The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (2024)

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No one can turn down a delicious piece of toffee. Making toffee at home can be a little intimidating. But with a foolproof toffee recipe like this, anyone can make this delicious treat at home.

Not to mention, toffee makes the perfect gift. Whether it’s for Christmas, Valentine’s, or just a Welcome to the Neighborhood, toffee is always a welcome gift.

The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (1)

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So easy to make and you probably already have all the equipment you need.

This post is all about The Best Toffee Recipe.

The Best Toffee Recipe

Equipment:

  • Candy Thermometer – Don’t skip this. It is very important to get toffee to the correct temperature if you want to have the best texture.
  • Silicone Pastry Brush
  • Offset Spatula – This may be something you don’t have but it really comes in handy when spreading the chocolate. The offset feature makes a big difference. The smaller spatula is actually easier to use than the larger one.
  • 11×9 Cookie Sheet / 9×9 Baking Pan
  • Heavy Sauce Pan – you will definitely want to use a quality pot. If it is too thin it won’t heat evenly and will burn the toffee.

Ingredients:

  • 6ozMilk ChocolateChopped
  • 6ozSemisweet ChocolateChopped
  • 8ozButter (2 Sticks)
  • 1CupSugar
  • 1tspLight Corn Syrup
  • ½tspKosher Salt
  • 1tspPure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ – 1CupPecansFinely Chopped and Toasted
  • ¼CupWater
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Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently with wooden or silicone spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

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Then stir gently and only occasionally as the temperature nears 300° F and mixture begins to darken.

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Once the mixture reaches 300° F, remove from heat and GENTLY add the vanilla and stir in GENTLY.

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Let toffee cool for 2-3 minutes, then top with chopped chocolate. Place a larger cookie sheet on tip to help the chocolate melt. After about 3 minutes use offset spatula to spread chocolate and then top with chopped pecans.

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Allow to set for at least 4 hours for the chocolate to harden.

Or you can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

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The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make

The PERFECT Toffee Recipe. The texture of this toffee is incredible. Light and airy with just the right amount of crunch. It literally melts in your mouth unlike some recipes that are super sticky and can pull your fillings out of your teeth if you're not careful.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Milk Chocolate Chopped
  • 6 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chopped
  • 8 oz Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ – 1 Cup Pecans Finely Chopped and Toasted
  • ¼ Cup Water

Instructions

  • Set a Bowl with water and silicone pastry brush next to your stove for easy access.

  • Set out a 9×9 metal pan. You can line it with parchment to help with removal of the toffee. If you would like nuts inside your toffee you can sprinkle a thin layer in the bottom of the pan at this time.

  • In a heavy sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently with wooden or silicone spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. .

  • Insert candy thermometer.

  • Then stir gently and only occasionally as the temperature nears 300° F and mixture begins to darken.

  • Occasionally brush the sides of the pan with he silicone brush and water to keep the sugar from crystalizing.

  • Once the mixture reaches 300° F, remove from heat and GENTLY add the vanilla and stir in GENTLY.

  • Using the silicone spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

  • Tilt pan to evenly distribute the mixture. And let cool for 3 minutes.

  • Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top of warm/hot toffee and cover with a larger cookie sheet or foil to help retain the heat.

  • Let sit for a few minutes until melted and then, using the offset spatula, spread evenly.

  • Let cool for at least 3 hours. You can put it in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process.

  • Break pieces for a more rustic look or you can use a large chefs knife for a more finished look.

  • Store in and air tight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

One of my favorite ways to store this is in bight size pieces in the refrigerator. Perfect for a quick little snack when you are craving something sweet.

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Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tips and Tricks

This recipe is very forgiving. If your butter separates when you poor it, there are two possible reasons.

  1. You had too much of an extreme change in temperature. Quick temperature changes from hot to cold or cold to hot can cause the butter to separate. ex. pouring cold vanilla into the boiling toffee mixture.
  2. Stirring too aggressively can also cause your toffee to separate. Remember to stir gently as you are adding the vanilla.

Don’t despair, if your butter does separate a little, all is not lost. If you look closely in the picture of my mixture, it is separated a bit too. And mine tasted amazing.

When adding chocolate, remember that less is more. You may want to cut back on the chocolate called for. If you add too much chocolate, it will overpower the flavor of the toffee instead of enhancing it.

So, the next time you have a sweet tooth or are looking for the perfect homemade gift to share with a friend, I hope you will give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed.

This post was all about the best toffee recipe.

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The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (2024)

FAQs

Why won t my toffee get hard? ›

If your toffee doesn't have a hard texture (where you can snap it in half) you did not cook it long enough. Again, the 5-minutes is just a guide. Cook it until it is the color of a brown bag.

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 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 long does homemade toffee last? ›

Store homemade toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Do you stir toffee constantly? ›

The most common recommendation is constant and even stirring from beginning to end. I say that is unnecessary too! After much trial and error (clumps of grainy caramelize sugar swimming is a pool of melted butter) I have come up with my own method that is foolproof and perfect every time.

What kind of pan is best for making toffee? ›

You need a very sturdy pan which is KEY to even heat distribution. Thinner, cheaper pans can scorch the cooking candy and/or cook it unevenly. Here are some great choices: Anolon Nouvelle Copper and Cooks Standard. I own a couple pricier copper pots because of the amount of candy I make.

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.

Why does my butter and sugar separate when making toffee? ›

If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar. Toffee and caramel can also separate if the recipe calls for constant stirring and the candy isn't stirred often enough.

What happens if you cook toffee too long? ›

Toffee Making Tips + Troubleshooting

Your toffee is better off overcooked than undercooked! Undercooked toffee won't be anything more than a caramel sauce. But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!

Why do you add baking soda to toffee? ›

You might wonder why the toffee recipe includes baking soda. It is added at the end of the boiling stage and creates lots and lots of bubbles. These bubbles help to lighten the texture of the finished toffee, resulting in an easier-to-bite candy.

Why add water when making toffee? ›

Adding water to sugar before caramelizing it helps it melt at a more even rate, and helps reduce the risk of crystalization. You only need to add enough water to turn the sugar into a slurry, and it all boils off as you heat the syrup.

How do I know when my toffee is ready? ›

For cooking: cook the toffee until it turns nutty brown. Don't stop cooking it until it's brown. Stop cooking it immediately as soon as it's brown.

Is light or dark brown sugar better for toffee? ›

Taste is obvious: sweets made with dark brown sugar will have a slightly deeper flavor with those notes of caramel and toffee I mentioned.

What is the difference between toffee and English toffee? ›

Americanized toffee may include nuts, while a completely traditional British toffee will not. On the other hand, English toffee uses pure cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses as its sweet base and always involves chocolate.

Why does my homemade toffee stick to my teeth? ›

You might check the amount of water you are using. If it is more than 1/4 c. per pound, you might be inverting the sugar which would give the same effect of adding corn syrup, making it sticky.

Can you reheat toffee that didn't set? ›

put it back in the saucepan and reheat it. It usually means it didn't get hot enought the first time.

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).

How do you fix crystallized toffee? ›

If your sugar has already crystallized in a pot or pan, add more water and return the mixture to a boil to dissolve the crystals. Use a small amount of water (the exact amount doesn't matter because it will evaporate). Start with a low heat to ensure the sugar doesn't burn.

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