Toll House Cookies | The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie
Learn how New England innkeeper Ruth Wakefield invented the most popular cookie in America (Toll House Cookies) by adding Nestle chocolate bits to her cookies.
By Aimee Tucker|Oct 13 2021|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine Keenan
Today it’s the most popular cookie in America, but the original Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie, was invented right here in New England by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, during the 1930s. Made with flour, brown sugar, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and walnuts (the nuts are optional, of course — it may be that only the great “hot or cold” lobster roll debate is more passionately argued than “nuts or no nuts”), Toll House cookies are a simple drop cookie that children, adults, and even Santa Claus can agree on.
They were invented, it turns out, as a happy accident. Ruth and her husband had purchased the 1709 toll house in 1930 with plans to turn it into an inn (appropriately named the Toll House Inn) since the location was perfectly situated between Boston and New Bedford. A former dietician and food lecturer with a passion for quality cookery, Ruth was experimenting in the kitchen one day when she decided to take a bar of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate and break it up into bits, which she added to a butter drop cookie batter. When she took them out of the oven, she was surprised to see that the chocolate hadn’t melted, and the firm bits gave the cookies a unique (and addictive) crunch.
She liked the texture so much she called them Chocolate Crunch Cookies, and added the recipe to her collection.
From Chocolate Crunch Cookies to Classic Toll House Cookies. This is the original Toll House Cookie recipe.
The recipe made its way to a Boston newspaper, and as its popularity grew, so did the sale of Nestle chocolate bars. With Ruth’s permission, Nestle began printing the recipe on the bar’s wrapper, and in 1939, they started selling the chocolate bits on their own in bags, calling them “morsels.” The recipe, nearly identical to the original Toll House Cookie recipe, is still printed on each bag today.
I learned this fact when I found a 1945 edition of Ruth Wakefield’s Toll House Tried and True Recipes (originally published in 1936). You can see the recipe in the photo above. Today’s bakers may take special note of how the recipe is written, with just a word or two after each ingredient to signify what to do with it. Quite a change from today’s meticulous recipe instructions!
Are you a Toll House cookies fan? Do you prefer the original Toll House cookie recipe or a more modern spin? Let us know!
This post was first published in 2014 and has been updated.
YES I am! This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve found that if you let the cookie batter sit in the refrigerator for a while (or freezer if you’re impatient) and harden up a bit, they will be more fluffy and not so flat. This recipe is so simple, but so so good!
I was interested to see originally it said one teaspoon baking soda dissolved in one teaspoon warm water. When I was first married, I recall the recipe called for water. Why does it no longer include water?
I grew up in the next town to the Toll House in Whitman. The toll house collected the toll on the king’s highway high ran through Whitman going from Boston to New Bedford. Lots of history in that area.
Loved reading about the origins of the cookie and the original recipe. I used this recipe for the first time today, and love it. Had never seen a use of baking soda dissolved in water before. I didn’t chill my dough, and loved the crisper cookie as a result. May try chilling it next time.
I grew up in Hingham, and Ruth Wakefield was one of my mother’s best friends and aunt to my classmate Leslie Graves, who lived next door. I think Nestle altered her recipe. She always said she wanted dark brown sugar, not light, to get some of the molasses taste as a sweetener.
This is one of the few recipes actually committed to memory! My only change to the original recipe is to use one stick each of butter and margarine softened and creamed together, only because it’s what I had left in the fridge during a snow storm! Cookies came out light and fluffy! And, I absolutely have to make them for every family event and church pot luck dinner! Thank you for the history of my family’s favorite cookie!
Enjoyed learning the history of the Toll House cookie. The recipe on the package isn’t the same as when I was growing up. I have a handwritten copy of the recipe I grew up with. It uses 1C shortening and water. There is a difference in the cookie I make now, when I grew up.
Yes I remember that recipe and I was looking for it because I knew it had water in it. Also I hate to say my mom used crisco and butter. They were much higher than mine are now using just butter.
I invited a young man, new in town, to my parent’s home for some of my fresh baked Toll House cookies. We have been married for 37 years now. The way to a man’s heart is indeed through his stomach.
