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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Thinking I didnt do it right. Cubed the butter, poured sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt over the top. Used a metal whisk for about 13 minutes, it got fluffy and started to separate, never did get brown, stayed pretty much the color of butter.
Out of butter, going to have to try again tomorrow.
So sorry, Ken! Hopefully it’ll turn out tomorrow.
I doing wrong. Tried 4 times. Doesnt brown and climps up. Help if you can. Thanks
I love this recipe, and it always, always,ALWAYS turns out!
My family loves this toffee and I can’t get over how simple it is.
Enjoy <3
This is a great recipe, it came out perfect but it almost didn’t. I doubled the recipe so it took a very long time for it to start to brown (30 or 40 minutes). I’n my impatience I wasn’t stirring enough I think so it started to separate. It started to get oily very quickly, I thought I had just ruined it. In a final attempt to save it I tilted the pot 45 degrees or so and folded the caramel and within a few minutes the oil was reabsorbed into the caramel. Hope this helps!
Can you double the batch?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Made my first batch today. Absolutely wonderful! The toffee was flavorful and just the right amount of crunch. Will definelty be making more!!!!
I don’t see where she mentions the graham crackers … maybe it’s just me. Love everything on your site.
Hey so I know this recipe is wicked old but it looks like the OP and/or other people from Damn Delicious are still responding so thought I’d toss in my two cents. First up, looks tasty, making it tonight. Second, I have a humble request – I am color blind and I’m sure I’m not the only one reading these posts so determining when a recipe is done by color is far from ideal for us. Please include finishing temperatures as an alternative to the generally more simple color determinations. For anyone else like me, the ideal temp for toffee is typically around 285F (toward the top end of soft crack).
I can’t wait to try it next weekend! What size sheet pan did you use? All I have are the large restaurant sheet pans. Will that be ok or will I need to double the recipe?
I would like to have the candy thinner so it is not so thick and easier to break with teeth. What do you recommend? Just spread with an offset spatula very quickly?
Omg, so easy and tasty..i just made thr easy homemade toffee. Delicious. I changed the chocolate just a bit. I had some 90% cocao, did half with that and half with the semi sweet chips. Thank you for the post. Hardest part, the stirring for 11 min. I have a bum hip..all the rest came together very well.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I finally had success making toffee! I think the key for me was keeping it on medium heat, stirring slowly and being patient.
This is the third time making these. Come out perfect every time!
This is BEST toffee ever…every time I make it I get a ton of compliments and it is sooo easy to make.
Thank You for sharing!
Love it
Easy to make
Made it at Christmas and gave it away
Everyone loved it
Made this minus the nuts and added 1/2 cup of cashews chopped to the top. The toffee was super crunchy as I hoped. Delishious recipe I’ll be using again and again! Reminds me of a Heath Candy! Thanks for sharing!
Do you need to use almonds
You certainly don’t have to. You can use any other nut that you prefer.
I love toffee, drawn to your amazing picture and eazy instructions I first read thru the comments and found that other than a couple negative there were countless very positive reviews with some additional tips. I think had those negative attempters? had spent some time and tried the tips theirs would have turned out too. I love the tip about the peanut butter and wooden spoon I would have never cooked the butter and sugar that long had I not had something to compare it too. Mine turned out PERFECT my husband just came in eating a piece asking where I got it. So easy and what a hit first time try. Thank you!!!
Wow that’s awesome, Terry!
Made this today for part of a Father’s Day gift and it came out delicious! I read comments ahead of time because some people had difficulty with it so I cooked it on a low boil and gently stirred it with a wooden spoon on and off (mostly on) until it was a light peanut butter color. A little over 10 minutes. Great recipe!
That sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing!
I’m not sure what I did wrong. Did I cook the butter/sugar mixture too long? Because it takes bitter like it burnt. But I was consistently whisking away until the mixture turned a caramel/pecan color like noted above. Please help. It was my first time making toffee and the flavor it good, the color is good all except for that burnt note I get. Thanks !
Oh no – I’m so sorry to hear that! It sounds like it may have been overcooked – you have to keep a close eye on it!
I tried your recipe but unfortunately it was a flop! The toffee was soft, it did not harden the way it should have! Luckily I found another recipe that turned out just perfect & one reason I think the other person’s recipe turned out so well because you use a thermometer and this recipe did not!
This happened to me too. I cooked it exactly as the recipe noted and it is not hardening. Super disappointing.
This recipe has failed horribly butter and sugar never combined I constantly stirred it. I just tried it twice. So frustrating. I’ve been cooking , and baking for years never had a recipe fail like this one. Anyone got any suggestions.
My butter and sugar separated as well. But I kept stirring with a whisk and left the heat on medium low and as the color developed the ingredients all came back together perfectly. It was my first time making toffee so I was very nervous when I saw the separation but consistency and persistence paid off. It turned out perfect. I also used somebody else’s tip , turn a peanut butter jar upside down to get the right color.
This recipe is soooo good! I can’t stop eating it! Thank you! I have made this several times and it’s worked for me. I have used milk chocolate chips and sliced almonds as well as using the original recipe. Both delish. The only thing I change is to melt the butter before adding sugar, vanilla, and salt. You are my go-to website for delicious recipes. Thanks! Keep cookin’.