Old fashioned toffee topped with chocolate and chopped nuts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This really is the Best Toffee Ever, and it’s perfect for sharing with family and friends this holiday season! I have tried many, many toffee recipes over the years.
Quite a few of them have been complete failures (and I have a funny feeling it wasn’t the recipe).
I have never made toffee before. I’m more a baker than candy maker so this was my very first try for toffee. It was PERFECT! Everyone raved over this deliciousness. So much so, in fact, that I have to make more.
Angie
Luckily, I’ve learned a few things from my mistakes, and I’ve also found a tried and true toffee recipe, which helps make up for any “human error.”
Here are a few of my favorite toffee making tips:
- Use a medium to large, heavy pot. This is definitely one of those times it’s best to follow the advice of Julia Child and “always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.”
- Melt the butter and sugar together over low heat, whisking the WHOLE time (the constant whisking is very important).
- Bring your toffee to a steady, but NOT a rolling boil, at medium to medium-high heat, and continue to whisk constantly.
- When your thermometer says 285 degrees, drop a bit of toffee into some ice water…it should be brittle. If so, it’s done!
Update: After sharing this recipe, I had several people tell me they don’t use a candy thermometer when making toffee. They just cook the caramel until it’s the color of peanut butter.
I tried it and it works brilliantly! I actually put a jar of peanut butter on the counter next to my pot for comparison. As soon as the toffee looks like the peanut butter, I pull it off the stove and pour it onto the baking sheet. It’s now my go-to method for perfect toffee every time!
Just made this and it is awesome! My first try didn’t come out very good because I didn’t cook it long enough.
I read the comments and someone said she took it off the stove when it reached the color of peanut butter. Thank you very much because the second try was perfection!
Wanda
That’s it! You’re ready to make some delicious toffee. And once you’ve perfected your toffee making technique, you’ll really be able to impress your family and friends with your delicious homemade candy.
It really is worth all that whisking and stirring!
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Chocolate chips
- Almonds
Best Toffee Ever
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped almonds optional but recommended, toast almonds before adding to toffee
Instructions
- Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- In a medium to large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt over low heat until butter is melted, whisking constantly. Bring to a steady (not rolling) boil over medium to medium-high heat, and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has reached 285 to 300 degrees F (137 to 150 degrees C).
- Remove toffee from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. (If desired, you can sprinkle some of the nuts on the baking sheet before pouring on the toffee).
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, and let chocolate soften for a few minutes. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer. Sprinkle with chopped almonds.
- Refrigerate until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.
Video
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Nutrition
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103 comments
Gloria
I can’t imagine the positive reviewers have actually made this recipe, written in this way. This recipe DOES NOT work, but I’m going to tell you how to fix it. Never made toffee before and I ruined 2 batches trying it this way. Followed word-for-word this recipe and It completely separated before it came up to temperature both times. Problem #1. DO NOT WISK THE WHOLE TIME. This causes the separation. Once it starts to boil…..watch closely but leave it alone until it comes up to temperature. #2. add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. This will help regulate the temperature a bit so it doesn’t heat up too fast and cause separation. Hopefully, you will read this comment before you completely ruin 2lbs of butter and 4 cups of sugar like I did.
Lora
After reading the reviews of this toffee, I would add that the quality of your butter is very important. I live in Wisconsin and use Land O Lakes butter for all my holiday candy making. This might be the problem for those having separation problems. The quality and weight of your pan is also critical. I always used a special 4qt. Club aluminum pan for toffee. I recently did a kitchen makeover and installed an induction cooktop, candy baking will be interesting this year with the required stainless steel cookware. Good luck with your toffee!
Marlene Wilkins
MY MOTHER MADE CRACKLE WHEN I WAS YOUNG. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR THE RECIPE BUT CANNOT FIND IT. IT WAS HARD CRACK CLEAR DARK BROWN CANDY WHICH SHE POURED INTO A BAKING SHEET WITH INCH SIDES. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU HEAR ABOUT IT AND LET ME KNOW. SHE HIT IT WITH HER HAND TO BREAK IT UP.