I have my Mom’s 1941 copy of “Ruth Wakefield’s Toll House Tried and True Recipes” inscribed “To Betty, one of my very most favorite gals! Fondly, Ruth”. The “Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies” recipe is on Page 216. 1st item is 1 cup of Butter. My brother was Mr. And Mrs. Wakefield’s paper boy. A handwritten note from my Mom to me says: “Thought you might like this. Marmie (my Grandmother Betsey Wixon) was one of the original 35 guests Ruth entertained before the official opening of the restaurant. Your father and I were among the 100 invited guests she had for the opening of the tree room. If you remember, she had a room built around a tree. It went through the roof so she could serve more customers.” I grew up in Whitman a few blocks from The Toll House. I’ve had this treasure of a book for many years and am still so thrilled to see and touch all its handwritten notes, knowing these pages were touched by the loving hands of my beautiful Mom, Betty Wixon Poole, my precious Grandmother Betsey Porter Wixon, and our lovely neighbor Ruth Graves Wakefield. So, so special.
I’ve long since baked the Toll House cookie recipe as a pan sheet version, making what my family has called Marble Squares since I can remember. My first job at the age of 12 was in a delicatessen and I’ve worked in many restaurants in my life, and have accumulated extensive cooking skills. I’ve treasured some Ovenex jelly roll trays that are older than I, and we’ve made many a batch of Marble Squares in this beloved devise. Sadly, I’ve had to make dietary changes for health reasons and baking was one of the casualties.
This year, I had a craving for some of my beloved treats and the caretaker for my mother had pretty good baking skills. I asked her to make a batch of the Toll House cookie recipe and told her how we used it to make Marble Squares. We used the same Ovenex jelly roll sheet and the dough couldn’t even cover the whole pan. I thought it was because we used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour (the healthier eating I alluded to earlier). Tonight I personally made a batch according to the recipe on the package of Nestles Semi-Sweet Morsels. With the correct flour, I almost but not quite filled the pan. I must have spent at least 30 minutes trying to spread that dough.
The result was quite disappointing. The dough used to rise and often be slightly higher than the edge of the pan. This attempt turned out flat and extremely hard, even after only 17 minutes of cooking time.
i see how you could feel this way about the famous cookys that are very tasty and delicuious i assume you know who jacup forstheth is as you being the famous sctor from a cookies sunday were ou explain how people inn the 1700s would instead of eat the cookie they would break into pecies and snort it through their noses just like if you were to cocaine. So id like to finish with thank for babysitting my nephew last night he thourelly enjoyed your company
We’ve made these for 4 generations, and I love the personal stories posted here <3
My guess about butter vs. shortening is that as rationing went into effect, butter in the original recipe became shortening or margarine, because as the photo above, my great-grandmother insisted they only turned out “right” with 100% butter. And we’ve only ever used dark brown sugar, and always dissolve the soda in warm water.
The two modifications my mom makes are: melting the butter rather than creaming it, and grinding pecans almost to powder before incorporating them, which these days requires a disclaimer about nuts when we give them as gifts… but the flavor is wonderful and we are asked all the time for the recipe.
Also, modern scoops for drop cookies are quite large… we’ve always used two spoons, with the size of the drop being roughly a rounded teaspoon, which yields perfect bite-sized cookies that have become a hallmark of our family’s version.
A note on texture: we prefer crispy cookies, more like lace cookies or “cat’s tongue” butter cookies. Melting the butter seems to be the key to yielding a perfectly crisp cookie (but not flat like Tate’s).
We would make 12 batches a season, every one slipped from the cookie sheet onto an unfolded grocery store brown paper bag (kraft paper is smoother/less absorbent), and packed into a cookie tin lined with aluminum foil to keep them crisp.
Love seeing everyone’s stories here … now you have ours ????. Happy holidays all!
I am 84 and was brought up in Milton, MA and remember going to Ruth Wakefield’s restaurant many times. She would always walk through the restaurant talking with everyone, and there was a tree in the middle of it. I also have the original Toll House Cook Book from 1930.
Ruth Wakefield graduated from Framingham Home Economics Department. It was a teacher’s college and is now a university. A best friend at school worked summers at Toll House and lived in the town. I ate there once as a child with my parents.
