Chocolate chip cookies were invented in 1938 by Ruth Graves Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts.
Who invented them
Ruth Graves Wakefield, a baker and co-owner of the Toll House Inn, created the original “Toll House” chocolate chip cookie that became widely popular and associated with Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate.
Where and how
At the Toll House Inn, Wakefield broke up semi-sweet chocolate and mixed the pieces into a butter cookie dough, producing distinct chocolate “chips” that held their shape when baked, a key feature of the new cookie style.
Year and legacy
Multiple reliable histories and summaries date the invention to 1938, after which the recipe spread nationally and was promoted in connection with Nestlé chocolate as “Toll House Cookies”.
