quick & easy homemade toffee

Homemade Toffee is incredibly easy to make, and is just as delicious! It comes together in no time, with just 5 simple ingredients. This quick no-bake treat is perfect for holiday cookie plates, or a lovely homemade gift!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Toffee:

• Easy to Make – This recipe is a simple two step process of cooking a sugar mixture on the stovetop, pouring it onto a pan, then adding chocolate and chopped nuts.
• Customizable – Make your toffee pieces thicker or less thick – it’s up to you!
• Foolproof – Even if the idea of candy-making intimidates you, you’ve got nothing to fear! This recipe is practically impossible to mess up.
• Giftable – English Toffee makes a lovely homemade gift! Pop some into a container, jar, or on a plate, add a bow, and gift away!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
• Pecans – You don’t have to do this, but toasting your pecans takes just a few minutes and adds extra depth of flavor!
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Use chocolate chips or a chopped bar.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Nuts – Feel free to use chopped almonds in place of the pecans, or omit the nuts entirely.
• Stick to the Recipe – For candy-making, it’s best not to mess with the recipe (aside from the nut substitution above).

How to Make Homemade Toffee:

Step 1: Make the Toffee Base. Add butter, sugar, and water to a medium saucepan and cook until you reach 300 degrees F (hard crack stage). Stir in salt and vanilla.

Step 2: Pour onto a Pan. Immediately pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined pan (for a thinner layer of toffee) or into a lined 9×9 pan (for a thicker layer).

Step 3: Top with Chocolate & Nuts. Add chocolate chips to the top of the toffee, and let sit for a few minutes to allow the heat to melt them. Then, spread the chocolate evenly, and top with chopped, toasted pecans.

If you want, you can temper your chocolate first so you don’t get chocolate bloom on the toffee over the next few days (this is harmless, it just doesn’t necessarily look as pretty).

Step 4: Let Cool. Let the toffee cool on your counter until the chocolate is set.

Serving + Storing:

Once the toffee and chocolate are set, use a knife to cut into chunks, or break pieces apart with clean hands. Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or so, or in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Love simple homemade candy recipes? Try my Peanut Butter Fudge or Black Forest Truffles next!

Expert Baking Tips:

• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Instant Read Thermometer – You don’t need a candy thermometer – any instant read thermometer will work! And, I personally find candy thermometers klunky – you have to watch the red line grow vs. looking at a readout with the exact temperature!

More Homemade Treats:

• Double Chocolate Swirled Peppermint Bark
• Bailey’s Chocolate Fudge
• White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
• Peanut Butter Blossoms

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