There are not enough words to adequately describe how much we love toffee. With or without nuts and chocolate chips, it doesn’t even matter. We could eat this all day, every day, for the rest of our lives. While that may not be the best idea for a multitude of reasons, you’ll be hard pressed to convince us to put down the toffee these last few months of the year. We are going to savor every single bite, and share our love of toffee with everyone we know!
Nuts Optional
Nuts are entirely optional in this recipe, however we highly recommend them. Whether you roast them in the oven or use them raw, they are absolutely delicious and add an amazing crunch to your toffee. You can leave them whole or give them a rough chop.
Cooking Stages
There are set temperature stages in candy making to represent the texture of your finished product, depending on the type of candy you are making. Generally speaking, the lower the temperature, the softer it will be; the higher the temperature, the more firm and brittle. In this recipe, we are looking for our finished product to reach the hard crack stage of 290-300 degrees F.
Cooking Tip:
Make sure you have your pan prepped and everything ready to go before you start making the toffee. Once your toffee reaches the appropriate temperature, you need to immediately remove it from the heat so it does not continue to cook and go past that hard crack stage.
What size saucepan should I use:
When toffee is cooking on the stove, it bubbles and grows tremendously. If you have a saucepan that looks like it is probably big enough for how much toffee you’re making, consider going up a size from that! There is nothing more stressful than realizing your saucepan is too small while it is starting to bubble up!
Corn Syrup Substitutes
Can’t find corn syrup or want to make your own corn syrup substitute? Corn syrup is not the same product as high fructose corn syrup. It is an invert sugar that prevents crystallization in candy making. If you need to replace the corn syrup in this recipe, you’ll want to use another invert sugar that will also prevent crystalization, including:
- Honey (will impact flavor and won’t prevent crystalization as well)
- Golden Syrup
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Homemade Corn Syrup Substitute
Troubleshooting: Why does my chocolate not stick to the toffee?
The most common cause of chocolate not sticking to toffee is excess moisture on the toffee from butter seeping out. If you follow our recipe, this shouldn’t happen, but if it does and you do notice some seepage, simply blot it off with a clean dish towel or paper towel.
Storage Instructions:
Store your toffee in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks, though we promise it won’t last that long!
The best toffee ever! It is my go-to recipe for toffee. Easier than you think! Thank you
Question…
I have a niece that’s allgeric to vanilla, what substitute do you recommend using?
Thanks for the recipes. JButler
Omit the vanilla all together and it will still be delicious with all of the other flavors that are in this!
The toffee is delightful! However, after putting the toffee in the refrigerator to cool off, the chocolate came off the top. After further investigation on the internet, they tell you not to refrigerate it because the toffee cools faster than the chocolate. That is what causes the chocolate to come off. Just a note for everyone to keep in mind.
I have made this recipe for years but I use bourbon instead of water.
This sounds so easy. I’m going to try this today. Thank you for sharing.
This recipe was wonderful. Every year I make my old fashioned “sponge candy” but was looking fir a companion to fill my baskets for friends during the Christmas holiday. Until now, my toffee NEVER worked, it was always mushy or gritty, and I literally tried all remedies to fix my issues, but guess what??? Your recipe worked BEAUTIFULLY! Thank you my dear. You are amazing!
I make this I use about a 1/4 cup of bourbon in mine.
I’ve never made this, at what point do you add the bourbon? Sounds gooood!
I made this for a party and everyone absolutely loved it! I love the video that shows how to make this! Please please keep up the fabulous recipes!
Just made this and it was my first try with toffee, looks like it will be a big success! Kids are already begging to try it! Thanks so much!
I make this every year but with a few differences. I grind the almonds before adding them to the mixture and I don’t use corn syrup. I love this stuff, but it’s addicting!!