Homemade English Toffee Recipe (2024)

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Posted by Aimee 281 comments
Published: Dec 12, 2023 Last Updated: Dec 12, 2023

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English Toffeeis a classic holiday candy that’s buttery, nutty, and rich thanks to a combination of almonds, walnuts, and milk chocolate. Make it in a brownie bite pan to get the cutest toffee bites—perfect for gifting!

I love making candy every holiday to give as gifts and serve to guests. If you’re new to candy, start with our easyrocky road fudge,homemade turtles, andpeanut butter cups.

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This English Toffee Recipe
  • Important Ingredient Notes
  • How to Make Homemade English Toffee
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Holiday treats
  • English Toffee Recipe

Why You’ll Love This English Toffee Recipe

Thanks to one of my besties RHONDA (hey girl!), who shared this awesome English toffee recipe with me years ago. It became a tradition for us to have a holiday candy-making day with our oldest daughters, Natasha (on the left) and my daughter Alyssa (on right).

We usually gave the girls the job of rollingPeanut Butter Buckeyesand wrappinghomemade caramels…you know, the “chores”!

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (2)

Here’s what makes this English toffee one of my favorites:

  • English toffee is typically made in an 11×7 pan, but a few years ago I found a silicone brownie bite pan and it’s all I use now. No more slicing toffee, just pop the toffee bites out and you’re good to go—easy, neat, perfectly portioned pieces!
  • If you like Heath Bars, this homemade English toffee is like that, but so much better than store-bought. It’s rich, buttery, and much more nutty.
  • Not everyone is a baker! If you struggle to get your Christmas cookies looking just right, switch to candy—it’s a lot easier to make, with fewer details to manage. No more struggling with icing or cookie cutters!

Important Ingredient Notes

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (3)
  • Unsalted butter – There are three dominant flavors in English toffee: butter, nuts, and chocolate.Spring for a good butter!
  • Margarine – You may say, “CAN I USE ALL BUTTER?” The answer is yes. However, I find I get reliable results, with no separation of butter and sugar, when I use half margarine. The flavor is still amazing!
  • Kosher salt – Salt is important for adding balance to this recipe. If you’d like, you can also sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the melted chocolate.
  • Vanilla extract – Aside from the butter, toffee is also vanilla flavored. Use a high-quality pure vanilla, not imitation. Our homemade vanilla would be perfect.
  • Milk chocolate– Again, high-quality is important here!
  • Nuts – You’ll need both unblanched whole almonds and finely ground walnuts.

How to Make Homemade English Toffee

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Prep the Almonds: On a foil lined baking dish or in asilicone brownie bite pan, arrange the almonds in a single layer.

Make the Toffee Mixture:

  • In a heavy pan, combine the butter,margarine, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter melts. Bring mixture to a rolling boil.
  • Continue boiling and stirring for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the candy turns the color of almonds (or reaches about 300 degrees, if you have a candy thermometer).
  • Pour the toffee mixture over the almonds. (If you’re using the brownie bite pan, I use a small metal scoop to get toffee into each bite, working quickly!)
  • Cool completely.

Finish: Spread the melted chocolate over top of the cooled toffee, then sprinkle with the ground walnuts. Once the chocolate sets, remove from the brownie pan or cut the English toffee into pieces.

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (5)

Recipe FAQs

Why does my butter separate when making toffee?

Using thin lined saucepans can cause butter to separate. A heavy bottomed saucepan can manage the heat better. The second reason may be from heating the butter and margarine too quickly. Keep the pan over medium to medium-high heat. Don’t crank the heat up for the sake of bringing it to a boil faster.

Can I use all butter in toffee?

The reason I like to use half butter and half margarine when I make English Toffee is that I find I get more reliable results, without any separation of the butter and sugar. The flavor is still amazing! You can use all butter if you prefer.

Why does my chocolate fall off the toffee when I cut it?

This is most likely due to excess butter on the toffee surface. Before adding your chocolate, be sure to wipe the top of your toffee with a dry paper towel to absorb any excess butter.
If it still feels a little “greasy”, sprinkle a small amount of cocoa powder or crushed nuts to the top before adding your chocolate. This should help!

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (6)

More Holiday treats

  • Chocolate Peppermint Graham Crackers
  • Peppermint Meringues
  • Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
  • Peanut Butter Fudge
  • Peppermint Bark
  • Churro Toffee
  • Divinity Candy
  • Christmas Crack
  • Sugar Cookies– perfect no-spread cut out cookies

Holiday Candy Recipes

See all Candy recipes

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PayDay Truffles

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Easy Chocolate Truffles

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Samoa Truffles

Candy

Christmas Crack Recipe

English Toffee

4.66 from 70 votes

By: Aimee

English Toffee is a classic holiday candy: buttery candy poured over almonds, topped with milk chocolate and walnuts. Make it in a brownie bite pan to get the cutest toffee bites – perfect for gifting!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 bites

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup margarine
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounce milk chocolate melted
  • 1 cup unblanched whole almonds
  • 1 cup finely ground walnuts

Instructions

  • On a foil lined baking dish (11×7)- or in a silicone brownie bite pan (with 24 bites)- arrange almonds in a single layer. Set aside.

  • In a heavy pan, combine butter,margarine, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat with a wooden spoon until butter melts, stirring constantly. (REALLY STIRRING CONSTANTLY)! Bring mixture to a rolling boil.

  • Continue boiling (AND STIRRING) an additional 5-7 minutes until candy turns the color of almonds (about 300 degrees). Pour over almonds. If using the brownie bite pan, I use a small metal scoop to get toffee into each bite, working quickly!

