Easy Homemade Toffee
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An unbelievably easy peasy, no-fuss, homemade toffee recipe (even for you first-timers!). So perfect for the holidays!
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Need an easy budget-friendly holiday gift for neighbors, teachers, friends and family? Some candy to munch on for all of December? I have you completely covered with this easy homemade toffee recipe.
But never made toffee before? Don’t have a candy thermometer? Don’t you worry, I got you. With the ins and outs, dos and donts, tips and tricks, a step-by-step video guide, you’ll be making so much toffee in no time!
what is the difference between toffee and caramel?
- Both toffee and caramel are made from sugar and butter, but toffee is cooked at a much higher temperature than caramel, resulting in a hard and brittle texture known as the “hard-crack” stage.
- Caramel has a creamier, thicker consistency and typically does not contain butter, yielding a soft and chewy end result.
Ingredients
Almonds
We love whole almonds but you can improvise with your favorite nuts such as walnuts or pecans.
Butter
A quintessential toffee ingredient! We always recommend using unsalted butter as it allows for more control and consistency. You can of course replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
Sugar
Granulated sugar is a must. We do not recommend using brown sugar as the molasses in the brown sugar has a higher chance of burning and scorching.
Vanilla extract
For added flavor! You can omit if needed, but the subtle notes of vanilla flavors certainly takes this toffee to the next level.
Salt
A little bit of salt allows the other flavors of the toffee to shine through.
Chocolate chips
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are perfect here, melting their way over the hot toffee.
Pecans
An added crunch as a finishing touch! But you can also use almonds, pistachios or walnuts.
tips and tricks for success
- Patience. Making toffee is a labor of love. Do not try to rush the process and increase the heat for faster results.
- Use a heavy saucepan. A heavy bottom saucepan is key for even heat distribution. A thin bottom saucepan tends to heat too fast, causing separation and burning.
- Avoid abrupt temperature changes. A sudden drop or increase in temperature can cause separation. We want to keep the temperature consistent and steady.
- Use a jar of peanut butter as a color guide. Known as the “peanut butter trick”, it is helpful to have a jar of peanut butter handy in order to cook the hot toffee until it resembles approximately the same color as peanut butter.
Storing and freezing HOMEMADE TOFFEE
- At room temperature. Leftover toffee can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week with layers separated by wax paper to avoid from getting sticky.
- In the refrigerator. Leftover toffee can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks with layers separated by wax paper to avoid from getting sticky.
- In the freezer. Leftover toffee can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze toffee, place the leftover toffee pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet (making sure the pieces are not touching), covered, and place in the freezer until frozen. This can take a few hours or overnight. Once frozen, transfer the frozen toffee pieces into freezer bags, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Easy Homemade Toffee: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using a heavy saucepan for the best results possible, and to avoid any abrupt temperature changes during the cooking process. In some cases, separated toffee can be salvaged by removing from heat and whisking vigorously and constantly.
We recommend using whole almonds but pecans, pistachios or walnuts will also work very well here.
A candy thermometer is not necessary here. The beauty of this recipe is its ease and simplicity!
This is a handy trick to help cook the toffee mixture until it resembles the color of peanut butter.
Homemade toffee can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week (away from heat) or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, letting it come to room temperature prior to serving.
Here is a foolproof step-by-step video guide for a stress-free toffee!
Easy Homemade Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Spread almonds in an even layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar vanilla and salt over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is almond brown in color, about 10-15 minutes.
- Immediately spread the hot toffee mixture evenly over the almonds. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. After 1-2 minutes, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer until smooth. Sprinkle with pecans.
- Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Break into pieces.
Did you make this recipe?
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I have made this for many years. To decrease the cost, eliminate the nuts or use walnuts
which brings the cost down. You can omit the chocolate chips. I have never made it with chips.
These make nice little gifts, and you didn’t break the bank, especially around the holidays.