FOR NOW WE WILL TRY YOUR RECIPE WHICH LOOKS GOOD. THANKYOU. M
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Asha
Love your recipes, I am going to try this best toffee recipes.
Elizabeth
I have made this exact recipe for the past 3 years and it makes the BEST toffee! SO SO easy and good. I agree with the time and patience to make it come together. I do however have a question – this year when I took my Toffee out of the freezer to cut the chocolate broke off from the toffee…have you ever had this problem? Any solves? Thanks!!
Charlotte Richard
Fabulous!
I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday. I made 2 batches; one with milk chocolate and the other with dark chocolate. Instead of nuts I used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes – awesome!!
Highly recommend this recipe!
Andrea Brewer
I use to make this exact recipe for many years. And from the beginning used the peanut butter test and it always came out perfectly. I wanted to add a trick . Make your toffee, pour and spread in the pan and while still hot place chocolate bars of your choice on top (I use Hershey’s Special dark) it melts perfectly and then top with nuts or candies of your choosing or even do one side nuts and the other candies to give a variety gift!
Angela
I have made this toffer SEVERAL times and each time it has been perfect. Until now!! For some reason, my butter and sugar separated. I thought I wasn’t whisking enough or my heat was too high, but when I made adjustments, the same thing happened! I’ve never had this problem. It seems to happen just before the mixture is supposed to start turning brown. I’ve never used a thermometer, not even the first time I tried this. I always use the peanut butter color method. I’m confused!
laptopshub
A cool kitchen helps. Thanks for sharing!!
Tanja
I tried this recipe because it was supposed to be easy, and followed it exactly. I whisked until my arms were about to fall off- it never changed color!! What a total waste of butter and sugar! Now I have to throw it all away. Grrrr!
Jackie
Way too much butter!!! Look at other receipes and don’t try this one because toffee came out all wrong.
Abby Buchanan
This recipe is perfect! I’ve tried others but this will be my go to from now on.
Carla Beswick
I have used a similar recipe for years. One of the key tricks I have learned is while you are stirring constantly, although temped DON’T scrape down the sides, it will cause the toffee to be grainy. Also use high quality butter.
saniya malhotra
I just made this using organic cane sugar and think half the butter would work if you want to sub this sugar in likely because it is more grainy? I had to pour a lot of butter off butter off and really re-work it with the cane sugar. Just an FYI for anyone looking to make it this way… That aside – I love this toffee!
Bobbie
I have made toffee every holiday season for the past 30 plus years. I have found that stirring constantly is the secret for making good toffee—especially until the butter and sugar are completely combined. I also add slivered almonds when the candy reaches about 235°F. on a candy thermometer. The almonds get nicely toasted by the time the toffee is done. I pour the hot candy into a buttered cookie sheet that has sides and, while hot, I spread the chocolate chips over the top. Once the chocolate is melted and spread over the top, I sprinkle it with chopped slivered almonds. This makes a very good toffee and I always receive compliments when I share it with friends.
Paige
Help! I made this toffee and it turned out great! Only though, after a day or so it started getting softer and softer and now it’s just awful. What causes that?
Angela
I followed the recipe and the butter seperated before 250…it did nothing after that…total flop.
Heather
Yup me too. What a waste.
Lorelei
Hi all
I consider myself pretty good in the kitchen and I had absolutely no trouble with is recipe at all. I loved it and my family loved it! My only suggestion echoes one all ready made above; rather than using a squre baking dish, use a jelly roll pan lined with buttered parchment paper. This does make the pieces thinner and easier to break.
And with respect to cooking times – my first batch took nearly 25 minutes to reach 295 degrees; while my second batch took 15 minutes.
