Ingredients:

For the Cookies-

1/2 cup (8 tbsps.) Vegan Butter, browned

1 medium Banana, ripe

50 grams (1/4 cup) Granulated Sugar

224 grams (3/4 cup) Brown Sugar 

250 grams (2 cups) All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

For the Toffee Bits- 

4 Tbsps. Vegan Butter 

5/8 cup (1/2 + 1/8 cup) Granulated Sugar 

1/4 Cup Plant Milk (I use Soy Milk) 

1 tsp. Maple Syrup

Pinch of Kosher Salt

1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, to top the toffee once it's cooked

Method: 

(see pictures and video tutorial below the steps)

Step 1: Brown the butter. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Stirring constantly, drop the heat to medium-low and continue to cook. The butter will continue to bubble, but it will also begin to brown. This will take at least 10 minutes, but be patient, it will brown. You don't want to heat the butter too high, or it will evaporate and cook down too quickly. Keep stirring. Check your butter by scraping away bubbles quickly to see the color and how browned it is. Once brown, take off the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes. 

Step 2: As the butter cools, prepare the banana. In a small bowl, mash the banana until few chunks remain. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt to the banana and continue to mix/ mash together. 

Step 3: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter. Mix by hand or electric mixer until the sugar and butter have combined. The mixture will be pale and fluffy, as you have whipped air into the mixture. 

Step 4: Add the banana mixture and whisk again. 

Step 5: Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough is just combined. Cover or store the dough in an air-tight container. I left my dough in the fridge for 2 days before baking, but any amount of resting is good for the dough. I would recommend at least overnight. 

Step 6: Make the toffee two hours before you plan on baking the cookies. Have a sheet pan with a silicon mat or parchment paper prepped next to you, ready for you to pour the toffee. You will also want a spatula and some oven mitts nearby, as things will move quickly once the toffee is ready to pour out. Have your chocolate chips measured and ready to be spread on top. 

In a medium pot or saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over medium-high until boiling. Stir constantly. Once bubbling, drop the temperature to medium and continue to cook. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until the toffee turns a medium brown color. If you have a candy thermometer, you will want to take the toffee off the heat once it reaches 285 degrees F. 

Step 7: Once the toffee is cooked, immediately pour it onto your prepared baking mat. Use a spatula to scrape out the rest of the toffee. Wait 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle your chocolate chips over the mixture. Using the spatula, spread the chocolate in an even layer over the toffee. Leave to set, about 20 minutes, then place in the fridge to harden all the way. 

 Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Leave your dough out at room temperature as your toffee cools. 

Step 9: Once the toffee is all the way cooled, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the toffee into smaller bits. I did mine no larger than the size of a nickel. However, this is based on preference and depends on what size of toffee you'd like. Once crushed, add to the dough and mix until fully combined in your dough. I used my hands to mix it in, as the dough is quite stiff. 

Step 10: The dough will make about 11 cookies if each is roughly 76 grams (1/4 cup) of dough. I made 6 cookies at 76 grams each and 7 cookies at 58 grams each (roughly 3 tbsps.).  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2.5 inches apart. They don't spread very much, so they don't have to be placed too far apart.

Step 11: Bake for 8 minutes, then flip the tray. Bake for 5-8 more minutes, until the cookies have formed a matte crust on top of the cookies. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, then enjoy. 

Questions:

Can I make it ahead? Yes! Because the cookies must be refrigerated before baking, you could freeze the cookies in an air-tight bag or container and bake whenever you feel like it! 

Can I use a different toffee? Yes, if you have another favorite toffee recipe or a store-bought one, feel free to replace the toffee with what you have. I haven't found vegan store-bought toffee yet, so I had to make it. 

What if I don't want it spiced? Feel free to omit the cinnamon and nutmeg if you want a strictly banana, chocolate, and toffee cookie. I added cinnamon and nutmeg because these are banana bread cookies, but add or subtract the spices you like, and let me know how they are!

Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.