Chocolate Chip Sweet Sand Cookies

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These sweet and salty chocolate chip cookies debuted at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland in 2022. These cookies are huge and are studded with toffee chips and chocolate chips with plenty of chocolate chips and salted walnuts on top!

We recently went to Disneyland.  Since then I’ve been trying to make all the delicious treats we were able to try while we were there. 

If you’ve ever had huge bakery style cookies (think Gideon’s Bakehouse), these cookies are similar in that they are large and are covered with chocolate chips all over the top and sides. 

I’ve made large bakery style cookies before. The ones I make the most are Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies because of how easy they are. I also make Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies which are some of my favorite cookies in Washington D.C.  Another tasty and large cookie is Crumbl Sugar Cookies with the famous pink icing on top. 

While the original cookies weight close to 1/2 pound, I prefer to go with a slightly smaller cookie.  However, these cookies are still fairly large with 1/4 cup of cookie dough in each one. 

The dough is a sweet sugar cookie dough that is studded with both chocolate chips and toffee chips.   It uses vanilla bean paste instead of extract which gives it big vanilla flavor. 

What type of chocolate chips and toffee bits should I use?

I often use Health bits for the toffee because it adds both toffee and chocolate to the mix.  You can also buy a toffee bar and crush it before adding.  As for the chocolate chips, I prefer semi-sweet so that it isn’t overly sweet.  You can use milk chocolate if you want your cookies sweeter or dark chocolate if you want it less sweet. 

The original recipe called for pistachios to place around the outside edge of the cookie.  I didn’t have pistachios so I chose to use toasted walnuts that were lightly salted and they were a good choice. 

Can I use a different type of nut?

You can use a different nut if you prefer.  The best to use in this recipe would be pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.   Any of them that are salted and toasted would be good. 

Ingredients:

• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract if you prefer)
• eggs
• baking powder
• salt
• all purpose flour
• semisweet chocolate chips
• toffee bits
• nuts (see above)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Add in the vanilla bean paste and eggs and mix well to combine.  Add in the baking powder, salt, and flour, and mix for 1 minute or until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and the toffee bits. 

Use a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop and scoop the dough into balls.  I was able to get 14 cookie dough balls.  Take each ball and press chops chips onto the tops of them.  The roll the sides in the nuts.   Bake for about 15 minutes.   Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. 

These cookies were large.  They weren’t quite as big as what the original recipe called for but one cookie can easily be shared. 

I loved putting the chocolate chips on the tops and the nuts on the side.   It added so much flavor and texture in every bite. 

Could I top the cookies with something else?

I think you could totally top the cookies with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or more toffee bits.  Any of these would work on top of the cookies. 

These cookies are great served with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk.  They are fairly soft which makes them really good.  The caramel toffee bits paired with the chocolate on top and the salted nuts is pure perfection. 

Can you freeze these cookies?

Yes!   After baking allow the cookies to cool completely.  Wrap each one in plastic wrap then place in a freezer bag.  They will keep in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. 

Chocolate Chip Sweet Sand Cookies

Large chocolate chip and toffee bit cookies topped with more chocolate chips and nuts on the side.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 large cookies

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 cookie sheet
• 1 Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
• Add in the vanilla bean paste and eggs and mix well to combine.
• Stir in the baking powder, salt, and flour and mix well to combine.
• Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and the toffee bits.
• Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough (I was able to get 14 cookie dough balls).
• Take each ball and press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the dough balls. Roll the sides in the chopped nuts.
• Form the dough back into a ball shape and place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Adapted from “The Unofficial Disney Parks Holidays Cookbook“