Home » Desserts » Best English Toffee Recipe
posted by Liz Berg
on February 1, 2022 (updated 12/18/23)
This English Toffee Recipe is a must-make every Christmas! It’s a beloved, irresistible holiday gift among my friends!
I shake up my holiday candy and baking list from time to time, but one sweet treat never changes. I’ve been making this same Recipe for Toffee for over a decade; it’s the absolute best! Check out all my tips and tricks on how to make this decadent Christmas Candy!
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 Expert Tips
4 How to Make
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like:
7 Classic English Toffee Recipe
Why You Must Make
- There’s no need to look any further, this tried and true toffee recipe works!!
- I’ve been making it for 10+ years and I’ve never had to toss out a failed batch.
- It’s incredibly delicious!!!
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Butter, Water
- Chopped Pecans – Toast in the oven or in a skillet to bring out their essential oils for more flavor
- Corn Syrup – Helps prevent the sugar from recrystallizing or becoming grainy as it cools.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips – I use Ghirardelli brand. You can also use Ghirardelli chocolate bars, chopped.
- Vanilla – Always use pure vanilla extract, not artificially flavored.
Expert Tips
I’ve listed my best tips for making perfect homemade toffee below:
- PRO-Tip: As with fudge and caramel recipes, you need an accurate candy thermometer. Test its accuracy by placing it in a pan of boiling water. If you live at sea level, your thermometer should read 212º Fahrenheit or 100º Celsius when it comes to a full boil. Check the boiling temperature at your altitude before checking your thermometer.
- Make sure the tip of the thermometer does not rest on the bottom of the pan or you will not get an accurate temperature.
- PRO-Tip: Keep your burner on medium-high. Any lower and it will take forever to come to temperature and any higher, it will cook too quickly and the texture will be off.
- PRO-Tip: Use a heavy saucepan as it will allow the temperature to be maintained as well as minimizing scorching.
- Because of the addition of corn syrup, this toffee will not recrystallize. But also avoid making on a humid day, less than 35% or the results could be sticky.
- You don’t need to stir constantly, but instead frequently.
- Stay near your boiling candy.You need to watch the temperature closelyas it will rise rapidly once it approaches the 290º point.
- Pull the pan off the heat at 290-300º. I used to cook to above 300º and only about half the batches were the correct consistency.
- Use a Small Offset Spatulato gently move the hot candy across the Sheet Pan along with tilting the pan back and forth.
- Add the chocolate while the candy is very hot so it melts. Use the offset spatula to spread it evenly across the candy’s surface as soon as it appears melted.
- I add chopped, toasted pecans, but almonds are a delicious alternative. PRO-Tip: Toasting your nuts brings out the natural oils and enhances their flavor.
- Be careful. This candy will burn your skin quickly if you spill. Keep young children at a distance while you’re making this.
How to Make
Frequently Asked Questions
What is English Toffee?
Toffee (or toffy) is a candy made by cooking sugar, water, or cream to a temperature within the hard ball to hard crack candy range, depending on the outcome you want. This toffee is cooked to 290º right in the middle of the span of temperatures, in the soft crack stage.
How Does Toffee Differ from Caramel?
Both toffee and caramel are sweet, amber-colored candies, but caramel candy is soft and chewy whereas toffee is hard and crunchy. The ingredient list is similar, but they’re cooked to different temperatures, and caramel has cream added whereas typically, toffee does not. On a molecular level, the sugar crystallization is different for each candy.
Why Do You Add Corn Syrup?
Corn syrup prevents the recrystallization of the sugar when the toffee cools and hardens. If you’ve ever eaten gritty toffee, you know what recrystallized toffee is like. It’s caused when all the sugar is not melted. Even a couple of granules lingering on the sides of the pan can mess up a batch. So don’t skip this ingredient!
You May Also Like:
- Four 3-Ingredient Christmas Candies from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
- Soft Chewy Cream Caramels
- Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge
- Candy Topped Toffee Squares
- Double Dose English Toffee
- More of the Best Holiday Recipes
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The Recipe:
Classic English Toffee Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Yield48
My favorite English Toffee recipe. Prepare to get lots of rave reviews!
