My Toffee Recipe makes buttery, crunchy homemade toffee after just 15 minutes on the stove. I’m including lots of tips so you can feel confident making this candy at home. Recipe includes a how-to video!
A Foolproof Toffee Recipe
I know firsthand how frustrating a failed batch of toffee can be. Many, many batches of ruined candy made their way through my kitchen on my journey to discover perfectly crisp, buttery toffee perfection. Fortunately, after plenty of trial and error, I’m finally proud to share the BEST toffee recipe. Today’s post includes plenty of tips, tricks, and straightforward, easy steps!
One of the most important tips I can give you for this recipe is to use a candy thermometer! While you can skip the thermometer for my family’s favorite chocolate fudge or potato candy, please DON’T do so here. A reliable candy thermometer will make all the difference with your final result, so please use one.
Also, if you’re new to making candy or haven’t made it in a while, remember that you must be patient when cooking candy. During my research process, the temptation to bump up the heat to speed up the process was real, and often my most fatal mistake. Take it slow!
Why use my toffee recipe:
- Cooks in just 15 minutes!
- Thoroughly tested to produce perfect toffee, every time.
- Requires just six ingredients and NO corn syrup!
- Customizable; use whatever nuts or chocolate you like, or leave them out.
What You Need
You only need six simple ingredients to make my toffee recipe (seven if you count water!).
- Butter. I like to use unsalted butter and add salt myself for better control. If you want to use salted butter, read my salted vs unsalted butter post for the proper substitution.
- Sugar. We’re using regular granulated sugar here and NO corn syrup!
- Vanilla. Some toffees are made without vanilla extract, and I don’t understand why. Vanilla adds such a nice flavor to this (or any) toffee recipe, and I can’t imagine making it without it! We’ll be adding the vanilla after the toffee is removed from the heat to preserve its flavor (if added to soon it will simply evaporate out).
- Chocolate chips. This recipe is a rare instance where I actually prefer milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet would work too.
- Almonds. I love adding nuts to my toffee, but if you want to make yours nut-free, you certainly can. If choose to add nuts, you can use whatever kind you like (toasted pecans would also be great!).
SAM’S TIP: This toffee recipe works best if you have all of your ingredients ready before you begin. Once your toffee reaches 305°F, it’s time to move. You won’t have time to go scrambling to your spice cabinet to measure out your vanilla, find that rogue measuring spoon in your kitchen drawer, line your pan with parchment, chop your almonds…you get the idea. Be prepared and set yourself up for success from the beginning. I also recommend reading through the whole recipe at least once and even watching the video before you begin.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Toffee
- Bring on the bubbles – Stir together butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat until the mixture boils. Use a wet pastry brush to sweep any sugar crystals back into the pot during this time.
- Cook the candy – Once boiling, attach a candy thermometer (don’t let it touch the bottom!) and keep stirring as the mixture turns golden. Remove from heat and add vanilla once the toffee reaches 305F.
- Assemble the layers – Pour the toffee into a parchment-lined pan scattered with almonds. Let this sit for 5 minutes, top it with chocolate chips, and cover with foil. After 5 more minutes, smooth the chocolate evenly over the top of the toffee and sprinkle on additional nuts and salt.
- Cool, crack, and enjoy! Let your toffee cool completely before cutting or breaking apart.
SAM’S TIP: While your mixture makes its way to a boil, you may notice some sugar crystallizing on the sides of the pan. Use a lightly dampened pastry brush to nudge these sugar crystals back down into the pan (demonstrated in the video below). You can stop doing this once your mixture comes to a boil.
SAM’S TIP: Do not try to speed up your toffee making process by turning up the heat! You you will risk burning your toffee and will have start all over again. Have patience!
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually happens when the toffee mixture is heated too quickly or at too high of a temperature. Make sure to use medium heat (or medium-low) and go SLOW! Have patience and don’t crank up the heat.
Store your toffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It will keep this way for several weeks (which makes this toffee recipe perfect for gift giving!).
Some people will argue that they can make perfect toffee just fine without a candy thermometer. They may use the hard crack test to see if it’s done (drizzling a small bit of the candy into a cup of cold water), or they’ll just know it’s done by the color.
However, for most of us, a candy thermometer is a critical tool for making perfect candy. I highly recommend using one for this toffee recipe! It will come in handy with many other candy recipes, too, (like my peanut brittle or peanut butter fudge!).
This toffee recipe makes a GREAT homemade gift alongside my cookie mix in a jar and candied pecans!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Toffee Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup coarsely chopped almonds*
- 1 cup (2 sticks ) unsalted butter cut into pieces (226g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¼ cup water (60ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1-2 Tablespoons finely chopped almonds for topping, optional
- Flaky sea salt for topping, optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and scatter coarsely chopped almonds evenly over the bottom. Set aside.
- Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a medium-sized pot over low heat. Meanwhile measure out your vanilla extract and have it ready nearby.
- Stir ingredients frequently over medium heat. During this time (only before boiling), use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides where any sugar may settle on the side of the pot to prevent sugar crystals.
- Once butter is melted, increase heat to medium and continue to stir frequently until mixture comes to a boil (this may take a while, have patience and do not turn up the heat or you will ruin your toffee).
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, attach your candy thermometer. Make sure that the point of the candy thermometer is not touching the bottom of your pan.
- Continue to stir occasionally, the mixture will slowly thicken and will turn a more yellow hue as it cooks, and cook to hard crack (305°F/151°C).
- Once toffee reaches 305°F/151°C, immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (careful, it bubbles and steams a bit).