Excited Mama
Toffee is my absolute favorite candy! I never thought it would be so easy to make. Since I am a comment reader, they definitely helped. I have never made homemade candy before..ever! This is so easy. Yes, it’s a lot of stirring, and consumes quite a bit of time, but so worth it! I do not have a candy thermometer, so I literally grabbed a jar of PB and compared until I was satisfied. Spooned a little and dropped in ice water, abera cadabra, it was brittle and delicious. Finishing was so easy to follow. Have it setting in the fridge now, can’t wait to try it once set. Thank you thank you thank you for explaining so thoroughly I got it right on the first try. Once finished and tried, I will be making more for friends and family for Christmas in a few short days.
Patti in Houston
This is the recipe that I’ve used for years with just a couple of differences….
My recipe calls for one cup of butter and one cup of sugar plus one tablespoon of water. The water was added a few years ago after a few failures! I did some research and if you separate it’s recommended to add a tablespoon of water and whisk, whisk to recover. I live in a very humid climate and don’t find that it makes the difference in my batch. I’m going to try this “double batch” since this the the thing everyone wants for Christmas from me I end up making 10 batches at the smaller size!
E. Ericson
This is very similar to my mother’s recipe. I noted that many people have had problem with it. My always said “you have to know the color.” and to my wife “Watch me a couple of times. It’s easy to screw up.”
You are right. If you don’t have someone to show you, use the thermometer.
Geraldine Ventura
Followed recipe but turned out grainy. Sugar didn’t melt. Help!
Debbie
It was very easy, I made it my first time today. It turned out great but, no one liked it. My cousin spit her piece out and said it was disgusting. Everyone seems to think it was the chocolate and I used the semi sweet chocolate morsels but, the taste sure wasn’t what we were expecting. Anyone else use any other type chocolate?
Molly jenkins
The toffee turned out great but it sticks to my teeth. Is this normal. If not what did I do wrong?
OgreMkV
That’s perfectly normal. This is, essentially, a hard caramel.
Keep it in your mouth for a bit to dissolve some of the sugars, then crunch lightly. Not like chewing, but a grinding motion. I use my front teeth (which is not recommended, but oh well).
Arvemia Wilburn
The first thing you do is check the humidity. Don’t try this recipe unless the humidity is low. I have been making toffee for almost fifty years at Christmas time. My recipe is slightly different and I use pecans. I also use Hersey Kisses for the chocolate.
Annetta
I made this today, and something is not right! The toffee layer is not hardening…. this has never happened to me! It’s been in the fridge for 4 hours.
David Locke
I have tried this recipe for years and about 75% of the time it works. A cool kitchen helps. Thanks for sharing!!
Sandy
Made this last year and again this year. Turned out perfect both times Everyone loved it Don’t know why it worked for me, I don’t make a lot of candy. I did turn the heat up a little when it was not changing color both times and it was great.
Connie
Tried it turned out great! Just need to constantly stir it!,
Danelle
Thank you Connie!
Donna Schroer
I’ve been making toffee for over 60 years! Sometimes it separates & sometimes it does not but it always turns out just fine. I’ve used high heat & low heat, electric stove & gas. The last 10 years I’ve added 2-3 T of water to the butter & sugar, which seems to make it more brittle. Never have bothered with vanilla. I cook it to at least 300 degrees & if there is a big separation, I keep cooking & stirring & smelling to make sure it isn’t burning. The darker it gets, the better it tastes! If there is some butter floating on top I drizzle the candy over my pecans anyhow & i never see it again! Biggest reason for failure is not cooking it long enough. Never mind the separated butter. Also, use a large sheet pan because the thinner you spread the toffee, the better it is.
Danelle
Thanks so much Donna. Great tips!
Donna Schroer
I’ve also been using a bit more sugar than my original recipe. I use 2-½ cups of sugar to 2 cups of butter. This works well & gives me a little more finished candy. The recipe I started with many years ago was: 1 lb sugar, 1 lb butter, 1 lb pecans, 1lb chocolate. This amount of chocolate will frost both sides & half the pecans are ground for toping.
Linda
I always have trouble with my butter and sugar separating just about the time it reaches temperature. What am i doing wrong
Lynette Protz
Same here. Wasted money & time.
