15 recipes for National Chocolate Chip Day

WASHINGTON — Chocolate chips: such a simple yet critical addition to cookies, pastries, trail mix and more. This year, National Chocolate Chip Day falls on Monday, your free pass to indulge in all things studded with the sweet morsels.

**Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies** Get an extra boost of protein from the secret ingredient that makes this recipe sing — chickpeas. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Chocolate berry baskets** Edible vessels to fill with your goodies of choice. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Overnight cherry chocolate chip oatmeal pudding** Add a splash of dessert to your breakfast of oats. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Chewy white chocolate pine nut cookies** Chocolate chips paired with orange zest give these cookies a zing. But the pine nuts add a touch of creaminess to these chewy treats. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Stovetop Popcorn Many Ways** Chocolate chips mingle with mini marshmallows and salted peanuts in this party snack. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Chocolate chip cookie dough dip** A dip to surpass all dips. Opt for the healthier version of the recipe, made with chickpeas and dates. Or forego the peas and stick to sweets. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Caramel-chocolate apple chips** A different take on the caramel apple, using chocolate morsels and baked apple slices. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Fruit and chocolate scones** Add a sweet note to your afternoon tea with chocolate chip-studded scones. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies** With months left until autumn, here’s an excuse to bring back a pumpkin-flavored treat. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

**Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie “ice cream” sandwiches** An ice cream-esque filling brings two cookies together in creamy matrimony. Find the recipe here. (PRNewsFoto/Pillsbury)

**Oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies** A comforting classic to fill up your cookie jar. This Betty Crocker recipe uses semisweet chocolate chips and quick-cooking oats. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

**Chocolate chip waffles** Batter up to hit a home run with this (somewhat) healthy version of chocolate chip waffles. A breakfast for champions, indeed. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

**Double chocolate chip brownies** Loaded with layers of chocolate in every bite, these brownies need nothing more than a cold glass of milk by its side. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Banana bread with chocolate and crystallized ginger** Take your banana bread to the next level by incorporating different textures and flavors of sweet. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

**Milk chocolate maple bacon cookies** Another way to incorporate bacon into your snacks. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

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The story behind the chocolate chip

Many sources credit Ruth Wakefiled, of Massachusetts, for the invention of the chocolate chip cookie, whose recipe you can find on Nestle’s packaging.

According to the tale, Wakefield once owned a tourist lodge called The Toll House Inn, where she created recipes and cooked for her guests.

In 1937, Wakefield was preparing a batch of cookies only to discover she was out of baker’s chocolate. She had a bar of Nestle’s semisweet chocolate on hand and used bits of it in her batter as a substitute, expecting the pieces to melt and create chocolate cookies.

But when the treats came out of the oven, Wakefield had an entirely new cookie species in her hands.

She called them “Toll House Crunch Cookies,” and they — along with Nestle semisweet chocolate chips — became so popular that she and Andrew Nestle reached a deal. Wakefield would receive a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate, and her recipe would be printed on all semisweet chocolate packaging.

Find Wakefield’s Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe on Nestle’s website, or scroll through the gallery above for 15 more recipes to celebrate the holiday.