Description
A classic homemade toffee recipe featuring toasted almonds, rich butter, and a smooth chocolate topping. This indulgent treat has a perfect crunchy texture with a buttery caramel base and a delicious layer of melted chocolate, finished with crunchy nuts for extra flavor and bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Toffee Base
- 1 cup almonds, or your favorite nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Grease a 9×12 or 9×9 metal baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Do not grease the top of the parchment paper.
- Toast the nuts: Heat whole almonds in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid burning. Alternatively, roast them on a baking sheet at 325°F for 10-15 minutes. Coarsely chop the toasted almonds and spread half evenly into the parchment-lined pan. Save the rest for topping.
- Cook the toffee mixture: In a large heavy saucepan (3-4 quarts), combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and sea salt. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and the mixture boils. Continue stirring slowly and constantly until it reaches a caramel color and hits 300-310°F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage), which takes about 8-10 minutes. Be cautious as the mixture is extremely hot and can burn quickly.
- Pour toffee and spread: Immediately pour the hot toffee mixture over the nuts in the prepared pan. Tilt the pan to spread the toffee evenly; it doesn’t need to cover all edges perfectly.
- Add chocolate layer: Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee. Wait 2 minutes until the chips soften and glisten, then use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate over the surface evenly.
- Top with remaining nuts: Sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts over the chocolate layer and gently press them in to adhere.
- Cool and finish: Let the toffee cool completely at room temperature for at least 2 hours or until the chocolate is fully set. Once hardened, cut or break the toffee into pieces.
- Storage: Store the toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- Watch the nuts carefully while toasting to prevent burning as they cook quickly.
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure the toffee reaches the hard crack stage for perfect texture.
- Do not taste the hot toffee mixture as it can cause severe burns.
- If you prefer a different nut, pecans or macadamia nuts are excellent substitutes.
- For a sweeter chocolate layer, use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.
- Make sure the pan is metal and not glass as glass does not conduct heat efficiently for candy making.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: toffee recipe, homemade toffee, chocolate toffee, almond toffee, candy recipe, classic toffee