UGH!
Danelle
I”m not sure, but I find if I use a whisk and whisk constantly the entire time, this doesn’t happen to me.
Katie
I tried this recipe tonight. Very easy and came out perfect!! I worked in a small candy store when I was young and one of their signature candies was almond butter crunch! This is it! Perfect recipe and easy to make. Can’t wait to bring to my office tomorrow. I can’t leave it at home because I would eat the whole batch myself!!!!!!
Danelle
Thank you SO much! 🙂
lovemykitchen
Well ….. After 1.5 hours following the recipe to a t. This is what I have ended up with, grainy, tardy looking mess. Won’t use this recipe again.
Patti
Made this yesterday per instructions. It did not get very hard and was super thick on the large cookie sheet. Didn’t work for me!
Julie
Just made this. It took forever and the butter separated several times. I read on another site to add hot water and whisk until it goes back together. I had to do this twice. Finally, it was done and I forgot to the put the vanilla in!! Grrr. Anyway, its setting up in the fridge. Can’t wait to try it.
Julie
Update-even though it took two hours, struggled with butter separating, forgot the vanilla, the toffee tasted great. I poured it into a 1/4 sheet pan lined with parchment, smoothed it out. Then I sprinkled milk chocolate chips and let them melt and then spread them to cover toffee. Refrigerated until set. Then I cut in bite size pieces. Will definitely make notes and make again.
Julie
I made this again and followed some tips I found on line. I also made sure I stirred and cooked on medium heat. Came out perfect! I think I was stirring too fast and scraped sides and I guess that can cause it to be grainy. I guess practice does make a difference. It only took about 30 minutes!!!
Donna Schroer
Good for you, Julie! Yes, you are right not to scrape the sides of the pan & even though I’ve been using a coated pan the last 10 years, I still line it with the melted butter before I add the sugar. I don’t find that the cooking temp or the speed of stirring makes any difference. MOST important is to cook it long enough.
1 cup of butter & one cup of sugar should be close to ready to pour in 15 – 20 minutes on med to high heat.
Angie
I changed the name of the board on Pinterest. If you want to see my toffee pic, it’s now on the board “My baking obsession”
Shelly
When it comes to making toffee, you either can or you cannot. I cannot. After a couple years go by, I try again. With this recipe, I grabbed a bigger pot than I would’ve because that’s what the recipe said. I think that was my downfall. The temperature never reached 285 and the butter eventually separated from the sugar. Down the disposal it went. The second attempt, in regular old pot, was better, reached 285, and made it to the pan. But I don’t think it’s right. Well, we’re eating it anyway. I need to stick to cookies!
Angie
I have never made toffee before. I’m more a baker than candy maker so this was my very first try for toffee. It was PERFECT! Everyone raved over this deliciousness. So much so, in fact, that i have to make more. I used the “cook it until it is the color of peanut butter” method, which was about 5 min more than the recipe suggested. Thank you for this recipe! Follow the link to my pinterest page and you can see a picture! Look for the board “Things I’ve Made”
pinterest.com/angiebaking
Danelle
Thanks so much Angie! I’m thinking the “color of peanut butter” is great advice, especially since things like altitude and humidity can effect the cooking time. The peanut butter method seems to work every time! 🙂
Tammie
I have been making candy for 50 years and this is the worst recipe ever. Inconsistent, greasy, and not right. Yuck!!
Suzanne G
I don’t know…I ruined 4 batches with this recipe. They all separated before goal temp. I researched toffee making, and found a number of incorrect instructions in this recipe. I used the cooking method found here, and it came out perfectly the first time, using the recipe from this site. Just had to outsource for cooking instructions. http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/159/English-Toffee
Ron
How long can it be stored?
