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Make this crunchy, buttery, no-fail toffee recipe with just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes at the stove!
Always Better Homemade
We’ve made homemade candy our whole lives, but we especially love to make it around the holidays (and more specifically Christmas).
One of our favorites to make is Homemade Toffee! This classic candy only has a few ingredients, and the steps are surprisingly very simple. Plus, it tastes way better than store bought!
We love to serve this at parties and holiday get togethers, but also love to include it on cookie plates or to give as a neighbor gifts. If you like to do the same, be sure to check out some other homemade candies like our Christmas Crack Recipe (aka saltine cracker toffee), Homemade Turtles and homemade Caramels.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Addicting. We can’t get enough of the buttery flavor and smooth chocolate!
- Big batch. It’s super easy to make in big batches and perfect for storing.
- Great holiday gift. It’s perfect for entertaining, wrapping up in treat boxes, or gifting to neighbors and friends on Christmas cookie plates.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
HARDENING TIME: 2 hours
- 2 cups salted butter – use real butter, not margarine
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips – or semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans – or chopped almonds (or your favorite nuts), toffee bits, chopped candy cane bits, or holiday sprinkles
How to Make Toffee
- PREP. Line a 17×12-inch jelly roll pan (or baking sheet) with parchment paper.
- TOFFEE. Combine 2 cups butter, 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Clamp a candy thermometer to the saucepan.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, then bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Continue whisking the mixture as it boils until it reaches 290°F or the “hard crack” stage. This will take 10–15 minutes, and the mixture will be amber-caramel in color.
- When it reaches the hard crack stage, immediately pour toffee in an even layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
- TOPPINGS. Let sit for 1–2 minutes, then sprinkle 2 cups chocolate chips on top. After 1 more minute, spread chocolate smooth with an offset or rubber spatula and sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans on top.
- SET. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to harden, then cut into toffee pieces with a thick, sharp knife.
PRO TIP: Checking the Temperature
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, do a hard crack test. Have a bowl of ice water next to the stove and do the following:
- Use a spoon to drop a dollop of the candy syrup into cold water. Wait about 10 seconds.
- If the dollop is pliable and bends, the syrup is too soft and needs to boil longer.
- If the dollop snaps, it’s at the hard crack stage and is ready.
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Toffee Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Line a 17×12-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Clamp a candy thermometer to the saucepan.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, then bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Continue whisking the mixture as it boils until it reaches 290°F or the "hard crack" stage. This will take 10–15 minutes, and the mixture will be amber-caramel in color.
- When it reaches the hard crack stage, immediately pour the toffee into the prepared pan.
- Let sit for 1–2 minutes, then sprinkle chocolate chips on top. After 1 more minute, spread the chocolate smooth with an offset or rubber spatula and sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
- Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to harden, then cut into pieces with a thick, sharp knife.
Video
Notes
- Use a spoon to drop a dollop of the candy syrup into cold water. Wait about 10 seconds.
- If the dollop is pliable and bends, the syrup is too soft and needs to boil longer.
- If the dollop snaps, it’s at the hard crack stage and is ready.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store homemade toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 weeks. Store in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months.
Love this so much! It melts in you mouth❤️
Thanks.
It is to die for . Thanks for sharing .
Glad to share!! Thank you for letting me know!
So, so easy (except for the waiting on the temp to reach hard crack) and so so good!!
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!!
Once the ingredients are boiling do you keep whisking it for 15 minutes?
I still like to. I don’t do it constantly, but every min or so, I give it a stir.
12/12/2020 Made toffee, how easy, turned out delicious. Did notice toffee is a little chewy is this normal?
Glad you liked it! Yes, it is a little sticky 🙂
is there suppose to have corn syrup in it, and if so the amount does not show also the salt is not in the measurement as well thank you
sorry I see the salt but not the corn syrup measurement…I forgot to ask if white chocolate can be used in the same way?
No corn syrup & yes, you can use white chocolate the same way 🙂 Enjoy!
Shouldn’t this also have baking soda in it to make it light? Please advise. Donna
Nope, this recipe does not need it 🙂
Missing syrup amount and salt amount
How much corn syrup do you use to make the toffee.
How much corn syrup, please?
can i sub the sugar for sweetener for my diabetic friends
Though, I have not personally tried, I am sure that would be ok 🙂
There is no measurement for the corn syrup although you mention it with the butter and sugar. Please advise.