.

3 Alternatively mix in the Heath Bar mixture and the flour mixture, a third at a time, until well blended. Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (better an hour).

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4 Preheat oven to 350°F. On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, spoon out the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls (size of a large marble). Place dough balls 3 inches away from each other on the cookie sheets. (Make sure there is plenty of room between the cookie balls, and that the cookie balls aren't too big. These cookies spread!)

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5 Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

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46 Comments

Hah, how sad is it that I read the title as "Health Bars"? Heath Bars would be much better!

Posted by: KImmer on June 29, 2007 4:10 AM

I used heath bars in another recipe, I found that putting them in the freezer for a little while first and a meat tendorisor hammer thingy works best to bust them up

Posted by: Eric on June 29, 2007 5:22 AM

I love Heath bars. When I make chocolate chip cookies, I use baking powder instead of soda. I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get the little height in cookies. Mine come out totally flat. I find that I use baking powder and refrigerate the dough between scooping batches really helps get that 'gourmet' look.

Posted by: joanne on June 29, 2007 7:56 PM

Hmm...these look amazing but I have never heard of Heath bars. I'm pretty sure they aren't available in England. Shame =(

Posted by: Hannah Atkinson on June 30, 2007 6:54 AM

Hannah,
Use Dime bars. Same thing, only better chocolate (in my opinion). They will come out perfectly!
Hope this helps,
Maria

Posted by: Maria on June 30, 2007 12:53 PM

If you use the bits and not the candy bars, they're a tasty addition to the generic chocolate chip cookie recipe too.

Posted by: Michelle on June 30, 2007 2:51 PM

I just finished making these "health bar" cookies, and they are fantastic! Oddly enough, I had a hard time finding Heath Bars yesterday- I went to 2 grocery stores, a convenience store and 2 gas stations- nada! I finally found a bag of the Heath miniatures at a 3rd store.

The problem with the minis? Unwrapping!!(unwrap one for the cookies, one for popping in my mouth!)

Great recipe- Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Deb on July 1, 2007 8:11 AM

Hi Elise,
I just baked these cookies today, and they came out delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! However, I couldn't get mine to look as "fluffy" as yours. When they came out of the oven, they looked perfect but immediately began sinking before my eyes. Would you happen to have ideas about what I'm doing wrong? I made a half batch, used a brand new box of baking soda, and refrigerated the dough for an hour. I have a photo up on my blog. Thanks!

Posted by: caitlyn on July 1, 2007 8:52 PM

I had the same experience as Caitlyn and I suspect there was too much butter. Good but they spread out way too much. Any suggestions?

Posted by: Janet on July 2, 2007 9:04 AM

I just made a batch of these and they were absolutely yummy! I can't stop eating them! I wish they _were_ health bars. Speaking of health bars, can you put up a recipe for some healthy snack foods?

Posted by: Maya on July 2, 2007 9:47 PM

Hi Caitlyn and Janet - these cookies do spread. It's not too much butter, it's not enough room between the cookie balls, and you've got to keep the cookie balls rather small. I've adjusted the recipe a little to emphasize how small the dough balls must be.

Hi Maya, you mean like carrots and celery? Just kidding. The problem with the word "healthy" is that everyone has a different view as to what that means when it comes to food, almost to the point of religious fanaticism. To me, healthy means whole ingredients and a balance of protein, fats, and carbs, and anything goes as long as it's in moderation. Sometimes I like to cut back on the carbs, so we do have a low carb section on the site.

Posted by: Elise on July 2, 2007 10:56 PM

Sadly, we don't have Heath Bars in Canada, but we do have thin, chocolate covered toffee bars called SKOR. Would these do the trick? Any guesses out there?

Posted by: Pat Barford on July 3, 2007 8:06 AM

Okay, so I baked these cookies last night, using the chocolate-free toffee bits but replacing the 1/2 cup walnuts with 1/2 cup chocolate chips. You weren't kidding about how small the balls of dough should be and how far apart they should be spaced -- I think I actually got 7 dozen cookies from this recipe, and they still ran together in the oven occasionally!

My one problem with the recipe is that I was hoping the cookies would be chewier (they came out very flat and crispy, even though I baked them only until they started to brown on the edges). Do you think replacing some of the white sugar with brown sugar would help with that?

