A sweet, snappy cross between brittle candy and classic chocolate chip cookies, this chocolate chip cookie brittle is unlike any cookie (or candy!) you’ve had before. It’s a perfectly irresistible, unique treat! Recipe includes a how-to video.
Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle
Crisp, snappy, perfectly chocolatey, this cookie brittle is like a caramelized thin cookie/candy hybrid.
It’s crisp and, well, brittle on the first bite, but then, like peanut brittle, it becomes chewy and a little sticky on your teeth as you chew. It’s a texture quite unlike any other cookie recipe I’ve ever shared (definitely not your average chocolate chip cookie) and has quickly become a fan favorite in my house!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Snappy, brittle texture! I use a few key ingredients and techniques to achieve this, and the result is so irresistible. This is not just a thin & crispy chocolate chip cookie recipe, it’s a true candy-like brittle!
- No candy thermometer or special pan needed. Unlike my other candy recipes (like my toffee recipe!), this candy is easy to make without any special tools! It’s a fantastic beginner recipe.
- Unique and party-friendly! This one stands out in a crowd, is great for making ahead, and travels well.
- Absolutely obsession-worthy; it’s like potato chips or saltine cracker candy–you seriously cannot eat just one, or two, or three. I literally gained 5 lbs the week we perfected this recipe! 😳
Ingredients
If you’ve made chocolate chip cookies, most of these ingredients will be familiar to you. I’ll review a few of the important ones before we begin!
- Butter. My first instinct was to melt the butter, but using softened instead helps introduce small air bubbles that make the cookie brittle more, well, brittle and therefore, more snap-able.
- Sugar. A combination of white and light brown sugar creates that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor. Using a bit more granulated than brown helps contribute toward that crispy, snappy texture.
- Egg white. We’re using just an egg white today, as the yolk could make our brittle softer than we’d like. If you don’t want to waste your egg yolk, use it for a batch of brookies or a pizookie.
- Baking soda. This is CRITICAL! Many recipes skip this ingredient (and essentially end up making a thin chocolate chip shortbread), but just like when making peanut brittle, baking soda is essential here. Not only does it give you a more traditional/true cookie flavor, but it also creates teeny tiny air bubbles that make it easier to snap (just like peanut brittle!).
- Flaky sea salt. This adds so much flavor–don’t skip it! You will want to add this just after the brittle comes out of the oven so it can stick.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: If you want to get a little fancy, you can drizzle/dip your brittle in melted chocolate after it cools. I have a post on how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave that you can reference if you’ve ever struggled with chocolate that siezes (clumps) before.
How to Make Cookie Brittle
- Step 1: Make the dough. Start by creaming the butter and sugars until lightened in color and smooth. You can be pretty vigorous here; we want to incorporate some air into the dough! Add the egg and vanilla, then gradually add the dry ingredients until the dough is just combined.
- Step 2: Add the chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for topping the bark. Mini chocolate chips work really well here, but I’ll mix it up with a few regular-sized chips as well.
- Step 3: Press into your pans. Divide the dough between two very lightly buttered pans. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the dough into the pans, or use my easy cheat method and lay a piece of wax paper over the dough and press into an even, very thin layer. Add your reserved chocolate chips overtop (looks pretty!).
- Step 4: Cook, cool, and snap! Bake one pan at a time until golden brown. Keep an eye on your brittle as it can burn easily, especially if you are using a dark pan. Sprinkle with sea salt immediately after removing from the oven, then let cool completely before breaking apart. PS. Thank you to Rhett for stepping in as my hand model for this photo!
SAM’S TIP: While I prefer the more rustic look, you can achieve cleaner cuts by scoring the brittle with a pizza cutter or knife while still warm from the oven (let it cool for just a few minutes, then score). If you wait until it’s cooled completely to cut or break it apart, you’ll get more jagged, crumbly edges, as seen in the photos (just as tasty!).
Frequently Asked Questions
Your brittle will soften if you try to break it apart (or eat it!) before cooling completely. Humidity can also make your brittle soft (even after cooling), so be sure to store in an airtight container at room temperature.
If needed, you can always pop your brittle back in the oven for a few minutes if it seems too soft.
Both! It’s like a very thin cookie that’s been caramelized into a candy. It’s a true hybrid, and it’s absolutely irresistible!
Yes! Toffee bits, chopped toasted pecans, or flavored chips (like butterscotch or peanut butter!) would be great here. Keep in mind that you want to keep the add-ins to ¾ cup though, so I recommend replacing some of the chocolate chips with your add-ins instead of adding even more.
More Cookie Creations
If you love this texture as much as I do, try my brownie brittle next!
Enjoy!
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Cookie Brittle
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 362kcal
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and very lightly grease 2 jelly roll pans with butter. Set aside.
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Combine butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until light and creamy.
8 Tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
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Add egg white and vanilla extract and stir again until well-combined.
1 large egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt
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Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
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Add most of the chocolate chips (but not all! Reserve some for topping the cookie bark! I use about ½ cup in the dough and ¼ cup on top) to the dough and continue to stir until evenly distributed.
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Divide the dough evenly into prepared baking sheets and press into a very thin layer (I lay a piece of wax or parchment paper over the dough and use my hands to smoosh it as thin as possible). The dough will likely not fill the whole baking sheet, but will fill most of it and should be very thin (about the thickness of a mini chocolate chip or less!).
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Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the surface of the cookie brittle.
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Bake one pan at a time in the center rack of your 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake each tray for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown all over.
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Remove from the oven and generously sprinkle all over with flaky sea salt.
Flaky sea salt
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Allow the brittle to cool completely before snapping (just use your hands to break into pieces) and enjoying. Cookie brittle should be completely hard/brittle after cooling, but if it’s not you can return it to the oven for several minutes.
Notes
Storing
Allow cookie brittle to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep away from humidity, which will soften the brittle.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.