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (5-8 minutes at 350º stirring often)
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8-12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Cover a baking sheet with a Silpat or lightly grease with Pam.
- Cut butter into pieces and mix with sugar, corn syrup, and water.
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Insert a candy thermometer and allow to boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid turns amber and the temperature reaches 290º.
- Remove from heat immediately and add vanilla. Stir to combine and pour onto prepared sheet.
- Allow to cool for about a minute, then sprinkle with chocolate. Allow the heat to melt the chocolate, then smooth out with a spatula.
- Sprinkle with nuts and gently pat down so nuts adhere to chocolate.
- Chill for 2 hours, then break into small pieces. Store in refrigerator.
Notes
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine.
One serving is 1 ounce of toffee. This recipe makes 48 ounces.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1 ounce
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 377Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 77mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g
HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?
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posted by Liz Berg on February 1, 2022
42 Comments // Leave a Comment »
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Healthy World Cuisine — Reply
Love how quick and easy this English toffee recipe is. Fabulous for a cookie tray and perfect with a cup of coffee.
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Elaina — Reply
Thank you for all the expert tips! It’s so easy to mess things up when making candy, especially if you’re trying to multi-task in the kitchen. I’ve had to throw away batches and re-start. Good instructions help a lot!
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Kim — Reply
This really is the best english toffee recipe on the internet. It’s so delicious and the whole family loved it!
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Elise Guidoux — Reply
This is very close to the recipe my mother used and I’ve been using for years. It’s a tradition. In her recipe tho, we put a 1/2 cup of slivered almonds in from the start which gives the toffee a nice toasty essence. Of course this requires constant gentle stirring so the nuts don’t burn.
I will try your recipe to see if there’s much difference. I’
also only use 1 Tbsp of corn syrup and 3 Tbsp of water. Looking forward to seeing if your amounts improve it.
Thanks.-
Liz Berg — Reply
Hi, Elise! I hope you enjoy No matter what recipe you use, it’s a wonderful holiday tradition!!! I hope you’ll let me know how it compares to your mom’s version.
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Deborah Sepich — Reply
Well this is my 6 th batch of toffee this weekend. 5 were another recipe and they turned out more like Butercrunch than toffee despite using a digital candy thermometer. Yours was the only recipe that called for water and corn syrup and turned out perfectly! Thank you so much. It’s been a journey!
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Liz Berg — Reply
Oh, I’m delighted to hear this, Deborah! It’s been my go-to recipe for years!! Enjoy!
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Brian Clarke — Reply
Your 1st English Toffee PRO Tip to check the accuracy of your thermometer is a great tip but water boils at 212F ONLY at sea level. You need to take altitude into account to really check your thermometer.
Water boils at lower temperatures at higher altitudes. See https://www.thermoworks.com/bpcalc/
I live in the Salt Lake City, Utah area and water boils at 203F in my kitchen. If I thought water boiled at 212F I would think my thermometer was 9 degrees low and if I corrected for it I would overcook my candy.-
Liz Berg — Reply
Good point. I’ll edit to mention at sea level. Thanks, Brian.
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Sherry — Reply
This is the best! I made it for the 1st time last Christmas and everyone raved about it. I’m going for the repeat and giving several batches for gifts.
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Liz Berg — Reply
I’m so glad you love it as much as we do!!! I need to make a couple of batches tomorrow!!! Thanks for letting me know and Merry Christmas!!!
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Barb Franke — Reply
This turned out awesome! I used toasted pecans and almonds and used half cup on each side of the slab. The silicone mat worked perfect.
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Liz Berg — Reply
I’m so glad, Barb!! I need to make a couple of batches in the next week. I hope this becomes a holiday tradition for you 🙂
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John / Kitchen Riffs — Reply
I like English toffee, a lot, but I just never make it. Ever. Why is that? Must be a weakness in my character. 🙂 Will definitely be making your recipe — thanks.
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Roz — Reply
Wow, Liz! I’ve never made English toffee and always purchase it every Christmas from the Vermont Country Store. But it’s pretty pricey! And we devour it instantly. I’m sure homemade is even better than store-bought! Thanks for the recipe! I really need this!
xo
Roz -
Jeanne — Reply
Liz, would you mind sharing what kind and brand of chocolate you recommend, please? Chocolate chips or bars, broken up? I have found that some melt easier than others and am eager to try your recipe. It looks wonderful! Thanks!