Thanks for another great recipe!

Posted by: Another Elise on July 4, 2007 8:32 AM

I thought the recipe looked fabulous, but my cookies spread out and were way too flat. They were also too crunchy. The dough batter was super yummy, so I was disappointed when the cookies weren't as good! :(

Posted by: Traci on July 4, 2007 4:54 PM

We made these and they turned out REALLY good! Everyone liked them. We did make a small change when we realized that we were out of sugar and used 1/2 cup a sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar instead. They were moist and chewy.

Posted by: Andy on July 6, 2007 10:42 AM

I made these yesterday and everyone loved them.
However, I used a 1 1/2 inch scoop to make them a little bigger. Recipe made 4 dozen of this larger size.

Posted by: Babs on July 6, 2007 2:02 PM

My cookies looked like the picture that Caitlyn posted on her blog. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the recipe. Plain old chocolate chip cookies are better--less expensive and no chopping Heath Bars!

Posted by: KS on July 11, 2007 12:07 PM

Whoo hoo! We just made these and they are to die for! My husband said, "These are my favorite cookies you have ever made--by far!" They cooked beautifully, didn't go flat, were perfectly round, just perfect. I think you how to follow the instructions precisely so they turn out that well. So now I have to make them all the time. The dough seems to be a good dough itself for other types of cookies. Also, after chopping up the heath bars, I went to the store and noticed that they now sell the bags of heath toffee bits WITH the chocolate. They worked great my second batch. . . the very next day. I'm so glad you were able to get this recipe and share it with all of us. Thank you.

Posted by: Jamie on July 30, 2007 8:23 PM

I just love toffee bits, so I definitely had to try these! They are absolutely yummy! We did not add the walnuts and we used a half a bag of the chocolate toffee bits. This recipe is a keeper!

Posted by: Yvonne on August 7, 2007 8:57 PM

What did I do wrong? I read your post and I could not resist making these cookies. BUT, mine did not come out looking like yours - mine were flatter than a pancake ever thought of being. They were tastey but well, kinda flat (no pun intended) tasing. I was not too happy with the walnuts (not a big fan really) but the real issue was how much they dropped when cooled. They were puffy and looked like a normal a cookie - until they cooled. Even though they were lightly brown around the edges, they also lost their crispness. What did I do wrong? Help!
Di

Posted by: Di on August 21, 2007 10:13 AM

Hi Di - The reason my cookies don't look flat is because they are actually quite small. The plate they are on is a tea saucer. The cookies do turn out pretty flat. One thing you might consider is whether or not your eggs were at room temp before using. Whenever you use eggs in baking, they should be at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge at least an hour before using them. Soak them in a bowl of warm water if necessary and you don't have a whole hour. That might help make a difference, as the eggs are one of the key leavening agents in this recipe.

Posted by: Elise on August 21, 2007 11:20 AM

Another tip from a commenter is to use baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking powder is also called "double acting" because the leavening occurs twice. There is a dry acid in the baking powder that will react to form air bubbles as the cookie is cooking. So you might want to try that substitution if the cookies are too flat for you.

Posted by: Elise on August 21, 2007 11:54 AM

I just tried this recipe and they were amazing! Mine did come out a little flat (my eggs were used cold) but they still were slightly chewy. I loved them! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Posted by: juicefairy on September 9, 2007 4:53 PM

I made these last night as gifts to friends I was having dinner with and brought the rest to work today. Everybody loves them! They are delicious cookies. They made exactly 6 dozen when I baked them as 1-inch balls and though they are a bit flat, they are still incredibly soft. I made them as gifts to friends I was having dinner with and brought the rest to work. Everybody loves them!

All of my ingredients were at room temperature. I substituted a 1/2 cup of sugar for brown sugar and I pulled them at EXACTLY 11 minutes even if they looked a little underdone. I think that's why they have retained their soft texture.

Thanks for a great recipe Elise!

Posted by: Jacquie on October 19, 2007 7:12 AM

White sugar has a tendancy to spread more and result in a crisper lighter cookie. If you prefer chewier cookies, subsitute some of the white sugar for brown sugar.