Love the original toll house cookies–my favorite chocolate chip homemade cookie. Had to laugh at the comment to see Ruth Wakefield’s way of writing a recipe–the ingredient and a couple words on what to do with it. Although I print out the directions, I make sure that the ingredients are listed in order, then note beside each ingredient [or bracketed set] what to do. If a second bowl or pot/pan is needed, the recipe gets a line under it and a note in the left margin.
Thanks to all those who supplied hints, variations, etc. I always learn from them, but I’ll stick to Ruth’s original on this one!
So, when I was a little baby, my great grandma (Grandma Cookie) gave me the nickname Brookie Cookie, and it stuck ever since. My family, friends, teachers, and everyone I know calls me Brookie Cookie. I love baking the toll house cookies, but I use water in the recipe as well. It’s always been something to look forward to at our family, school, and church gatherings. Thanks for sharing!
YES I am! This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve found that if you let the cookie batter sit in the refrigerator for a while (or freezer if you’re impatient) and harden up a bit, they will be more fluffy and not so flat. This recipe is so simple, but so so good!
Great tip, Heather! Warm dough is no friend to fluffy cookies! 🙂
I was interested to see originally it said one teaspoon baking soda dissolved in one teaspoon warm water. When I was first married, I recall the recipe called for water. Why does it no longer include water?
I grew up in the next town to the Toll House in Whitman. The toll house collected the toll on the king’s highway high ran through Whitman going from Boston to New Bedford. Lots of history in that area.
Loved reading about the origins of the cookie and the original recipe. I used this recipe for the first time today, and love it. Had never seen a use of baking soda dissolved in water before. I didn’t chill my dough, and loved the crisper cookie as a result. May try chilling it next time.
I grew up in Hingham, and Ruth Wakefield was one of my mother’s best friends and aunt to my classmate Leslie Graves, who lived next door. I think Nestle altered her recipe. She always said she wanted dark brown sugar, not light, to get some of the molasses taste as a sweetener.
Dark sugar does sound better!
This is one of the few recipes actually committed to memory! My only change to the original recipe is to use one stick each of butter and margarine softened and creamed together, only because it’s what I had left in the fridge during a snow storm! Cookies came out light and fluffy! And, I absolutely have to make them for every family event and church pot luck dinner! Thank you for the history of my family’s favorite cookie!
Enjoyed learning the history of the Toll House cookie. The recipe on the package isn’t the same as when I was growing up. I have a handwritten copy of the recipe I grew up with. It uses 1C shortening and water. There is a difference in the cookie I make now, when I grew up.
Yes I remember that recipe and I was looking for it because I knew it had water in it. Also I hate to say my mom used crisco and butter. They were much higher than mine are now using just butter.
Nestles has a recipe on their semi sweet choc bits for toll house cookies. I use shortening in my redipe, never butter.
Is it possible for you to share your original recipe?
I invited a young man, new in town, to my parent’s home for some of my fresh baked Toll House cookies. We have been married for 37 years now. The way to a man’s heart is indeed through his stomach.
I have my Mom’s 1941 copy of “Ruth Wakefield’s Toll House Tried and True Recipes” inscribed “To Betty, one of my very most favorite gals! Fondly, Ruth”. The “Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies” recipe is on Page 216. 1st item is 1 cup of Butter. My brother was Mr. And Mrs. Wakefield’s paper boy. A handwritten note from my Mom to me says: “Thought you might like this. Marmie (my Grandmother Betsey Wixon) was one of the original 35 guests Ruth entertained before the official opening of the restaurant. Your father and I were among the 100 invited guests she had for the opening of the tree room. If you remember, she had a room built around a tree. It went through the roof so she could serve more customers.” I grew up in Whitman a few blocks from The Toll House. I’ve had this treasure of a book for many years and am still so thrilled to see and touch all its handwritten notes, knowing these pages were touched by the loving hands of my beautiful Mom, Betty Wixon Poole, my precious Grandmother Betsey Porter Wixon, and our lovely neighbor Ruth Graves Wakefield. So, so special.
