This classic Butter Toffee recipe combines sweet, crunchy buttery toffee with a thick layer of milk chocolate, topped off with toasted almonds. It’s an unbelievably simple recipe that will have you making this delicious old-fashioned candy in no time.
Toffee is perfect for adding to cookie plates, bringing to Christmas parties, or packaging as homemade gifts. If you’re looking for more homemade candy recipes, you can also try our Peppermint Bark, Saltine Cracker Toffee, Peanut Brittle, or Pretzel Toffee.
The Best Butter Toffee Recipe
Our buttery toffee recipe will remind you of the stuff your grandma used to make. It’s a classic version of this favorite homemade Christmas candy treat that is surprisingly simple to make. All you need are a few ingredients, a candy thermometer, and these step-by-step instructions.
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If you are someone who likes to gift homemade treats around the holidays, tuck a few pieces of toffee candy inside a cute little tin for the perfect present to give to neighbors, teachers, family or friends.
Also, even though it’s technically a candy, butter toffee makes a great addition to cookie plates or cookie exchanges. This recipe can be easily doubled, so feel free to go nuts (pun intended)!
Recipe Ingredients
- Almonds – these should be lightly toasted and chopped. You can substitute chopped pecans or walnuts if you like.
- Butter – either salted or unsalted butter would taste great.
- Sugar – use regular white granulated sugar.
- Water
- Corn Syrup – this helps make sure that your toffee doesn’t crystallize.
- Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Chocolate Chips – we like to use milk chocolate, but both dark chocolate and semi sweet would also taste good.
How to Make Butter Toffee
- Toast nuts. To toast nuts, spread them evenly in a baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Once they are fragrant and golden brown, remove from the oven, let the nuts cool and then coarsely chop. Set aside.
- Make toffee. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and add the sugar, water and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook sugar mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage). Once the candy mixture reaches 300 degrees F, take it off the heat, add vanilla and mix, then quickly pour into the prepared pan. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread the toffee mixture to an even thickness.
- Add chocolate layer. Let the toffee cool for 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, letting the hot toffee melt the chocolate.
- Finish with toasted nuts. Spread the melted chocolate evenly all over the toffee, then quickly top with the toasted chopped almonds. Let cool until solid, then put it in the fridge to continue to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Serve. Once set, remove from the fridge and slip a butter knife under the toffee to release it from the pan. Break the toffee apart into serving size pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make sure that you cook your toffee to the correct temperature. Not only should you use a candy thermometer, but you should also make sure it works properly (it should read 212 degrees F in boiling water)! This is probably the biggest reason that your toffee wouldn’t come out right.
- Be sure and exercise patience and don’t break your toffee up too soon.
- If you don’t want to put your toffee in the fridge, you can also let it set up at room temperature overnight. By the next day it should be completely solid.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to avoid burning your toffee.
Easy Variations to Try
If you are looking for ideas for flavor variations, here are a few easy ones:
- Pecan Praline: Incorporate chopped pecans into the toffee for a Southern-inspired praline flavor.
- Salted Chocolate: Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate coating for a sweet and salty combination. You can also use dark chocolate for a richer flavor.
- Coffee: Add instant coffee or espresso powder to the toffee mixture for a subtle coffee flavor.
- Coconut Macadamia : Mix shredded coconut and chopped macadamia nuts into the toffee for a tropical and nutty variation.
- Rosemary Sea Salt: Infuse the toffee with finely chopped fresh rosemary and sprinkle with coarse sea salt for a unique and savory-sweet twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use regular chocolate chips from the grocery store, but if you are looking for an upgrade, you can use chocolate bars or a high-quality chocolate chip. Guittard milk chocolate chips taste great.
English Toffee and regular butter toffee are essentially the same thing, however an English Toffee recipe is typically nut-free while American toffee often has almonds or other nuts.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: you can keep your toffee stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Room Temperature: you can also store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week as long as the room is relatively cool.
- Freezer: yes, you can freeze Buttery English Toffee! Be sure and wrap extremely well so that no moisture can seep in and store for up to 2 months.
Best Butter Toffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- Spread the almonds evenly in a baking dish and bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Once they are fragrant and golden brown, remove from the oven, let the nuts cool, and then coarsely chop. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat, combine the butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook sugar mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Once the candy mixture reaches 300 degrees F, take it off the heat, add vanilla and mix, then pour into the prepared buttered baking dish. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread the toffee mixture to an even thickness.
- Let the toffee cool for 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, letting the hot toffee melt the chocolate.
- Spread the melted chocolate evenly all over the toffee, then top with the toasted chopped almonds. Let cool until solid, then put it in the fridge to continue to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Once set, remove from the fridge and slip a butter knife under the toffee to release it from the pan. Break the toffee apart into servings sizes.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Simple Christmas Candy Recipes
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This Old Fashioned Toffee Recipe is a classic version of the homemade Christmas candy treat that is surprisingly simple to make. All you need are a few ingredients, a candy thermometer and these step-by-step instructions.
Categories:
Christmas, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Gluten-Free, Holiday Favorites, Vegetarian, Winter Recipes,
I took the candy to a party this over the weekend, and at least five people asked me for the recipe! Huge hit!
It’s a hit every time! So glad you loved it too.