Posted by: Jackie on November 17, 2007 9:59 PM

If your cookies are too flat, I, too recommend using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda is a base and needs an acid for leavening, and I don't see an acid in this recipe. That's probably why the cookies deflate as they cool down. If you're set on the baking soda, try replacing some of the sugar with brown sugar, as it's acidic (maple syrup, molasses, or honey will also work, but they'll change the consistency of the dough). Or, if neither of these work, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra flour. This will give the cookies a chewier/cakier texture, but don't be daunted, as this always works for me when I make chocolate chip cookies and the first pan comes out too flat and crunchy. Hope this helps!

Posted by: maria on December 4, 2007 11:32 PM

I made these cookies for Thanksgiving and now I have so many requests for Christmas. They were the best cookies I have ever had in my life, so buttery and the secret ingredient - Heath Bars were wonderful. The Heath bars were a little hard to find. I could only find them at my local TARGET. Not one grocery store carried them. Thanks for a wonder recipe. When the dough smells so good you could eat it - you know you have a winner. I kept my dough in the freezer in between bakes and they came out perfect. Keep the balls small.

Posted by: sukisooki on December 6, 2007 8:03 AM

These turned out better than anything I have EVER tried. I took them to work, and EVERYONE loved them, even my picky boss, who is scared to try "public food", lol. He said they were the absolute best cookie he has ever had. It made HUGE amounts, but they were gone in no time flat, and people talked about them ALL DAY LONG. I used the bits only, and people kept trying to guess what the cookies were. I got mostly, macadamia nut, and snickerdoodles~~it was so fun! I could tell that it wasn't the usual "being nice" comments, they TRULY loved my cookies! Even though I don't like chocolate very much, I now REALLY want to try these with the chocolate too!

Posted by: Leslie on December 16, 2007 2:07 AM

With all the comments about the cookies not turning out the way they should, I used the original Nestle Toll House cookie recipe and added a bag of toffee bits with the chocolate chips and they turned out great. That recipe calls for part brown sugar and part white sugar. I popped them out of the oven when the edges were brown even though the inside didn't look completely done and they were yummy and chewy. The key is not to overbake.

Posted by: Becky on December 22, 2007 6:52 AM

I just made these this afternoon, and I actually had the opposite problem everyone else had! My cookies barely flattened at all! They still taste great, but they look like tiny little mounds. Does anyone know why this might have happened? The only change I made to the recipe was substituting some of the sugar for brown sugar.

Posted by: Betty on January 9, 2008 3:52 PM

Hi,
I'm from Canada and we don't have Heath bars - unfortunately, but these look really good. Is there anything I can replace them with?

Any English toffee candy bar. ~Elise

Posted by: tanya on February 14, 2008 1:10 PM

When me and my mom first saw these, we thought they would be delicious! We couldnt have been more exicited we ran out to get all the ingredients, but i have to say i was disappointed with this recipe.. I dont know if it was something I did but the cookie is extremely flat and taste to much like butter. I waited till my eggs were room temperature like some people suggested and did everything the recipe said too. The only thing i can thing of that I did wrong was maybe soften the butter in the microwave? I would love to try and make this agian and hopefullly next time they come out differently.. if you can help me please do :]

Probably a better idea to let the butter soften on its own. Or put it between two sheets of wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin, that is a rather quick way of softening butter. The microwave will end up liquifying some of the butter which you don't want. The only other thing I can think of is to try to use the freshest eggs possible. ~Elise

Posted by: Brittany on March 28, 2008 9:48 AM

Just made these last week and they were phenomenal. Yes, they spread out and were quite flat, but they were absolutely yummy. Chilling in the fridge was a must, and I used crushed up Skor bars as I'm in Canada. Thank you so much for the recipe... I just ate the last one yesterday and I already want to make more!

Posted by: Glitterati on July 22, 2008 8:38 AM

I've had this bookmarked for a year, and I *finally* made them last night. Why did I wait so long? They're perfect!

Posted by: Kathryn on August 20, 2008 4:14 PM

I give the cookies a 3.8 out of 5. I used toffee bits vs broken bars and I felt the pieces were too small.

