The BEST English Toffee Recipe That Everyone Will Love (2024)

My husband’s aunt makes the BESTcandy each Christmas- English toffee, peanut brittle, and homemade caramel are always abundant around this time of year. This year I am making lotsof homemade candy to pass out too, and this English toffee is always tops on my favorite Christmas candy list!

Today I’m sharing my favorite English toffee recipe that tastes amazingly delicious and is so addicting! Everyone I’ve shared this easy English toffee recipe with absolutely loves it.

How to Make English Toffee

Homemade toffee is really quite easy to make, it just takes a little patience. I’ll walk you throughthe whole process.

You don’t HAVE to have a candy thermometer to make this recipe, but it definitely will help if you do have one.

There are other ways to test if your candy is cooked to the right point, but I always find the most accurate results when I use my candy thermometer.

English Toffee Ingredients

  • butter
  • sugar
  • salt
  • semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • almonds or pecans, finely chopped

I used amix of nuts for the nuts on top of my toffee, because I like the combination of flavors.

Any nuts will work, as long as they are finely chopped.

Steps to Making English Toffee

First the butter, sugar, and salt will all go in a large heavy saucepan. Candy making requires a nice heavy pot, so use the best quality pot you have.

You’ll cook over medium heat let the mixture to come to a steady boil, stirring constantly. It’s important that you keep stirring constantly for the English toffee to turn out.

I always use a candy thermometer because I like to know for sure when my toffee is done. With candy making, you can go from done to burnt very quickly, so you want to make sure you’re at the right temperature.

Next you’ll pour the mixture into a foil-lined baking sheet. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

Let them melt on top, then spread the chocolate out with a knife.

Sprinkle on the nuts. Now comes the hardest part… waiting!

Let the English toffee candy cool and harden, and then break into pieces.

How do I know when the English toffee is done?

When the temperature reaches 290-295 degrees it is ready to remove from the heat.

How can I tell if the toffee is done without a candy thermometer?

  • When the mixture turns a dark amber color it’s done.
  • Drop a small bit of the mixture into ice cold water. If the drip turns hard and brittle, it is done.

Doesn’t this homemade Enligh toffee look amazing?! This decadent Christmas candy is rich and has a nice crunch to it.

The smooth chocolate top balances the crunchy, buttery toffee and the chopped nuts on top.

You can break up this English toffee in as big or as small of pieces as you like.

This English toffee candy ais a wonderful treat to share with others, especially during Christmas and the holidays.

If I share mine with someone, then they KNOW I love them because this homemade toffee recipe is one of my absolute all time favorites!

Other Favorite Holiday Treats-

  • Chocolate no bake cookies
  • Andes mint cookies
  • Special K bars
  • Easy candy sleighs

These are my traditional go to favorite Christmas treats I make every single year without fail!

My mom made them every Christmas for us a child, then I learned to make them as a teenager, and now I’m passing on these same traditions to my children.

The BEST English Toffee Recipe That Everyone Will Love (8)

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The BEST English Toffee Recipe

Quick and easy English toffee recipe that makes rich, buttery English toffee in minutes. This easy candy recipe is perfect for Christmas or any other time of the year!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: candy, chocolate, Christmas, Christmas candy

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup almonds or pecans, finely chopped

Instructions

  • Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a steady boil, stirring constantly. When it turns a dark amber color or reaches 290 degrees with a candy thermometer, it is done. You can also drop a small bit of the mixture into ice cold water, and if the drop turns hard and brittle it is done.

  • Carefully pour the mixture into a foil-lined baking sheet. Let harden for a minute or two, then sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Let them melt on top for a minute, then spread the chocolate evenly with a knife.

  • Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and press down slightly on the nuts. Let the English tofee candy cool and harden, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Originally posted in December 2014, updated in December 2018.

The BEST English Toffee Recipe That Everyone Will Love (2024)

FAQs

Which is the world's number one toffee? ›

Lotte Coffy Bite Toffee

This is the best toffee in the world that has a rich flavor of coffee. Its creamy texture makes it mouthwatering to all of us. This brand also manufactures Caramilk, Lotte Eclairs, Lacto Kind, Spout gums, and Booproo.

What is the difference between toffee and English toffee? ›

Americanized toffee may include nuts, while a completely traditional British toffee will not. On the other hand, English toffee uses pure cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses as its sweet base and always involves chocolate.

Why put baking soda in toffee? ›

Brittles and toffees accumulate small amounts of acid from the browning reactions that occur during cooking. This is one reason why the baking soda is added at the end of cooking. The soda reacts with the acid to make bubbles, and the syrup foams.

How long does homemade English 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.

What is the famous toffee in England? ›

English Creamy Toffee - Walker's Nonsuch

Walkers Nonsuch Toffee was founded in 1894 by Edward Joseph Walker and his son Edward Victor Walker and today their delicious creations can be foun...

What is the difference between toffee UK and US? ›

English toffee and American toffee diverged with the preferred use of sugar type. English toffee is made with brown sugar, while American-style toffee, known as buttercrunch is made with white table sugar (granulated sugar). Buttercrunch is typically dusted with crushed almonds or other nuts.

Why does the butter separate when making English toffee? ›

If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out. It can also be caused by the mixture being heated unevenly (if the pan has a thin base and has hot spots).

Why is my English toffee chewy? ›

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.

What is toffee called in America? ›

The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.

Should I stir while making toffee? ›

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.

What does cream of tartar do in toffee? ›

Cream of tartar is a white powder sold in the baking aisle that's commonly used to stabilize whipped egg whites in meringues and cakes, prevent sugar crystallization in candies and caramel, and act as the activating ingredient in baking powder.

Why did a toffee fail to set despite using the correct ingredients? ›

This usually happens when the toffee mixture is heated too quickly or at too high of a temperature. Make sure to use medium heat (or medium-low) and go SLOW!

Why is my English toffee 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).

How do I know when my toffee is ready? ›

Using a candy thermometer is the most precise way to tell when your toffee is done. If you want to use a candy thermometer, you will want to cook the toffee until it reaches about 300℉/149℃.

Can you cook toffee too long? ›

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!

What is the #1 most popular candy bar? ›

Snickers is the top-selling candy bar in the United States and is produced by Mars, Inc. This classic chocolate bar is made with nougat, caramel, and peanuts, and it has been a favourite among Americans since its introduction in 1930. M&M's are small, candy-coated chocolates that are produced by Mars, Inc.

What is the world record for the most toffee? ›

The largest piece of toffee weighed 1.33 tonnes (2,940 lb) and was created by Susie's South Forty Confections, Inc of Midland, Texas, USA on 17 September 2002.

What is the number 1 hard candy? ›

Jolly Ranchers

But we still think some other varieties of candy are significantly more delicious than the beloved Jolly Ranchers. Jolly Ranchers candy is easily one of the best candy options that you can opt for. Frankly, there's a reason why Jolly Ranchers were the best-selling hard candy on Amazon as of January 2023.

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