This Easy English Toffee Recipe features crunchy almonds and a creamy chocolate outer layer. No candy thermometer needed, and you will still end up with perfectly snappy and delicious toffee!
You’ve come to the right place for easy, delicious holiday treats! Try my Microwave Peanut Brittle, Disneyland Copycat Churro Toffee, Candied Pecans Recipe, and Christmas Crack (Cracker Candy) recipes.
Why This Recipe Works
So Simple to Make: Toffee may seem like a complicated thing to make, but trust me, it is actually quite simple and so impressive when you can share this recipe with loved ones! You don’t need a candy thermometer for this easy english toffee recipe, unlike most other toffee recipes. I will detail exactly how to get perfectly crunchy, snappy toffee in this easy english toffee recipe.
Smooth & Snappy: This homemade english toffee will taste buttery and smooth, while still having that perfectly crunchy snap. Plus, the added nuts on top offer the perfect balance of flavor and texture. If you have ever had a heath bar, you will eat this toffee and never think about store bought toffee again.
Perfect for the Holidays: You might just find that this toffee candy recipe will help you create delicious, affordable holiday gifts! Toffee is perfectly shareable, and everyone will be wondering how you made it. Tie it up in little bags and share it with family and friends this holiday season.
Ingredients for the Easy English Toffee Recipe
- Whole, Raw Almonds- The whole almonds will be toasted for maximum flavor and then placed in the toffee to have crunchy almonds bites throughout.
- Butter– Butter is needed for the texture and flavor of the toffee. Do not substitute butter with margarine.
- Sugar– The key to cooking candy like this toffee is heating up sugar until it has caramelized.
- Salt & Vanilla– Salt and Vanilla are both needed for flavor. If you like a more salty toffee, add extra salt. Go for sea salt if you like chunkier bites of salt!
- Milk Chocolate Chips– I added milk chocolate chips on top of the warm toffee and spread the chocolate on top. You can also use dark chocolate if you prefer!
- Chopped Pecans– A sprinkle of chopped pecans over the top of the toffee adds flavor, texture, and makes the toffee look amazing!
Here’s How to Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- First, gather all of your ingredients and get them measured out so you are prepared for each step in the recipe. Then, place your almonds on a plate and microwave them for 2-3 minutes on high to toast them. Line a baking sheet (9×13 if possible) with parchment or foil and place the almonds in a single layer on the foil. Space them out as best as you can. (photos 1-2)
- Add sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt to a large sauce pan. The pan needs to be at least 2 quarts and it needs to have a thick bottom, otherwise the toffee can burn! Melt these ingredients together over medium heat. (photo 3)
- When the ingredients are completely melted, continuously stir and gradually increase the heat to medium-high. Keep stirring and stirring for about 9-15 minutes until the toffee is a golden brown color, about the same color as raw almonds. (photos 4-6)
- As soon as it reaches that color, quickly pour the mixture over the almonds in your prepared pan. (photo 7)
- Allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for another couple of minutes while the chocolate chips melt. (photo 8)
- Spread the melted chips over the toffee. (photo 9)
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans and allow to cool completely. Feel free to put the pan in the fridge to speed up the process if preferred. (photo 10)
- After the toffee and chocolate have completely cooled, use a butter knife to break apart the english toffee. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you keep an eye on your toffee as it is cooking and keep stirring it. If you take your eye off of it, it can burn very quickly!
- Anytime you are cooking with sugar, be very careful to not get it on your skin. Hot sugar can burn your skin easily, so take care when pouring the toffee mixture into the baking pan.
- If you don’t like almonds or pecans, you can skip the nuts! Or, add in whatever type of nut you prefer. Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts would all be delicious in this easy english toffee recipe!
- Sprinkle crushed up candy canes onto the top of the melted chocolate for peppermint english toffee. Yum! Or, for a more sweet and salty vibe, add broken pretzels to the top of the melted chocolate.