- Pour mixture evenly into your prepared pan over the almonds. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and then sprinkle chocolate chips evenly overtop the mixture. Cover with foil and allow to sit another 5 minutes, then remove the foil and use a spatula to gently spread chocolate chips evenly over your toffee.
- Immediately sprinkle with additional finely chopped almonds and flaky sea salt, if desired. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before breaking and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Jenn Addison
This is my 4th time making this recipe and it came out perfect for the 4th time. My son is crazy for this stuff. Tonight I added a tsp of almond extract and topped it with chopped toasted pecans. Amazing! Also made a sample where we add the chocolate earlier and swirled it into the toffee. Also Amazing! Thank you! I’ll be purusing your recipe collection for a while!
Jenn
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Jenn! Thank you so much for trusting my recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Jocelyn
First time making toffee and it worked out perfectly! Per usual, love your recipes!
Sam
Wonderful, I am so happy to hear this, Jocelyn! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it! 🙂
Lily
I tried it twice and both times the butter separated. First batch burned in a pan. So I tried a sauce pot and it didn’t burn but separated. Does the type of butter have anything to do with it. I used grassfed unsalted butter?
Sam
Hi Lily! It sounds like the heat may be a little too high. I hope this helps. 🙂
Lily
Thank you I’ll try again. I also think I stired it too much. Good thing I only made half the recipe.
Sam
Good luck! 🙂
Lauren
Hi! I’m going to try this recipe out tomorrow but was wondering, does it have to be a 9×9 pan? I only have 8×8. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Lauren! The 8×8 will work, it will just result in a little bit thicker toffee, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 🙂
Lauren
Thank you! It worked out perfect! I was wondering how long it took for the butter mixture to be ready and I baked 3 batches of this and each one took me 20 mins (once it started to boil), just a heads up for others wondering (I know this also depends on your pan and stove but just as an estimate 🙂). Thank you so much for the recipe!
Becky
I made this and it tastes great – perfect crunch, but it is way darker than normal toffee. I used candy therm, quickly put in vanilla and removed from
heat- maybe didn’t remove it quit quick enough?
Sam
Hi Becky! It may have just needed to be removed a few seconds earlier. 🙂
Raemi
Can this recipe be quadrupled? I need to make a lot for Christmas.
Sam
Sure thing! It can be a little tricky to get it heated properly if you have that much candy but it can definitely work. 🙂
Nikki
Has anyone made this using an electric flat top stove? The problem is medium heat causes the heating element to come on and off again. I can see it cooling and heating the toffee. It took a good 20-30 minutes at medium to get to a soft ball even ( 240 f). I got to 295 f and it was very dark with a bit of smoke and I got scared it was burning so took it off. It tastes soooo good. It is chewy ( again I didn’t get to a hard crack) and has just tiny bit of a burnt taste… any suggestions?? I did not turn up the heat.
This is a great recipe. So much better than the one I tried a couple days ago. I just need to figure out my cook top.
Lauren
Hello! Yes I used an electric stove top and it took me 20 mins, once boiling, to reach 305° with no issues. I left it on a 4/10 heat the whole time stirring constantly
Donna young
Cant wait to make this will let u know how it turned out and thanks for the recipe a
Miki
I made this recipe, kept heat at Medium the whole time and stirring it constantly. But as I poured it into the pan i saw that the bottom on half of pan was burnt. I just hope it still taste good.🙄
Sam
O no! You may have still needed to turn the temp down just a bit. A few more things to look out for, you need to make sure to mix the stuff on the bottom of the pan as you stir, and sometimes I find that with a cheaper pan this can happen too. I hope it’s still good. 🙂
layla
hi this was my first time making toffee currently we are waiting for it to cook but i’m sure it’ll taste delicious bc it smells amazing thank you for this recipe!
Sam
I hope you love it, Layla! 🙂
Yasmin
I’ve tried this recipe for the third time today. It came out delicious every time!! The first time I tried it, the thermometer broke so in the other times I waited for the color to resemble what you show in the video and it came out fine. Also, I found that after about 24 hours in the refrigirator the toffee is crunchy, doesn’t stick to the teeth, and tastes great!
Thank you for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe, Yasmin! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
H
This is so good! I didn’t have a candy thermometer but it still worked out and looks great! My little sister is practically drooling over the toffee, and she told me to “tell them it’s *contented sigh* really good.”
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Rafael Baquero
I had trouble with mine, the butter separated and it ended very greasy.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rafael! Sometimes the butter separates from the toffee, there are two things that could have caused this:
1) the heat was too high when initially melting the butter/bringing the toffee to a boil
2) humidity can also cause this, unfortunately, candy is temperamental and even the weather can affect it so humidity might have been the issue
I really hope that helps but I am happy to help troubleshoot further!
Karen
I followed instructions and used candy thermometer to 305degrees.
But my toffee is is more of a caramel consistency. It tastes great. But, what did I do wrong. I want crunchy toffee. Any suggestions appreciated.
Sam
Hi Karen! If it was very humid where you are that may have affected the toffee, or your candy thermometer may be inaccurate (or if it was touching the bottom of the pan it might have said that it reached temperature when it really hadn’t yet). You can use this method for checking if your candy thermometer is accurate. I hope that helps! The toffee should definitely be crunchy and not soft 🙂
Jayme
This was the BEST ever. I had never made toffee before and was nervous but your tips and suggestions prepared me well. I was so tempted to turn the heat past medium but held tight and was patient….it paid off. Deliciousness all around. I made one batch with pecans and one with cashews and had none left after our Christmas party. Everyone kept asking who made the toffee. Thank you!!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Jayme! Toffee (or any candy) can be tricky to make, especially your first time, I’m glad yours was such a success! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how it turned out, I really appreciate it 🙂