  • Cool completely.

  • When candy is cooled and set (about 2 hours), spread chocolate over top of toffee. Sprinkle generously with ground walnuts. If doing both sides, use only half of the chocolate and walnuts. Allow top to set before flipping over and doing bottom. When set, pop out of silicone pan and store in a airtight containers. OR cut into pieces. ENJOY!

Notes

  • Tip- when I say stirring, I’m talking taking that wooding spoon and whipping it! haha!! I have an electric stovetop and turn my heat on 7…and it remains on 7 through the entire boiling process.
  • If you choose to scoop into brownie bite pan vs. pouring into a baking pan, your butter might separate a little bit by the time you get to the 20th scoop! Don’t worry about it. I use my scooper to slightly stir as I take a scoop of toffee.
  • Many will ask WHY DOES MY BUTTER SEPARATE? This can be from using cheaper, thinner lined saucepans. It could be from heating the butter and margarine too quickly.
  • You may say, “CAN I USE ALL BUTTER?” The answer is yes. However, I find I get reliable results, with no separation of butter and sugar, when I use half margarine. The flavor is still amazing!
  • If you’d like, you can add the chocolate and walnuts to both sides of the toffee. To do it this way, use only half of the chocolate and walnuts for the first side. Allow the top to set before flipping over and doing bottom.
  • Oh, and breaking English toffee into pieces will leave you some shards on your cutting board. SAVE THESE. They are delicious on vanilla ice cream.
  • See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece, Calories: 239kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 54mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g

Course: Candy

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Homemade English Toffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy? ›

Low and slow

Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.

How do you keep butter from separating when making toffee? ›

If the two elements melt unevenly it can result in separation. If you have good stovetop burners, we recommend turning them to medium-low to allow the butter and sugar to melt gently in the beginning stages. If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar.

Should I stir while making toffee? ›

You can stir the mixture while the sugar is dissolving – but once it has started to boil, stop stirring. Instead, tilt and swirl the pan. Make sure your tin is prepared and sitting on a board or damp cloth before you start. Once you pour the hot toffee into the tin, it will heat up quickly.

What is the difference between English toffee and regular toffee? ›

English Toffee is a nationwide favorite that is easily made with only a few ingredients. The difference between regular toffee and English Toffee is one important ingredient – butter! I make English Toffee throughout the year for special occasions and it's always a big hit.

What can go wrong when making toffee? ›

Stirring too quickly or too often can cause the toffee to separate. Moderate the heat as needed – turn it down if the toffee is boiling or cooking too fast so it doesn't burn. Cook until the toffee registers 285-290 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer and is deep amber brown in color, about 20-25 minutes.

Why is my toffee not set and why is it's texture grainy and not smooth? ›

As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).

Can you fix separated toffee? ›

If the sauce has separated then warming it gently and stirring occasionally should help it to come back together. If it still has a film of fat on the surface after warming then whisking in a tablespoon of hot water (from a freshly boiled kettle) can also help.

How do you know when toffee is done? ›

Once boiling, cook, stirring only 2 to 3 times, until it turns a dark amber color and the temperature reaches 285 degrees F (137 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes.

Should homemade toffee be refrigerated? ›

For maximum taste and texture, we do recommend that you either enjoy your toffee immediately, or store it in a refrigerator or freezer. Once opened, unrefrigerated toffee will retain maximum freshness for about a week. Refrigeration adds 3-6 months of shelf life, while freezing adds up to a year or more.

Why do you add vinegar to toffee? ›

Made with just sugar and a little water, toffee is easy to make and is an easy introduction to the world of confectionary. This recipe includes a dash of vinegar which will help keep the colour of the toffee clear and bright and banish any cloudiness.

What is the best pan for making toffee? ›

This should NOT be a non-stick pan, because non-stick pans allow crystals to be pulled into the cooking toffee and will cause the batch to crystallize. The heavy pan distributes heavy evenly so the toffee cooks without burning.

Why cream of tartar in toffee? ›

This means that as boiling continues, a portion of the sugar separates into its constituent parts—glucose and fructose. Adding cream of tartar and a dash of vinegar to a toffee recipe helps bring about this change.

What pairs well with English toffee? ›

What Goes Best With Toffee?
  • Toffee with Coffee. When you're savoring a cup of coffee after dinner, have some almond toffee with it. ...
  • Crisp Apples & Toffee. The crisp, tangy flavor of apples and the sweet taste of toffee are a perfect combination. ...
  • Sweet Potatoes. ...
  • Toffee Ice Cream Topping.

What is toffee called in America? ›

The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.

Is taffy the same as toffee? ›

The difference is mainly in the candy-making process: taffy is pulled and stretched until it's soft and chewy. Toffee, on the other hand, won't stick in your teeth like taffy, because it is boiled, shaped, and allowed to harden into a delicious, glossy slab.

Why is my toffee soft and grainy? ›

With the texture issue, something is crystallizing the sugar. Try using your ingredients with the more classic method.

What texture should toffee be? ›

Ideally toffee has a nice snap when you bite into it, but then it gives way to a tender texture that immedietly crumbles and dissolves in your mouth. Even though I add a tremendous amount of butter to my recipe, the texture I end up with is more like a hard candy that ultimately sticks to your teeth.

Should toffee be hard or soft? ›

Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .

What is the meaning of chewy toffee? ›

/ˈtɑː.fi/ a hard, chewy, often brown sweet that is made from sugar boiled with butter.

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