This Easy Toffee Recipe is the perfect blend of salty and sweet, and it’s easier to make than you think. Whether it’s a delicious gift or something to satisfy your own sweet tooth, you’ll love the crunch and flavor of this homemade treat.
And speaking of sweet treats, you might want to try this Chocolate Honey Cake or this White Chocolate Creme Brulee, too.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this Easy Toffee recipe because it’s so simple and so good. It’s delicious enough that I can give it as a gift to friends, or just enjoy its sweetness and crackly texture myself over coffee.
- TASTE: This Easy Toffee recipe is salty, sweet, buttery, and delicious. Toppings of chocolate and almonds make it even tastier.
- TEXTURE: Hard and crackly, this toffee has delicious crunch. The bite of salt is so good.
- TIME: This recipe takes about 15 minutes to make.
- EASE: It really is so easy to make. Just follow my step-by-step instructions and pictures for perfectly hard toffee.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Butter- This is the base of the toffee. Use unsalted since we will be adding salt to the mixture.
- Granulated sugar- This is what gives this Easy Toffee recipe its sweetness.
- Vanilla extract- For a hint of vanilla flavoring.
- Morton fine sea salt– You’ll want to use the fine sea salt since it dissolves well under high heat. The functioning lid on the Morton salt makes it easy to measure and pour.
- Milk chocolate chips- These will be melted to top the toffee and hold the salt in place.
- Almonds- These are chopped up so they can easily be submerged in the toffee when it’s hot and liquid, then set.
- Morton coarse sea salt– This is added as a topping and gives the toffee extra crunch. Its sleek packaging fits right in your hand and the new sprinkle feature makes adding the perfect amount so easy.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute other chocolates- You can also use white chocolate chips, dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this toffee. Peanut butter chips work, too.
- Make it dairy-free- Just substitute the butter for plant-based butter and vegan chocolate chips to make this dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
- Use different nuts- Try this with macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or cashews.
- Substitute brown sugar- Instead of white granulated sugar, you can use brown sugar. It will be just a little darker and have a richer taste from the molasses.
How to Make Easy Toffee
- Melt the butter. To a saucepan, add the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and Morton fine sea salt, and warm over low heat until the butter is fully melted.
- Simmer. Now bring the saucepan to medium heat and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the toffee reaches 290-300 degrees Fahrenheit. It should look like a brown, peanut butter-like color. Mix only occasionally and very gently with a long wooden spoon.
- Add the almonds and toffee to pan. Place a piece of parchment paper in a 9×9 inch baking pan and then sprinkle the coarsely chopped almonds inside. Now evenly pour the hot toffee mixture on top of the almonds and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the melted chocolate. Melt your milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and spread it on top of the semi-hardened toffee. Then sprinkle some Morton coarse sea salt on top.
- Set. Let the salted almond toffee set and cool for about 2 hours. Then cut or crack into pieces.
Pro Tip: Do not go over 300 degrees when cooking the toffee or it will take on a burnt taste.
Recipe Tips
- Be patient- Making toffee is easy, but it takes a little time. Be patient and don’t rush the process. You’ll be glad you didn’t.
- Don’t overmix- Be sure to mix only occasionally and in very slow gentle strokes using a long wooden spoon when simmering the butter, sugar, and salt so they don’t separate.
- Use a candy thermometer- Always use a candy thermometer to make sure your toffee reaches the correct “hard crack” temperature of 290-300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Be careful not to burn the chocolate- To avoid scorching the chocolate, heat it in 20-second intervals until it’s mostly melted. Then just stir until smooth.
FAQs
American toffee is slightly different from English toffee because, in England, they use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar, which gives it a slightly different flavor. The English also are less likely to use nuts in their version, whereas American toffee usually does.
Cooking temperature is what determines how soft or how hard your toffee will be. If you want to have softer toffee, then you will cook it at a slightly lower temperature. To get a harder toffee, like with this salted toffee, you will cook it to a slightly higher temperature. This allows the toffee to reach the “hard-crack” temperature so that it is brittle enough to crack apart cleanly.
The main difference between caramel and toffee is texture: Caramel is soft and chewy, like what you would find in a candy bar, and toffee is harder and crunchy, like a brittle. Their flavors are similar, but caramel is more toasty, while toffee is more buttery.
If your toffee has become grainy and crystallized, that usually means that the temperature got too hot during the cooking process. It also happens when sugar crystals form on the edges of the pot and then spread throughout. Keeping the temperature at the right level is important for smooth and delicious toffee.
Serving Suggestions
This Easy Toffee recipe is perfect for enjoying with other sweet treats or just a hot beverage. Serve it with cookies, nutty desserts, or homemade lattes.
- Cookies: Serve this toffee alongside Chewy Nutella Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, or Chocolate Meringue Cookies.
- Nutty desserts: Pair it with Pecan Tassies, Nutella Brownies, Candied Pecans, or Chocolate Bark with Dried Fruit and Nuts.
- Sweet treats: Serve this Easy Toffee recipe with other sweet treats like Chocolate Pot De Creme, Chocolate Covered Dates, Coffee Chocolate Mousse, or White Chocolate Creme Brulee.
- Beverages: Serve this with hot coffee, tea, or Hot Chocolate. You can also make your own homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Because this toffee recipe stores so well, you can make it weeks in advance of when you plan to serve or gift it. Just keep it in an airtight container once it has cooled.
Storing: Store this Easy Toffee once it has completely cooled. Break it into pieces, then pack them in an airtight container and store it at either room temperature, or in the refrigerator or freezer.
At room temperature, homemade toffee should last for 2 weeks. If your house is on the warm side, then you may want to keep this Easy Toffee in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate from melting. In the fridge, it will last about a month.
Freeze: You can freeze this toffee for up to 4 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before serving.
More Sweet and Delicious Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Easy Toffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp Morton fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup almonds coarsely chopped
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tsp Morton coarse sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a saucepan add the unsalted butter along with the granulated sugar and Morton fine sea salt. Melt the butter and sugar on low heat until the butter is fully melted.
- Now bring the saucepan to medium heat and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the toffee reaches 290-300 degrees Fahrenheit. Or until it becomes a brown “peanut butter-like” color. Be sure to mix only occasionally and in very slow gentle strokes using a long wooden spoon. Always use a candy thermometer to make sure your toffee reaches the correct “hard crack” temperature.
- Place a piece of parchment paper in a 9×9 inch baking pan and place 1 cup of coarsely chopped almonds inside.
- Then evenly pour the hot toffee mixture on top of the almonds and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Now melt your milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. To avoid scorching the chocolate, heat it in 20-second intervals until smooth.
- Next, you can spread your melted chocolate on top of the semi-hardened toffee and sprinkle some Morton coarse sea salt on top.
- Let the salted almond toffee set and cool for about 2 hours. Then cut or crack into pieces.
Notes
- Be patient- Making toffee is easy, but it takes a little time. Be patient and don’t rush the process. You’ll be glad you didn’t.
- Don’t overmix- Be sure to mix only occasionally and in very slow gentle strokes using a long wooden spoon when simmering the butter, sugar, and salt so they don’t separate.
- Use a candy thermometer- Always use a candy thermometer to make sure your toffee reaches the correct “hard crack” temperature of 290-300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Be careful not to burn the chocolate- To avoid scorching the chocolate, heat it in 20-second intervals until it’s mostly melted. Then just stir until smooth.
- How to store homemade toffee- Wait until it has completely cooled before breaking it into pieces. Then pack the pieces in an airtight container and store it at either room temperature, or in the refrigerator or freezer.
Nutrition
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