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.

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.

What toffee doesn't stick to your teeth? ›

English toffee is the epitome of classic toffee. It's rich and buttery, with a firm snap and a crisp texture that doesn't stick to your teeth. Of course, it's delicious on its own, but it really shines when it's paired with a thick coating of dark chocolate and a sprinkling of nuts.

Who is the king of toffee? ›

By 1896, Mackintosh was calling himself the "Toffee King" and his product "The King of All the Toffees".

What country makes the best toffee? ›

Our English Toffee is World Famous for good reason - cooked to perfection so it melts in your mouth and covered with the finest milk chocolate and fresh roasted almonds. Our fresh English Toffee pairs nicely with our other fine candies - see our Gift Packs for selected combinations.

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? ›

Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. 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.

What is English toffee called in England? ›

Although named English toffee, it bears little resemblance to the wide range of confectionery known as toffee currently available in the United Kingdom. However, one can still find this product in the UK under the name "butter crunch". Conversely, in Italy they are known as "mou candies".

Why do you not stir toffee? ›

Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.

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.

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.

How bad is toffee for your teeth? ›

Toffee is a dentist's worst nightmare. It is sugary, sticky and hard. Because of this texture, many patients have cracked, chipped and broken their teeth whilst biting into toffee. It can even destroy existing dental work like fillings, veneers and crowns.

Should toffee be hard or soft? ›

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 .

What is the most unhealthy candy for your teeth? ›

The Worst Candies
  • Anything Sticky. The stickier the candy, the worse it is — that's Jujubes, Tootsie Rolls, etc. ...
  • Lollipops. That's because when it comes to how bad a candy is for your teeth, frequency of exposure is more harmful than quantity. ...
  • Gummy worms, because they're the most acidic.
Oct 29, 2014

What is the 1 most popular candy? ›

Snickers is listed as the most popular candy in the world.

The statistic “Snickers is listed as the most popular candy in the world” indicates that, based on available data and assessments, Snickers is recognized as the candy with the highest overall level of popularity globally.

What is America's #1 candy? ›

Highlights: Most Popular Candies In America Statistics

Skittles are the most popular Halloween candy in America in 2020. M&Ms were the most popular candy in America in 2019. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the most popular candy among Millennials. Snickers is the most popular candy bar.

What is the #1 sold 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 #1 best candy? ›

The Number 1 Most Popular Candy in America is Snickers!
  • Snickers.
  • Peanut Butter Cups.
  • Hershey's Kisses.
  • Kit Kat.
  • M&Ms.
  • Hershey Bar.
  • Twix.
  • Starbursts.
Oct 21, 2023

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