Get ready to fall in love with these California Brittle Cookies. Filled with toffee and almond flavors and chunks of See's California Brittle, these cookies are impossible to resist! Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this California Brittle Cookie recipe.

hand holding california brittle cookie up to the camera

Growing up in Southern California, we always had See's Candies for special occasions. Everyone would smile at the sight of the classic white box. It wasn't until I was older that I realized you could actually go to the store and pick out your favorites to make your own custom box. I loved doing this because I always wanted extra Calfornia Brittle and Butterscotch Squares.

Then we were able to get the pre-packed bags of California Brittle and that became a staple in stockings for Christmas. My whole family is head over heels for the California Brittle so it was only natural to create a cookie showcasing our favorite chocolate.

The toffee, almond, and milk chocolate go so well inside a nice chewy brown butter cookie.

chopped up See's california brittle on a small wood board chopped up See's California brittle on a small wood board on an light surface

This month we celebrate Mrs. See's Birthday and all of the incredibly delicious chocolates from See's Candies. Make sure to check out your local See's Candies for all of the chocolate specials, and make sure you grab some California Brittle to make these cookies!

Let's get to the recipe

This post was sponsored by See's Candies. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Confessions of a Baking Queen possible.

sees california brittle cookies on a wire cooling rack on top of a blue linen on a light surface

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
How to freeze
Can you double
Thicker Cookie
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

For this cookie recipe you will need:

Browned Butter. I tested this recipe multiple ways and found that we loved the flavor of the brown butter but enjoyed the texture from creaming the butter with the sugars. So to achieve that perfect cookie you'll need to brown some butter then chill it back to room temperature to cream it with the sugars. If you are in a hurry you can skip using brown butter and use regular room temperature butter.
Granulated Sugar. White sugar helps sweeten the cookies and encourages them to spread and brown while baking.
Light Brown Sugar. Using more brown sugar adds a bit more moisture to the cookie dough, creating a chewier cookie.
Large Eggs. You'll need one whole egg and one additional egg yolk, adding the extra egg yolk adds more fat to the dough helping create a moister, chewier cookie. Your eggs should be at room temperature. You can do this quickly by placing the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes before cracking them open.
Pure Vanilla Extract. Make sure you use real vanilla extract, not the imitation stuff!
Almond Extract. I tried this cookie with and without the almond extract but felt that the almond extract tied in beautifully to the toffee brittle.
All-Purpose Flour. I always encourage you to measure your ingredients by weight, a scale, as opposed to by volume, using cups. Adding too much or too little flour can totally alter the recipe.
Baking Soda. This chemical leavening agent helps the cookies rise while baking and also helps them brown while baking.
Baking Powder. This chemical leavening agent helps the cookies rise while baking and have those beautiful crinkles throughout the cookie.
Salt. You may be tempted to skip this key ingredient, but trust me don't! Salt not only helps balance out the sweetness of the cookies but also helps the other ingredient's flavor profiles shine through.
See's Candies California Brittle. For the star of the cookie, you'll need to chop the chocolate coffered toffee brittle into small pieces.
Sea Salt. I highly suggest sprinkling the cookies with sea salt on top, it really helps tie in the brittle flavor.

Some other cookie recipes we love are my walnut chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and cream cheese chocolate chip cookies.

ingredients in small glass bowls for california brttle cookies on an light surface

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer combine butter and sugars.

on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

Mix on medium for around 2 minutes, until light and fluffy, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the bowl so everything combines, the color of the mixture will lighten as time goes on mixing.

vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg added to creamed butter and sugar in a glass bowl on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

Add in the whole egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract making sure to mix until fully combined. Then stir in the additional egg yolk, mixing until no trace of egg yolk remains.

egg yolk added to wet ingredients for cookie dough on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

wet ingredients for cookie dough in a glass bowl on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

dry ingredients whisked together in n glass bowl on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

Gently fold in dry ingredients then stir in the chopped California Brittle, do not over-stir!

dry ingredients added to wet ingredients for cookie dough on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

chopped up california brittle candy added to cookie dough in a glass bowl on a light surface with a blue stripped linen

I use a large three-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop 9 large cookies. Place cookie balls on a parchment-lined pan covered with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container. Chill the cookie dough at least two hours or up to 48 hours. If you chill the cookie dough for longer than 2 hours let the dough sit out on the counter for 20 minutes before baking.

california brittle cookie dough balls on a sheet pan wrapped in plastic on a light surface

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and if using, line your baking sheet with a silpat liner. Place 5 cookies on a half-sheet baking tray inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Sprinkle sea salt on top and use a large cookie scoop or large mug to circle around the cookies to create a perfectly rounded cookie.

cookie cutter circling out brittle cookies just baked on a tray on a light surface

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

sees california brittle cookies an wire rack on a light surface

How to freeze

To freeze unbaked cookie dough balls: Scoop the cookie dough and place it on a parchment-lined sheet pan or large plate to freeze, once they are frozen (about an hour or two) place the dough balls into an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake the cookies, follow normal instructions but add a minute or two to the bake time. The cookies may not spread as much from frozen, in that case when the cookies come out of the oven I bang the tray on the counter to encourage the cookies to spread.

To freeze baked cookies: Once you've baked the cookies allow them to cool completely then place them in an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat place cookies on the counter to thaw for an hour.

cookies on a light surface next to pieces of california brittle

Can you double

You can most certainly double the recipe but pressing the 2X button on the recipe card below.

I suggest baking the cookies one tray at a time for optimal heat circulation in the oven while baking.

After multiple recipe testing, we found that a thinner cookie with crunchier edges and sea salt complimented the California Brittle the best. But if you want a thicker cookie then increase the flour by ¼ cup or 31 grams.

You can see in the cookie below it is thicker and not as deep golden brown.