- For color and added flavors, add little candies to the top of the cooling chocolate (it should be soft but not hot) like mini M&Ms, Reese’s cups, white chocolate chips, or other little candies you enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can tell that your toffee has separated when the candy looks really oily on top. This means that the butter did not fully mix with the sugar and emulsify like it should. This can happen when the temperature changes from too cold or too hot, too fast. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, slowly melt your toffee ingredients and continuously stir while it is cooking. Don’t turn up the heat to medium-high until everything is melted and mixed together, and don’t turn it all the way up in the process ever.
If your toffee does separate, you can try to fix it by adding very, very hot water to it by the tablespoon until it comes back together. Make sure to only add one spoonful of water at a time. However, if your toffee has already cooled and you notice that it separated, it is sadly too late to save it. It is still edible and you can try crunching it up and using it as an ice cream topping or in cookies instead!
They are very similar since they are both candy and made in a similar way. Toffee is usually hard and crunchy whereas caramel is smooth and chewy. Caramel is made with milk or cream to keep it soft, and is cooked at a lower temperature than toffee.
More Easy Dessert Recipes to Try
- Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe
- No Bake Churro Krispie Bars
- Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars
- 3 Ingredient Peppermint Bark
- Chocolate Almond Clusters
Easy English Toffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole raw almonds
- 1 cup butter - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Get all of your ingredients measured and set out before you start the recipe. Then place your almonds on a plate and microwave them for 2-3 minutes on high to toast them. Line a baking sheet (preferable a 9×13 pan) with foil and place the almonds in a single layer on the foil – space them out as best you can.
- Add sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt to a large sauce pan (at least 2-quarts and it needs to have a thick bottom – not a thin metal one or your toffee will burn!) and melt over medium heat, stirring throughout.
- When ingredients are completely melted, continuously stir and gradually increase heat to medium-high. Keep stirring, stirring, stirring for 9-15 minutes until the toffee is a golden brown color (similar to the color of the raw almonds). As soon as it reaches that color, quickly pour over almonds in your prepared pan.
- Allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow to sit for another couple of minutes so the chocolate chips will melt, then spread over the toffee. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and allow to cool completely. (If you put the pan in the fridge it will speed up the process a bit).
- After toffee and chocolate and completely cooled, use a butter knife to break apart the toffee. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Does the foil need to be oiled or will it release the toffee easily?
It should be just fine without having to oil the foil!
Wow, this is amazing! I didn’t put in the almonds, but it was very good. I wasn’t sure when it was done, but I was told by my sister that when you see it smoke, it is done. It was cooking for about 11 minutes and I started to smell the toffee and I saw smoke. It was done. Such a good recipe! Even my picky husband loved it! THank you!
Great job, Linda! Excited to hear that you enjoyed this treat!
I just wanted to let those whose toffee separated know that this happened to me while I was cooking it so I added about a tsp of water and kept stirring and it came back together. I also stirred it when I took it off the heat to make sure it was homogenous before pouring it on the pan. I only had to cook mine for about 8 mins on medium and it was done. I saw on another site that it should be the color Of peanut butter when it’s done. That’s what I was going for and it turned out wonderfully. I think if it was much darker, it would have started to burn and get bitter.
Thanks for your feedback, Liz!
OMG!! Turned out perfect! I was a little worried, never having made any candy of this type without a candy thermometer. I followed the instructions to the letter and stirred and stirred and stirred some more… I did use my thermopen, which worked great! at slightly under 300 degrees, it looked perfect and caramely brown and dump it went over english walnut pieces…then sprinkled 60% cacao chips and dusted with finely chopped walnuts. If I may say again, OMG… I can’t wait till tomorrow to break it into pieces!! I know what I’ll be dreaming of… Thank you for this great and easy recipe!
Way to go, Patricia! I am super excited to hear that you had such great success with this recipe and all your stirring! 😉 Thanks for your feedback! Sweet dreams to you! haha
Thank you for the delicious toffee recipe. I haven’t made toffee beFore (gasp!) and wanted to make some this year for food gifts. Your instructions were easY, and i made 4 Successful batches today. My daughter and i made sure to sample pLenty;). Happy holidays!
How would you know if it truly is delicious without sampling it?! 😉 Way to go on your first try at toffee, Anna! Happy Holidays!