Classic English toffee is packed with dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and a sweet, rich caramel flavor—exactly what toffee should be! Prepare this easy toffee recipe for gifting around the holidays or anytime. It also ships well!
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Toffee is so dangerous for me to have in the house. No one should eat as much as I do when it’s available.
This nutty, chocolate-covered toffee is the ultimate holiday treat, perfect for nibbling at the end of a big meal or gifting to a friend.
Video: How to make English toffee
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How to make English toffee
What is English toffee?
I make this classic English toffee with sugar, butter and a pinch of salt. A thin layer of chocolate on top of the toffee makes it even more of a treat, plus there are nuts both in the toffee itself and sprinkled on top.
Ideas for swaps and substitutions!
I use chopped toasted pecans in my toffee, but I can omit the nuts or substitute another nut.
I also opt for dark chocolate chips because toffee is quite sweet and the dark chocolate helps balance that sweetness. But feel free to use any chocolate you like to eat. White, milk or dark chocolate are all good!
Tips for toffee perfection
Making toffee isn’t very difficult, but it can feel daunting if you don’t do it very often. Here are a few tips to make it easier:
1. Get a decent candy thermometer:
Yes, you can tell when it’s done by the color of the caramel, or you can drop a spoonful into a glass of water to see if it forms a ball. But why bother with either option when a candy thermometer costs $8 and is such a better way to guarantee a successful, delicious batch of toffee?
If you’ve never used a candy thermometer before, this recipe is a great place to start. It’s fairly forgiving and doesn’t require many steps. Simply heat the sugar, butter and corn syrup to 295°F to 305°F (hard crack stage) and you’re done.
2. When it comes to toffee, corn syrup is your friend:
The corn syrup in this recipe keeps the sugar from crystallizing. This gives you another layer of insurance when making this toffee.
3. Still nervous? Place a bowl of ice water near the stove:
That way, if you accidentally spill some hot caramel on your hand, you can immediately dip your hand in the water.
Please don’t let that stop you from making toffee. It’s a lot easier than you might think, and the reward for your bravery will be as much English Toffee as you can eat!
This will prevent toffee from becoming grainy
Toffee becomes grainy when a stray sugar crystal gets into the melted mixture during cooking. There are a few tricks to prevent this.
- Rub the inside of the saucepan with butter to keep the sugar from sticking to it.
- Place the sugar in the center of the saucepan, not touching the sides.
- Once the mixture is simmering, stop stirring, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 2 minutes to dissolve any scattered crystals.
- Use a damp pastry brush to brush away any sugar that has splattered onto the sides of the pot.
This will prevent the layers from separating
Tempered chocolate can separate from the toffee layer for a number of reasons.
- Use chopped chocolate instead of chips and the chocolate coating is more likely to stick. Chocolate chips have a non-melting coating to help them hold their shape. But when they melt, the coating can prevent the chocolate from sticking to the toffee.
- Sometimes the chocolate melts at a temperature where it shrinks as it hardens and separates from the toffee layer. If your chocolate doesn’t melt or spreads easily on the hot toffee in the sheet pan, use a hair dryer to re-melt the chocolate until workable. Or place the pan in a 300°F oven for about a minute.
Here’s how to adjust this recipe for altitude
This recipe was written for sea level. Cooks who live at altitude need to cook their toffee at a slightly lower temperature. Look up the temperature at which the water boils for your altitude, then subtract that from 212°F. The number you get is how many degrees you should subtract from the 295°F to 305°F range given in the recipe.
How to store and freeze toffee
The toffee will keep at cool room temperature for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container with the layers separated by wax paper. If possible, add a silica gel packet (the kind that comes in shoe boxes!) this will absorb moisture and keep the toffee from getting sticky. Or refrigerate the toffee for up to 3 months.
Can you freeze toffee? Yes! Freeze in an airtight container, layers separated by wax paper, for up to 3 months (or longer – we’ve been eating it until then!).
Do you love toffee? Try these other sweets!
- Christmas firecracker
- peanut brittle
- Homemade Almond Roca
- Simple fantasy fudge
- Sugared pecans
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Classic English toffee
You can substitute any favorite nut or chocolate in this recipe.
ingredients
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1 cup (130G) pecans
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1 1/2 cups (340G or 3 sticks) unsalted butter
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2 cups (400G) sugar
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2 tablespoon corn syrup
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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10 to 12 ounces chocolatechopped (or about 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips)
special equipment
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candy thermometer
method
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Toast the pecans:
Place the pecans in a medium skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Dry roast the pecans (without oil), stirring frequently, until they begin to brown and smell nutty. Take it from the stove and let it cool off.
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Prepare the pan:
Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Roughly chop the cooled pecans. Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans evenly on the bottom of the pan. Set aside the remaining pecans for sprinkling.
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Make the toffee layer:
Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a large saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan; Make sure the tip is submerged in the ingredients but not touching the bottom of the pan.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the mixture has turned golden brown. The toffee is ready when it reaches 295°F to 305°F (hard crack stage) on the candy thermometer. Total cooking time should be 10 to 15 minutes.
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Put the toffee in the pan:
Pour the toffee over the chopped pecans in the baking pan. Using a heatproof spatula, spread the toffee evenly over the bottom of the pan and tap the pan a few times to pop any air bubbles.
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Add the chocolate layer:
Let the toffee cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then sprinkle the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips evenly on top. Wait another 3 minutes until the chips look soft and partially melted from the residual heat of the toffee. Use an offset spatula or a heatproof spatula to evenly distribute the melted chocolate over the toffee.
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Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans over the chocolate:
Gently press the pecans into the chocolate with your palms.
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Cool:
Allow to cool to room temperature (about an hour) and then refrigerate overnight.
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Crumble toffee pieces:
Once cool, use the aluminum foil to pull the toffee straight out of the pan and then peel off the foil. Roughly chop the toffee or break into small pieces.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 171 | calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 16g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
