(Better Than) Toll House Cookie Recipe

If you love the family favorite, classic Toll House Cookies, you don’t want to miss this recipe! Especially since it makes Better Than Toll House Cookies by simply using malted milk powder, high-quality butter, and then chilling the cookie dough!

America’s Favorite Cookie, But Better!

Nothing beats a classic—except a recipe that’s BETTER than the classic! Think that’s a bold statement? Take just one bite of these cookies, and you’ll quickly say to yourself, “These are better than Toll House Cookies!”

If you’ve ever found yourself torn between sticking to the classic or trying something with a little twist, you’re not alone! The Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe is a staple in many kitchens (hello, nostalgia), but if you ask me, it’s not quite my all-time favorite. Here’s why: I tend to reach for a chocolate chip cookie that leans more heavily on brown sugar for that rich, caramelly chew, and I never shy away from an extra splash of vanilla! That enhanced depth of flavor just makes the cookies extra special.

Though this recipe is based on the original Toll House Cookie recipe, I made some tweaks that drastically improved these cookies to be the best! I added malted milk powder to the dough, an inexpensive ingredient that makes all the difference, enriched the cookies with COLD Kerrygold Butter, and then chilled the stacks of dough for at least 3 hours.

We also went back to the original Ruth Wakefield method of using chopped chocolate (chocolate chips weren’t invented until several years after Toll House purchased the recipe from her). This means ripples of chocolate in every bite!

The result? Delightfully rich, sweet cookies with a hint of sea salt with slightly crisp edges and satisfyingly soft, chewy centers. A total drool-worthy treat that everyone will love!

Elevated Toll House Cookie Ingredients

If you’re worried that a recipe that’s better than Toll House Cookies is filled with ingredients that you won’t have on hand, think again. To build a scrumptious cookie that can easily be made in all kitchens, it was important to me to keep the majority of the ingredients simple.

Therefore, this cookie recipe begins with pantry staple ingredients such as all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. The flavor then builds to perfection with the addition of malted milk powder and high-quality butter such as Kerrygold salted butter.

While malted milk powder isn’t necessary for the structure of the cookie, it does add an unforgettable depth of flavor that really pushes them to be better than Toll House Cookies! If you don’t have malted milk powder you can swap it out for powdered milk or powdered coffee creamer.

If gluten is a concern, try a 1:1 flour like Bob’s Red Mill in this recipe, or try these Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Another specific ingredient that’s used in this recipe is Kerrygold butter, since we need a full cup, we want to use a high-quality option to give them the best buttery flavor possible.

Then we loaded them up with semi-sweet chocolate chips and finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Oh, and we ditched Toll House Chocolate Chips because if you’re going through the trouble of waiting three hours for your cookies to be ready, you might as well use good chocolate chips.

Here’s a chocolate chip comparison you might find helpful. I personally like Guittard and Ghirardelli, but Trader Joe’s and Target’s Good and Gather Chocolate Chips are great options, too!

If you’d like, add in some chopped walnuts and flaky sea salt on top, too!

Nuts You Can Add for an Extra Crunch

You don’t have to add nuts to your Nestle Toll House cookies—but if you’re like me and can’t resist a bit of extra texture, go for it! Chopped walnuts are the classic choice, but pecans are amazing too, each bringing a toasty, buttery crunch to your batch.

Just fold them in with your chocolate chips for that irresistible nutty goodness. If you’re feeling creative, try almonds or even macadamia nuts to switch things up. These nuts not only add flavor but also make every bite a little more interesting.

How To Make Toll House Cookies

1. Prepare the dough by whisking together the all-purpose flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Then set this aside.
2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in the eggs until fully combined.
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and stir until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts (if using).
5. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-paper-lined pan, stacking the scoop of dough two high.
6. Top the doubled-stacked dough with additional chocolate chips and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
7. Chill the dough in the refrigerator to achieve the best results.
8. Transfer the chilled stacks of cookie dough onto a fresh parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure to give them plenty of space from each other.
9. Bake each batch of cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers have lost most of their glossiness.
10. Optionally, press a few additional chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. This will give them the classic chocolate chip cookie appearance.
11. How Long Should You Let Cookies Cool?
12. Once your batch comes out of the oven smelling all kinds of heavenly, give the cookies a couple of minutes right on the baking sheet—about 2 minutes should do the trick. Letting them rest ensures they finish setting up just enough so they won’t fall apart on you. After that, gently move them over to a wire rack so they can cool completely.

How To Serve Toll House Cookies

Every ooey-gooey, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie pairs best with a tall, ice-cold glass of milk! These Better Than Toll House Cookies are also excellent with ice cream between two to make an ice cream cookie sandwich!

Sometimes I even make ice cream sandwiches to keep in the freezer for when I’m in the mood for a frozen treat! You can also just pop a cookie in the microwave to warm it up and then enjoy it with a scoop of ice cream on top.

How to Store Your Baked Toll House Cookies

Keep your freshly baked Toll House cookies tasting their best by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and delicious for 3 to 5 days—assuming you don’t eat them all before then! If you’ve managed to stash away a few extras, you can also freeze them.

How To Freeze Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You can also store these cookies in the freezer for longer storage. Learn How To Freeze Cookie Dough so then you can bake these Toll House Cookies straight from the freezer for a warm, homemade treat anytime without the kitchen mess!

More Delicious Chocolate Chip Recipes!

• Edible Cookie Dough – An eggless recipe that heat treats flour to make the dough safe to eat!
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes – Tastes just like the class Fall cookie!
• Chocolate Cookie Dough Cake – An impressive cake everyone will love!
• Cookie Dough Truffles – Perfect for parties, holidays, or even game days!
• Brownie Cookies – Voted 5-stars by almost 500 readers!

This recipe was originally published in April 2018 and was updated in March 2024 with new photos and an improved recipe.