Another tip to ensure the cookies don't spread too thin; roll into a ball and let the oven do the natural push down.

Posted by: John on October 1, 2008 11:56 AM

I love cooking with heath bar bits so I thought i would try your recipe out. I did make a few additions, candied pecans, half brown sugar/half white, rolled oats, and coconut. the cookies turne out perfect and the entire family loves them.

thanks,
crystalia

Posted by: crystalia on November 6, 2008 7:46 PM

Well, I made these tonight and WOW - are they fantastic!!! Everyone had fun trying to guess what was in them. I halved the recipe and it still made 4 dozen cookies. I did use part brown sugar and the Heath bits with chocolate. Next time I will use crushed bars as I think I would like them better with bigger pieces of Heath bar in them. They did not get flat at all as some had posted. Tomorrow we are making the stained glass cookies to decorate our tree!

Posted by: Kelly on December 12, 2008 7:55 PM

If your having trouble making these cookies "fluffy" instead of using butter use crisco. The butter melts in the oven making them flat.

Posted by: Lisa on December 24, 2008 9:33 PM

I made these last week, and they were incredible. Mine actually did not spread very much. I let the butter sit at room temperature about 30 minutes, and I used a package of Heath Bits and a package of Nestle Chocolate Chunks. I skipped the nuts; one of my sons has a nut allergy so I always substitute chips (cinnamon, butterscotch, or chocolate depending on the recipe) for nuts. They looked like regular chocolate chip cookies, but they tasted like heaven!

Posted by: Carol on January 11, 2009 11:18 AM

I made these for a friend's party. They were a hit. I used my food processor to chop up the heath bars. There were some chunks but most of the candy came out very fine. Which was great because the whole cookie had the toffee flavor. Great recipe!

Posted by: Jenny on January 18, 2009 5:41 PM

Just found this site and love it! My daughter and I made the Heath Bar cookies this evening. Very yummy, but a bit too flat and crispy for our taste. Wish we had read the comments first - we'll make some of the suggested changes next time!

Posted by: Kris on January 28, 2009 4:48 PM

These cookies were soooo good! I'm always cautious about using new recipes, especially since I had only one chance to make these great for a party that night.
After reading all the comments just to be extra safe, I decided to use only 1 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I let the eggs and butter warm to room temperature while I was chopping up the Heath bars. Also, I didn't have any parchment paper on hand, so I had no choice but to grease the cookie sheet with some butter. I know that greasing a cookie sheet isn't always the best idea, but it worked fine for me. I took out my first batch after 10 minutes, and they came out a little too soft and uncooked, so I left the rest of them in for about 13 minutes, and they came out perfect.
Everyone, kids and adults both, loved the cookies! I must have made at least 60,and by the time everyone had left, there were only two left on the plate. There were 13 people at the party.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe!

Posted by: Jeanne on January 29, 2009 3:33 PM

Canadian Skor bars are the same as Heath Bars, except for the toffee in the Heath bar is a little thicker! The skor bits would work just fine :)

Posted by: janelle on April 1, 2009 1:25 PM

I am making these cookies as I type... belly full of the delicious cookie dough! :)

Like many others, mine are turning out quite flat, which is OK with me and hopefully will be with the people at work I'm taking them to.

I really, truly dislike any sort of nuts in my cookies.... what could I use to replace. I read someone say chocolate chips! Wish I would have thought of it.

Oh, and FYI: at my grocery store, they had milk-chocolate-covered Heath Toffee Bits. Like a candy bar, already busted up! (and tasty)

Posted by: Tracy on May 27, 2009 6:25 PM

I have found that using cold butter vs softened butter helps keep these cookies from spreading too thin. I just use a paring knife to cut it into small pieces before mixing it. I also use Pilsbury's Best flour and my cookies don't "fall" when they are cooling.

Posted by: Seeingi2i on June 4, 2009 4:45 PM

I agree, Elise. These cookies are fantastic. Thanks for the tip about how much they spread on the pan. That helped alot. I made them twice. Once as written and the second time with white and brown sugars. Both times with the chocolate toffee bits. Both delicious!

Posted by: Beth on June 22, 2009 11:38 AM

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