I’d love to make some to give for Christmas, but want to give extra time to make sure I don’t have to make a second batch
Danelle
It will be good for at least a few weeks, so you are fine at this point to make it for Christmas. The biggest issue now would be eating it all before then. 🙂
Donns Schroer
I live in Florida where it can get humid, so I keep mine in sealed containers in the fridge. Humidity causes the toffee to get soft & sticky. Some friends have hidden theirs in the freezer, only to find it months later and it is still good. I make it all during the month of December.
OgreMkV
Nope. Didn’t work at all.
I had a cup of clarified butter and a 5×6 piece of liquid sugar/butter at the end.
Wanda Quinn
Just made this and it is awesome! I’m going to try it with pistachios next! My first try didn’t come put very good because I didn’t cook it long enough.I read the comments and someone said she took it off the stove when it reached the color of peanut butter.Thank you very much because the second try was perfection!
Danelle
Thanks Wanda! Toffee is tricky. I had to make it once or twice myself before I got it just right. I think that’s how it goes for most people….and I think the peanut butter comment was awesome. That has helped me get it just right too! And pistachios are a great idea!
K Chilano
I’ve made many different recipes for toffee before and thought I’d try this “best ever” recipe. Well, it did not work. I cooked the butter, sugar and salt exactly as specified to 285*. As soon as I removed from the heat and added the vanilla, the butter separated from the sugar and no amount of mixing made it blend together. I ended up with a full cup of melted butter after I poured it off of the toffee. Another thing. the sugar was still grainy. So I wasted a full pound of butter and 2 cups of sugar. FAILURE.
M
Same here! What did we do wrong? What a disappointment.
Iyla
I tried making this and the butter separated during the boiling process. I was whisking the whole time, not sure what happened. I couldn’t get it to come back together and had to toss it out. Any ideas about what could have gone wrong?
Danelle
Candy can be really finicky. I have had my toffee separate too, but I do have the most success with this recipe. If you were whisking the whole time, some other things that can cause toffee to separate are the quality of your saucepan–some can cause hot spots and it’s important for things to come to a boil at a steady, even rate. Along those same lines, you don’t want to heat things up too quickly. If you used medium heat, it might be helpful to try medium low next time. This article has some really good tips if you decide to try again, even some tips for saving toffee that has separated. http://candy.about.com/od/carameltoffee/f/separate_faq.htm Good luck!
K Chilano
I’m not going to waste any more time or ingredients on this recipe. I cooked it on medium-low setting and it was at a rolling boil while stirring constantly. Like I said, I’ve made toffee before and it was fine.
Carrie Stenger
salted or not salted butter?
Carol Faith
Mine turned out great. My biggest question is when you pour out the toffee you say to cool it for a few minutes. Does this mean to wait until the toffee sets up to be slightly sticky before you put the chocolate chips on to melt?
Donna Schroer
You can place the chocolate on the hot toffee right way. If you frost the other side you will of course have to melt the chocolate first & you would wait for your slab of candy to cool before turning it over for frosting.
Danelle
I use unsalted, but you can use salted and just omit the salt from the recipe.
Lisa
I just made this using organic cane sugar and think half the butter would work if you want to sub this sugar in likely because it is more grainy? I had to pour a lot of butter off butter off and really re-work it with the cane sugar. Just an FYI for anyone looking to make it this way… That aside – I love this toffee!
danielle
I made this and just posted about it. I would love for you to stop by and see. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe.
Anna Goodenough
I made this the other night. It was so good! The flavor was the best toffee I’d ever had for sure! My texture was off though. I used a candy thermometer and brought it up to the right temp, but when it hardened, it was still kind of soft. It was firm enough to pick up, but it kind of melted in your mouth. It was still amazing, but definitely not toffee texture. I talked to someone else who is really good at making toffee and she said that she doesn’t even use a thermometer. She just cooks it until its the color of peanut butter (mine was lighter in color than peanut butter for sure). I will try that next time (or maybe I just need to buy a new thermometer?).
