Heath Bar Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Heath Bar Cookies are a chocolatey, caramel-filled treat inspired by “Better Than Anything” cakes, topped with whipped cream frosting and crunchy toffee bits.

Prep Time45

Cook Time15

Chilling Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Heath Bar Cookies

Servings: large (4-ounce) cookies

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.12

Equipment

Hand mixer or stand mixer
1M Open Star Piping Tip
Piping bag
Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
Silicone baking mat

Ingredients

Cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup
3/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder see note 1
1/2 cup cake flour see note 2
3/4 cup all-purpose flour see note 3
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
12 soft caramels unwrapped

Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese brick-style and full-fat, not cream cheese from a tub
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
English Toffee Baking Bits

US - Metric

Instructions

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 the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add in cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat until just combined, scraping the sides with a spatula as needed. Add in cake flour (read note 3 first) and regular flour and again beat until combined. Don’t overbeat the mixture. Add the mini and regular-sized chocolate chips. Fold the chips and cookies into the dough with a spatula. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 45 minutes up to 2 hours.
After chilling, remove the bowl from the fridge and form 6 cookie dough balls. Each ball should be just over 4 ounces (117 grams each). Roll into large balls, then split each ball in half and press 2 unwrapped caramels in the center. Roll the balls back up, being careful to fully cover the caramels. Place dough balls on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan or plate and return them to the fridge or freezer to chill for 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°F. Line an extra-large sheet pan with a silicone liner (parchment paper works, but the cookies bake better on a silicone liner). Add 3 dough balls to the pan, leaving plenty of space between each cookie. Bake for 13–18 minutes, erring on the side of slightly under-baking (I think they’re perfect at 15 minutes). They’re slightly under-baked but will firm up to nice, fudgy/chewy cookies as they set. Remove from oven and immediately press the edges of the cookie inward with the back of a metal spatula to get the perfect round bakery-style cookie. Let cookies stand on the pan 10–15 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool and finish firming up. Repeat process with the last 3 cookies.
Place 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. Switch to low speed and slowly add in the heavy cream; beat until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape the sides with a spatula as needed. Once all the cream has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Watch carefully to avoid overbeating. Gently fold in the vanilla with a spatula if adding.
Transfer whipped cream frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip. Generously frost each cookie, equally dividing the frosting among the 6 cookies.
(I use all the frosting, but if you don’t want to use it all, save the rest to use as a fruit dip or addition to other desserts.) Immediately top with crushed Heath bits (to desired preference). Cookies are best enjoyed within a couple of hours; otherwise, the frosting will begin to soften or weep. (See Storage if you won’t be eating these all at once).

Notes

Note 1: 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 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 makes these cookies soft, fluffy, and tender. Combined with all-purpose flour, it creates the perfect texture. You can usually find it in the baking aisle. I don’t recommend substitutes or homemade versions—they won’t work the same in this recipe.

Note 3: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour and scoop, you will pack in way too much flour, which affects the texture of these cookies. To 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.)

Storage: These cookies don’t store or freeze well with frosting. For extras, keep cookies at room temperature in an airtight container and refrigerate the frosting separately. Re-whip the frosting before serving. It stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.

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