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Liz Berg — Reply
Jeanne, I usually use the 4-ounce bars of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate and chop them. But they’ve been impossible to find this year! The batches I made for Christmas this year were topped with Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips. I was a bit worried as chocolate chips don’t seem to melt as easily as the chopped bars, but they worked fine. I was going to chop them up, but first tried them right from the bag and they worked well. I started moving them around with an offset spatula as soon as I saw them starting to melt. Hope you enjoy this recipe!!
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Cakelaw — Reply
Oooh, I love toffee!! This looks delicious.
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Valentina — Reply
I would have to agree that this toffee is the perfect, delectable, edible gift. I wish a baggie of it would show up at my door. 🙂 ~Valentina
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Never Ending Journeys — Reply
This toffee looks so incredibly rich and decadent! I would love to try it. 🙂
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Lynn A Plagman — Reply
Homemade toffee is wonderful, I’m sure everyone looks forward to it! Merry Christmas Week Liz-enjoy:@)
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angiesrecipes — Reply
These toffee are PERFECT! Mine never came out so good like yours. I guess I didn’t use the right recipe. Have to try yours next time. Thanks, Liz, and have a wonderful baking season!
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Stephanie Manley — Reply
Everyone in my house loved this recipe when we tested this out. I have to make more!
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Lori — Reply
I crave this recipe every year during the holidays- the best!
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Toni Dash — Reply
These didn’t last long in my house! Such a fun and awesome treat!
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Jennifer Farley — Reply
I’m going to make this as gifts for my family!
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Erin — Reply
The best gift for my new neighbors!
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Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes — Reply
I’m so in love with this toffee!
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Aysegul Sanford — Reply
A holiday classic that never disappoints. So good. Thanks for sharing it.
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Aysegul Sanford — Reply
A holiday classic that never disappoints. So good.
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Claudia Lamascolo — Reply
this looks so good bet you could sell this its better than anything you can buy anywhere!
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Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily — Reply
This is my husbands favorite treat! So glad I found a recipe from a trusted source 😉
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Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction — Reply
Lizzy,
The toffee looks delicious. I’ve never made it but I would love to try. Great tips too. Did the puppy get any? -
Lizzy Do — Reply
Elajr, toffee can be extremely finicky. I would not double the batch. I usually end up making 3-4 batches for the holidays and always do them one at a time. Hope this recipe works for you!
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Elajr — Reply
Have you tried making a double of the recipe in one cooking? Or do we have to make it batch by batch if we want to make a lot. Thanks.
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Lizzy — Reply
I’ve had that happen, too, Kim…and I’m not sure why! Thank goodness it’s not very often 🙂 Wish I could sample yours!
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Lizzy Do — Reply
I am so glad it worked for you, Kimberlee!!! I use an offset spatula to spread, but also use the tilt the pan trick, too. I sometimes still get those thick areas…I just break them into smaller pieces 🙂
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Kimberlee V. — Reply
I love English Toffee and have been looking for a yummy/simple recipe for awhile! This is the one!!! I made several batches over the holidays to share with friends! Everyone loved it! And the kids thought it was “super cool” the way the warm toffee melted the chocolate for easy spreading. My only question is do you have a trick for spreading the toffee out a little? Mine was kind of thick in the middle. I’m thinking that just tilting the pan this way and that might work. Thanks Lizzy!
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Lizzy — Reply
I hope you’ll blog about your toffee, Hilary…I’d love to see your recipe!
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Lizzy — Reply
If I can do it, you can do it, Lindsey! Thanks for dropping in 🙂
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gingerbreadcake — Reply
I just love toffee but have never made it myself. Yours looks absolutely delicious and just beautiful! Thank you so much for the instructions on how to make it. I’ll definitely be giving it a try. And I just love your dog, so cute!
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels
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Hilary — Reply
Hey Liz,
Just about an hour ago I made toffee……also used toasted pecans and milk chocolate this time! Ended up using the recipe from Allrecipes. Want to try your recipe next time.
