The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (2024)

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No one can turn down a delicious piece of toffee. Making toffee at home can be a little intimidating. But with a foolproof toffee recipe like this, anyone can make this delicious treat at home.

Not to mention, toffee makes the perfect gift. Whether it’s for Christmas, Valentine’s, or just a Welcome to the Neighborhood, toffee is always a welcome gift.

The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (1)

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So easy to make and you probably already have all the equipment you need.

This post is all about The Best Toffee Recipe.

The Best Toffee Recipe

Equipment:

  • Candy Thermometer – Don’t skip this. It is very important to get toffee to the correct temperature if you want to have the best texture.
  • Silicone Pastry Brush
  • Offset Spatula – This may be something you don’t have but it really comes in handy when spreading the chocolate. The offset feature makes a big difference. The smaller spatula is actually easier to use than the larger one.
  • 11×9 Cookie Sheet / 9×9 Baking Pan
  • Heavy Sauce Pan – you will definitely want to use a quality pot. If it is too thin it won’t heat evenly and will burn the toffee.

Ingredients:

  • 6ozMilk ChocolateChopped
  • 6ozSemisweet ChocolateChopped
  • 8ozButter (2 Sticks)
  • 1CupSugar
  • 1tspLight Corn Syrup
  • ½tspKosher Salt
  • 1tspPure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ – 1CupPecansFinely Chopped and Toasted
  • ¼CupWater
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Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently with wooden or silicone spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

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Then stir gently and only occasionally as the temperature nears 300° F and mixture begins to darken.

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Once the mixture reaches 300° F, remove from heat and GENTLY add the vanilla and stir in GENTLY.

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Let toffee cool for 2-3 minutes, then top with chopped chocolate. Place a larger cookie sheet on tip to help the chocolate melt. After about 3 minutes use offset spatula to spread chocolate and then top with chopped pecans.

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Allow to set for at least 4 hours for the chocolate to harden.

Or you can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

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The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make

The PERFECT Toffee Recipe. The texture of this toffee is incredible. Light and airy with just the right amount of crunch. It literally melts in your mouth unlike some recipes that are super sticky and can pull your fillings out of your teeth if you're not careful.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Milk Chocolate Chopped
  • 6 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chopped
  • 8 oz Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ – 1 Cup Pecans Finely Chopped and Toasted
  • ¼ Cup Water

Instructions

  • Set a Bowl with water and silicone pastry brush next to your stove for easy access.

  • Set out a 9×9 metal pan. You can line it with parchment to help with removal of the toffee. If you would like nuts inside your toffee you can sprinkle a thin layer in the bottom of the pan at this time.

  • In a heavy sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently with wooden or silicone spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. .

  • Insert candy thermometer.

  • Then stir gently and only occasionally as the temperature nears 300° F and mixture begins to darken.

  • Occasionally brush the sides of the pan with he silicone brush and water to keep the sugar from crystalizing.

  • Once the mixture reaches 300° F, remove from heat and GENTLY add the vanilla and stir in GENTLY.

  • Using the silicone spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

  • Tilt pan to evenly distribute the mixture. And let cool for 3 minutes.

  • Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top of warm/hot toffee and cover with a larger cookie sheet or foil to help retain the heat.

  • Let sit for a few minutes until melted and then, using the offset spatula, spread evenly.

  • Let cool for at least 3 hours. You can put it in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process.

  • Break pieces for a more rustic look or you can use a large chefs knife for a more finished look.

  • Store in and air tight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

One of my favorite ways to store this is in bight size pieces in the refrigerator. Perfect for a quick little snack when you are craving something sweet.

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Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tips and Tricks

This recipe is very forgiving. If your butter separates when you poor it, there are two possible reasons.

  1. You had too much of an extreme change in temperature. Quick temperature changes from hot to cold or cold to hot can cause the butter to separate. ex. pouring cold vanilla into the boiling toffee mixture.
  2. Stirring too aggressively can also cause your toffee to separate. Remember to stir gently as you are adding the vanilla.