I’ve long since baked the Toll House cookie recipe as a pan sheet version, making what my family has called Marble Squares since I can remember. My first job at the age of 12 was in a delicatessen and I’ve worked in many restaurants in my life, and have accumulated extensive cooking skills. I’ve treasured some Ovenex jelly roll trays that are older than I, and we’ve made many a batch of Marble Squares in this beloved devise. Sadly, I’ve had to make dietary changes for health reasons and baking was one of the casualties.
This year, I had a craving for some of my beloved treats and the caretaker for my mother had pretty good baking skills. I asked her to make a batch of the Toll House cookie recipe and told her how we used it to make Marble Squares. We used the same Ovenex jelly roll sheet and the dough couldn’t even cover the whole pan. I thought it was because we used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour (the healthier eating I alluded to earlier). Tonight I personally made a batch according to the recipe on the package of Nestles Semi-Sweet Morsels. With the correct flour, I almost but not quite filled the pan. I must have spent at least 30 minutes trying to spread that dough.
The result was quite disappointing. The dough used to rise and often be slightly higher than the edge of the pan. This attempt turned out flat and extremely hard, even after only 17 minutes of cooking time.
What happened? Something is drastically wrong.
haha yes i love dese cookies veri gud
i see how you could feel this way about the famous cookys that are very tasty and delicuious i assume you know who jacup forstheth is as you being the famous sctor from a cookies sunday were ou explain how people inn the 1700s would instead of eat the cookie they would break into pecies and snort it through their noses just like if you were to cocaine. So id like to finish with thank for babysitting my nephew last night he thourelly enjoyed your company
WOW KAREN! I love your input and i am goeing gto meke these cockies for my child rein thenk ue
We’ve made these for 4 generations, and I love the personal stories posted here <3
My guess about butter vs. shortening is that as rationing went into effect, butter in the original recipe became shortening or margarine, because as the photo above, my great-grandmother insisted they only turned out “right” with 100% butter. And we’ve only ever used dark brown sugar, and always dissolve the soda in warm water.
The two modifications my mom makes are: melting the butter rather than creaming it, and grinding pecans almost to powder before incorporating them, which these days requires a disclaimer about nuts when we give them as gifts… but the flavor is wonderful and we are asked all the time for the recipe.
Also, modern scoops for drop cookies are quite large… we’ve always used two spoons, with the size of the drop being roughly a rounded teaspoon, which yields perfect bite-sized cookies that have become a hallmark of our family’s version.
A note on texture: we prefer crispy cookies, more like lace cookies or “cat’s tongue” butter cookies. Melting the butter seems to be the key to yielding a perfectly crisp cookie (but not flat like Tate’s).
We would make 12 batches a season, every one slipped from the cookie sheet onto an unfolded grocery store brown paper bag (kraft paper is smoother/less absorbent), and packed into a cookie tin lined with aluminum foil to keep them crisp.
Love seeing everyone’s stories here … now you have ours ????. Happy holidays all!
I am 84 and was brought up in Milton, MA and remember going to Ruth Wakefield’s restaurant many times. She would always walk through the restaurant talking with everyone, and there was a tree in the middle of it. I also have the original Toll House Cook Book from 1930.
That’s such a great memory. Lucky you to have had all those experiences and the original cookbook as well!
Ruth Wakefield graduated from Framingham Home Economics Department. It was a teacher’s college and is now a university. A best friend at school worked summers at Toll House and lived in the town. I ate there once as a child with my parents.
I love them with a cup of coffee but i like them crispy.
I remember buying them at our skating rink back in the 60th
Love the original toll house cookies–my favorite chocolate chip homemade cookie. Had to laugh at the comment to see Ruth Wakefield’s way of writing a recipe–the ingredient and a couple words on what to do with it. Although I print out the directions, I make sure that the ingredients are listed in order, then note beside each ingredient [or bracketed set] what to do. If a second bowl or pot/pan is needed, the recipe gets a line under it and a note in the left margin.
Thanks to all those who supplied hints, variations, etc. I always learn from them, but I’ll stick to Ruth’s original on this one!
So, when I was a little baby, my great grandma (Grandma Cookie) gave me the nickname Brookie Cookie, and it stuck ever since. My family, friends, teachers, and everyone I know calls me Brookie Cookie. I love baking the toll house cookies, but I use water in the recipe as well. It’s always been something to look forward to at our family, school, and church gatherings. Thanks for sharing!