Donna Schroer
I’ve been making toffee for over 60 years, using a similar recipe but no vanilla and I spread pecans over my baking sheet & then drizzle the hot toffee over those. The thinner you can spread the toffee, the easier it is to break up & the more brittle it will be. I didn’t use a thermometer for years but watched for the color to darken & allowed about 15 minutes for cooking. If I do use a thermometer I go closer to 300 degrees & just on the verge of burning. My coated Circular pan works better than my old stainless steel as it doesn’t burn as easily. CONSTANT stirring is only necessary towards the end so it doesn’t burn. I also add chopped pecans over the chocolate after it’s spread & then frost the other side after it’s cooled with melted chocolate & the ground nuts. A baking pan would make the toffee too thick & not easy to work with. I like to use some peanuts or cashews in place of the pecans once in awhile. This is great for gift giving but just remember NOT to pour it too soon!!!! Also, too big a pan would be too hard to handle for pouring. I have always used a 3 qt size & it gets close to the top but with careful heat & stirring it works. I yours failed you are not alone. About half the people I give the recipe to get it right the first time & if it’s soft or sugary you have not cooked it long enough. Better to burn a little than pour too soon! Good Luck!!!
Angela Pelletier
hi, I heard someone saying to use brown sugar instead of regular sugar. Is that correct? mine didn’t get that brown color and the butter separated from the sugar, what did I do wrong?
Donna Schroer
I’ve always used white sugar. Sometimes the butter & sugar DO separate toward the end of cooking but if you just continue to cook it wii go back together again. I’ve been using a higher heat the past few years & it hasn’t been separating. Not sure if this is why. I also use a bit more than the 2 cups of sugar & add a TLB of water to the pot. You MUST get it to the darker color & even if there is a little butter on top when you pour it, it shouldn’t make a difference. My sister blotted hers with a paper towel.
Danelle
Glad you liked the flavor Anna. I’ve always thought candy making is tricky and I often have to make a recipe a few times before I get it right. I usually err on the other side and burn it though! I know there are ways to test your thermometer to make sure it’s accurate (I’m sure you could find a tutorial on Google). Altitude can also be an issue. Dropping some in ice water is also a helpful trick. I’d love to know any tips you come up with if you make it again.
Sherry
Mine turned out to thin and not as dark., I did use thermometer .. You called for a large baking pan think a 9x 13 would be better to make it thicker .. It did not harden as much either.,
Danelle
You could certainly use a 9×13 pan Sherry. Candy making can be really tricky sometimes. For me it works to take it off the heat right at 285, but you might need to go to 290. All kinds of things can make a difference, like altitude, and candy thermometers can vary too. I definitely recommend dropping some of the toffee in ice water when it reaches 285. That should give you a pretty good idea of what the final product will be like. If it’s too soft, you can always keep cooking it a little bit longer. Hope that helps. There are also some helpful comments above this in the thread too. I find I often have to make a candy recipe more than once to get it just right for my climate/altitude/thermometer, etc. Good luck!
Danelle
There really isn’t a set size of pan you need to use Sherry. You can make the toffee as thick or thin as you would like. I use a large cookie sheet, just to make sure I have plenty of room, but I don’t spread the toffee all the way to the edges. I just spread it until it’s the thickness I like. If you want to spread the toffee to the edges of the pan and make a perfect rectangle, I think 9×13 would be a good size. Mine looks more like a big blob before I break it into pieces. So there really isn’t a correct thickness, just whatever your personal preference is.
Sherry
What size pan makes it the correct thickness?
Margaret
It is probably an altitude problem. Use the ‘thread test’ recommended above the recipe (drop a drip in ice water and see if it is the texture you want), which is more reliable. To ‘set’ your thermometer to YOUR altitude, boil water and see what temperature your thermometer reads. 212 degrees F (100 Celsius) is at sea level. Use your ‘difference’ from 212 to always adjust your cookbook recipes that much higher. However, internet recipes are at the author’s altitude, and so you should use the thermometer as a guideline … “oh, goody, can almost stop stirring” … and the test, or visual as the proof. http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html
Lisa M Steele
thank you! I live at 10,000 feet and am worried about this!