Don’t despair, if your butter does separate a little, all is not lost. If you look closely in the picture of my mixture, it is separated a bit too. And mine tasted amazing.

When adding chocolate, remember that less is more. You may want to cut back on the chocolate called for. If you add too much chocolate, it will overpower the flavor of the toffee instead of enhancing it.

So, the next time you have a sweet tooth or are looking for the perfect homemade gift to share with a friend, I hope you will give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed.

This post was all about the best toffee recipe.

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The Best Toffee Recipe That is Surprisingly Easy to Make - Life of Stacy (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep butter from separating when making toffee? ›

If the two elements melt unevenly it can result in separation. If you have good stovetop burners, we recommend turning them to medium-low to allow the butter and sugar to melt gently in the beginning stages. If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar.

Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy? ›

Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.

How long does homemade toffee last? ›

Store homemade toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Why do you not stir toffee? ›

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate. For those of you that need to know exactly how often you should stir, I would suggest erring on the side of not stirring more than stirring.

Can you cook toffee too long? ›

Your toffee is better off overcooked than undercooked! Undercooked toffee won't be anything more than a caramel sauce. But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!

Why did my toffee turn out grainy? ›

As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).

What happens when you add baking soda to toffee? ›

That means having the baking soda and vanilla extract at your side so when the toffee reaches the soft crack stage (285 degrees F) (140 degrees C) you can immediately stir these two ingredients into the toffee (vanilla extract adds flavor, while the baking soda helps with browning and gives the toffee a lighter texture ...

How to make toffee less hard? ›

Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .

Is light or dark brown sugar better for toffee? ›

Taste is obvious: sweets made with dark brown sugar will have a slightly deeper flavor with those notes of caramel and toffee I mentioned.

Is there a difference between taffy and toffee? ›

Is toffee the same as taffy? Taffy is in no way, shape, or form toffee. Taffy describes chewy fruit candies, whereas toffee is closer to caramel.

How to tell if toffee has gone bad? ›

According to Blakeslee, if a candy appears extremely sticky or has a grainy texture, then it has most likely expired due to temperature abuse and the crystallization of sugar.

What kind of pan is best for making toffee? ›

You need a very sturdy pan which is KEY to even heat distribution. Thinner, cheaper pans can scorch the cooking candy and/or cook it unevenly. Here are some great choices: Anolon Nouvelle Copper and Cooks Standard. I own a couple pricier copper pots because of the amount of candy I make.

What does cream of tartar do in toffee? ›

Cream of tartar can prevent your homemade hard candy, caramel, and toffee from forming a gritty texture due to sugar crystallization. Adding a pinch of cream of tartar to your sugar syrup will help break down the sugar molecules and stop them from crystalizing early on.

What temperature should toffee be cooked at? ›

Toffee (as opposed to butterscotch) should reach about 285°F. This ended up being the perfect temperature for the toffee to harden after being poured onto the baking sheet.

How to prevent English toffee from separating? ›

NOTE:[i] Most recipes recommend constant stirring from start to finish to prevent butter and sugar separation. Constant stirring will not hurt the mixture, but I have found it is unnecessary. You will stir the mixture a little as it cooks. When you stir, do it gently and slowly!

How do you keep butter and heavy cream from separating? ›

Incorporate oil or butter into the sauce gradually. Adding more than one teaspoon of fat at a time might overwhelm the emulsifying agent and cause your sauce to separate. Stir well after each addition. As the sauce begins to thicken, you can safely stir in a bit more oil or butter at a time.

How do you keep butter sauce from separating? ›

While cooking, keeping the heat low and slow can keep your sauce happy and together! Add a little fat back––a classic emulsified sauce is typically a 1:1 ratio of fat to liquid! If your sauce is breaking but is also very thin, vigorously whisking in a little fat (butter, egg yolk) can bring it around.

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