Homemade Almond Roca is an easy English toffee with almonds and covered in dark chocolate. It’s even easier with a candy thermometer. Perfect for Christmas gifts!
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I have a severe weakness for Almond Roca during the holiday season. I can resist fruitcake, all kinds of Christmas cookies, puddings and mince pies.
My mom’s friend, Myke, dropped by a delicious load a week ago that lasted, um, an hour? A phone call with a rave review prompted them to bring us a second batch along with the recipe. Thank you Myke!
What is Almond Roca?
Almond Roca is a brand of hard toffee and almonds coated in chocolate. Created by Brown & Haley Co., has been around since 1914. This recipe is for a homemade version of the store brand.
What is the difference between Almond Roca and English Toffee?
Almond Roca and English toffee are similar. As mentioned above, Almond Roca is a well-known brand that mixes the toffee with the almonds. Our version of English toffee has a layer of chocolate between the toffee and the nuts, but it’s very similar in flavor to Almond Roca.
Troubleshooting Tips
Homemade almond roca may take a try or two to get right. Improve your odds sooner rather than later with these tips.
- If it’s a humid or rainy day, don’t try to do this.
- Use chocolate with a low cocoa butter content, such as B. Hershey’s.
- If you have one, use a candy thermometer. Attach it to the pan when you add the almonds. When the candy is done it should be between 295°F and 305°f
- If the toffee comes out gritty, that’s because the sugar isn’t dissolving. try this Lightly brush the inside of the saucepan with butter to prevent the sugar from sticking to it, and place the sugar in the center of the saucepan so it doesn’t touch the sides. If sugar lands on the edge of the pan, use a wet pastry brush to remove it.
How to store Almond Roca?
room temperature: Store homemade almond roca in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Place wax paper between the layers of the square to keep them from sticking together.
refrigerator: Store Homemade Almond Roca in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Place wax paper between the layers of the square to keep them from sticking together.
freezer: Freeze Homemade Almond Roca in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Place wax paper between the layers of the square to keep them from sticking together.
More classic candy recipes to try!
- English toffee
- Christmas cracker candy
- Pecan Chocolates
- peppermint bark
- peanut brittle
The recipe method was slightly modified on November 8, 2021.
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Homemade Almond Roca
If you try this, please read all the comments below. It’s actually trickier than you think.
Use an inexpensive chocolate like Hershey’s. It has a low cocoa butter content. If you’re using a premium chocolate that’s high in cocoa butter, the cocoa butter may separate into white streaks as the melted chocolate cools unless you temper the chocolate first (see instructions online).
You can also use other types of nuts like pecans or macadamia and white chocolate.
Don’t try to do this on a humid or rainy day. Don’t duplicate the recipe, make one batch at a time.
ingredients
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1 Cup sugar
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1/4 Cup water
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1 tablespoon light corn syrup
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1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter, cut into large cubes – NO substitute!
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8th ounces (1 2/3 to 2 cups) slivers of almonds
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1 (7 to 8 ounces) bar regular Hershey’s Special dark chocolatebroken into pieces (see recipe note)
method
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Prepare the baking sheet:
Have a large ungreased baking sheet or sheet pan near the stove to pour the candy onto.
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Add the sugar, water, corn syrup, and butter to the pan:
Place the sugar in the center of a medium saucepan or large, deep skillet. Slowly pour the water directly over the sugar and then the corn syrup (adding the ingredients this way will help avoid gritty candy). Add the butter.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat without stirring. Once the butter has melted, add the almonds, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
If you’re using a candy thermometer, attach it now. It’s helpful but not required.
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Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a warm amber color:
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a warm amber color (if you use a candy thermometer, it reads between 295°F and 300°F), about 10 to 15 minutes after boiling. To avoid burning, you may need to gradually reduce the heat to medium. The longer you cook the mixture, the thicker it will become and the harder it will be to stir. Cook too long and it will burn.
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Pour the mixture onto a large baking sheet:
When the almonds are light brown and the mixture is thick and the color of peanut butter, pour it onto the large sheet pan or baking sheet and spread it out as thinly as possible with a fork.
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Put the chocolate on top, let it melt, then distribute:
While the almond paste is still hot, spread the chocolate chips over the almond paste and allow to melt (this may take 2 to 3 minutes). Spread it evenly over the top.
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Cool down to room temperature:
Allow the almond roca to cool to room temperature. When cool, you can lift the whole thing out of the pan and break it into small pieces.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 259 | calories |
| 19g | Fat |
| 21g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