This is definitely my go to recipe for Toffee and it is my favorite dessert ever! Thank you for making it so easy. I double this and it takes 20-30 minutes. The peanut butter trick is perfect. If you stop on the lighter side, the toffee will be softer and will be harder on the darker side so right in the middle is the best. Also, when I sprinkle pecans on top, I slightly push the pecans into the chocolate to make sure they stick. I usually double this and then make 2 batches each time because everyone I know wants some. The perfect gift for Christmas & New Years for neighbors and friends. Oh, and you can use any kind of nuts. Almonds or pecans as the base are our favorites. Delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe.
This is my favorite thing for dessert! my mom and I make this every year. instead, we put walnuts on top and don’t use almonds.
I’ve made this several times and usually it turns out perfect, but sometimes the butter separates. I’ve found that if you keep cooking and stirring, it almost always comes back together. It takes patience. One time it just did not come back together, but I poured it onto the almonds anyway and once it hardened, I put it on paper towels to absorb the extra grease. It still tasted great.
I was so happy to find this recipe after my candy thermometer broke, it was quick and easy and turned out delicious, this is my new go to recipe. Thanks for sharing!
oh, man. This did not work for me. And I am so disappointed. All seemed fine until just before it got to the “peanut butter” color. Then it separated and no amount of whisking put it back together. I took it off the heat and kept stirring and stirring. No luck. I finally added a bit of water, as one person commented, and I thought it would do the trick, but no. I wonder if I cooked it TOO LONG, and maybe I need to use a thermometer and try again. sigh.
I wonder if your heat was a bit too high. I have had the same thing happen before. In my opinion it’s worth trying again because it is so good when it turns out!
What size backing sheet? You don’t specify a size.
Made this for a local North Georgia fair and it sold out! Great recipe and super easy recipe! Trick I learned – cook caramel to Jar of peanut butter color. Worked great. Try this – you won’t be sorry!
I have made this recipe using Monkfruit sweetener and tonight with Alluose.
The Monkfruit toffee is dry and grainy like Almond Roca whereas the Alluose made the toffee chewy and rich and the layers more distinct. Alluose is used quite a bit to make sugar free marshmallows which are chewy so I guess that style of sweetener adds chew whereas Monkfruit is prone to crystallization at cold temps (and can have a slightly cooling after taste – weird but delicious all at once) so the different sweeteners definitely offer different textures. Both absolutely ridiculous in flavor though
This is a new family favorite at Christmas. The peanut butter trick works every time. Love how easy this is!
I’ve made this twice now and holy moly it is amazing. First time I used white sugar, second time I substituted maple syrup and both turned out amazing. The peanut butter jar trick is spot on – medium heat constantly whisking for 20 minutes was perfection.
I quite liked this but I would like to taste a stronger caramel flavour. Would cooking the mixture a wee bit longer achieve this?
I’ve made this every year since 2019 and it’s always turned out perfectly. Sometimes I leave the nuts out (my kids prefer it without nuts) and sometimes I use them, but either way it always turns out perfect. A huge hit among our family & friends. Thanks for such a great, simple recipe!
I made this toffee last night and it turned out great and tasted so delicious that I had a hard time giving it away,I will definitely be making more! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe
Mine crumbled apart when I when to break it up into pieces. It tasted good but the pieces crumbled apart on the bottom. It was like a cookie crust bottom rather than hard toffee. Any suggestions?
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s amazing!!!! Follow the recipe and you’ll get a great result. The only times I’ve had issues with toffee if I cooked it too hot and fast, got water in it somehow or didn’t cook it enough.
This is, by far, the best toffee recipe EVER! Easy to make, and everyone I’ve shared it with says they love it. The recipe is a keeper and will be my annual holiday go-to for gifting. Thanks so much!
Love this! We actually “toast” the almonds in the butter – then they start “popping” we know they’re almost done! Either way – same recipe. I looove this toffee!! Gonna try it this way to see how it turns out! Thanks for the recipe!! 🙂
I haven’t made it yet but I’m so excited to try it!!
Can I substitute light brown sugar for the white sugar?
Absolutely amazing toffee. I normally make pecan toffee but this toffee with the almonds was wonderful! Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe. (It took about 20 mins cooking for me on a gas stove).
Great easy recipe! I chopped toasted almonds for the bottom & added pecans on the top!!
I bake a lot of sweets but this one my kids have asked for several times now!!