Homemade Toffee

Homemade toffee is super easy to make! This sweet buttery treat only requires a handful of ingredients. 

Rich, buttery, crunchy, and oh so satisfying. Toffee is the perfect sweet treat!

Instead of purchasing store-bought packaged toffee bits, why not make it from scratch?!

This homemade toffee can be used for a variety of different applications. Eat the toffee plain as is. Or, mix the chopped toffee pieces into your favorite cookie dough recipe. (Pecan Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe will be shared tomorrow!)

Toffee pieces are also a great topping for ice cream, yogurt, or sweet porridge (like this champorado or rice pudding).

Easy Homemade Toffee Bark

Candy making can seem intimating, but it’s quite simple given the correct tools. 

Three pieces of equipment I highly suggest: candy thermometer, reusable silicone baking mat, and a heavy bottomed sauce pot. 

• Candy Thermometer

A candy thermometer is the best way ensure consistent results. 

Over time, once you’ve made toffee several times, you can certainly cook the toffee by eye. However, during the early stages, I recommend using a candy thermometer.

I use this candy thermometer (amazon affiliate link). It’s great for candy making.

I also use it when frying doughnuts (and I make a lot of donuts: brown butter old fashioned donuts, glazed letter donuts with sprinkles, chia berry jelly donuts).

• Silicone Baking Mat

Reusable silicone baking mats are a great alternative to disposable parchment paper sheets. Silicone baking mats are oven safe and freezer safe.

If you bake several times a month (or plan to become a serious candy maker), I suggest getting yourself a silicone mat (amazon affiliate link).

These mats come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are silicone mats for round cake pans, as well as mats with markings and outlines for cookie dough or French macaron piping.

• Heavy Bottomed Sauce Pot

Heavy bottomed sauce pots are thicker at the base. The thicker bottom helps to distribute heat more evenly.

This means these pots are less prone to having “hot spots” which can cause your food to overcook and burn more easily. 

How to Make Stovetop Toffee

Add sugar, water, and butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring. Agitating the sugar will cause it to crystalize instead of melting into a smooth mixture.

Add the candy thermometer once the sugar and butter have melted. Continue to let the mixture bubble and boil until it reaches a temperature of 300°F.

During this time, you may whisk the mixture as needed to help distribute heat and prevent the mixture from burning along the sides of the pot.

Heating the mixture to 300°F will take anywhere from 8 minutes to 15 minutes depending on several factors. These include: size of pot, ambient room temperature, and humidity of room.

As the toffee mixture cooks, it will change colors from pale yellow to golden brown. The mixture will also thicken in texture and viscosity. 

Once the mixture hits the magic temperature, remove from heat. Whisk in salt. And then, carefully add in vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble and steam once the vanilla is added.

Pour onto a silicone mat and wait for the toffee to cool. Enjoy it as is, or continue to make pecan chocolate toffee bark! 

Pecan Chocolate Toffee Bark:

1. Immediately, pour the hot toffee mixture into a silicone mat lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to cool at room temperature until toffee has hardened. 
2. Spread melted chocolate over solidified toffee.
3. Sprinkle toasted chopped pecans over chocolate. Garnish with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt flakes.
4. Let assembled toffee bark rest at room temperature until chocolate has set. This will range anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour depending on several factors. 

Serving Suggestions:

Once the chocolate is set, transfer toffee bark to a cutting board. Break the toffee by hand, or use a sharp knife to cut the toffee bark into desired portions.

Store toffee bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. 

This pecan chocolate toffee bark is perfect for gift giving! It can be enjoyed as is, or mixed into other snacks. It goes well with popcorn, ice cream, or as a garnish for cakes. 

If you’re an Almond Roca fan, substitute in almonds for pecans. You can also mix up the topping choices. Some alternative toppings to consider are:

• other toasted nuts: macadamia nuts, cashews, pistachios, peanuts
• seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
• chopped cookies: Oreos, shortbread cookies, wafer cookies
• different chocolates: milk chocolate, white chocolate, marbled chocolate

Interested in other no bake treats that make great gifts? This chocolate tiffin is simple to make and can be customized with dried fruits and chopped nuts. And, obviously you can’t go wrong with a chocolate strawberry bouquet!