What if I told you that this perfect, buttery, crunch-in-your-mouth English toffee recipe is surprisingly easy to make with your family? You may think candy-making is best left to the pros. But I’m about to show you a foolproof recipe that will completely change your mind. 

Even Beginners Can Make This Perfect Toffee Recipe

If you’ve always been a little scared to try making candy at home, get ready. I’m a home-ec major with a tried and true family toffee recipe. It will make your whole family feel like kitchen superheroes.

Let’s be honest, making candy can be intimidating, especially with kids involved. But I have a secret weapon that takes all the fear and guesswork out of the equation. It’s not a complicated technique, it’s a simple tool: a candy thermometer.

For the grown-up, a thermometer gives scientific precision that gives you perfect toffee, every single time. I promise, even if you are a total candy-making beginner, you and your helpers can absolutely do this.

Yummy Candy Alert: Heath Bar Candy Recipe 

We made this toffee recipe at home every year growing up and I have kept up the tradition. It is hands down my favorite homemade candy. It reminds me of eating a Heath candy bar. Yummy! 

Candy is made with a high heat sugar mixture so this recipe is best done with the older kids and with constant supervision. I’ve made it with my kids and grandkids. You can confidently make it with your older kids as well. 

With this step-by-step toffee recipe tutorial the delicious, crunchy, buttery candy will be popular as a gift or on your treat tray. Let’s get going!

Supplies for the English Toffee Recipe

Here are a few notes about the supplies you will need to make this english toffee recipe!

• 2 quart saucepan– The 2 quart sauce pan size is usually marked on the bottom (a 2 qt pan) or you can measure 8 cups of water into it to check for sure. 
• Wooden spoon– A wooden spoon doesn’t heat up as you stir the mixture.
• Candy thermometer– Temperature as shown by a candy thermometer is a key to good toffee.
• Cookie sheet or 9×13 inch baking pan– cookie sheet or 9×13 inch baking pan
• Ingredient list– sugar, salt, water, butter, chocolate chips, and nuts (optional). The ingredient amounts for the English Toffee Recipe are in the recipe card below.
• Cooking spray or parchment paper– Cooking spray or parchment paper  

Steps to Make an Easy Toffee Recipe

Step 1: Preparation- The Key to Stress-Free Candy Making

First, we’re going to get everything set up. With toffee, things move fast at the end. Having everything measured and ready is the key to a calm, fun process instead of a frantic rush.

Measure your ingredients. 

Measuring is a great job for the kids! Let them help you measure the sugar, butter, salt, and water, chocolate chips, and nuts (if you choose to use them). I prefer using real butter, not margarine for flavor and texture. Also, plain granulated white sugar is what you need, not brown sugar.

Line up the needed equipment

Last but not least, your equipment. Get out a 9×13 inch baking sheet or 9×13 inch pan and have your helpers spray with Cooking spray or line with parchment paper  . 

Next, get out a heavy-bottomed saucepan, this distributes heat evenly. Have your candy thermometer next to the stove so it’s ready to clip on the side of the pan. Also have a wooden spoon at hand because a metal spoon would get hot in the boiling mixture.

Step 2: Cooking Toffee– The Science of the Snap

Grown-ups, heating the stove and the hot sugar mixture are your job. Just read over all the directions before you start. Then follow the steps, keep the kids at a safe distance, and most importantly, use and trust your thermometer.

First, combine the sugar, salt, water, and butter in your heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Slowly melt everything together, stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon. Don’t turn up the heat to speed things up or the toffee might separate. We want the butter and sugar to melt into a blended liquid.

Once the ingredients are melted, turn the heat up to medium and clip the candy thermometer onto the side of the pan. Make sure the tip is down into the liquid but isn’t touching the bottom of the pan. If it touches the bottom, you’ll get a false reading and it might ruin your batch of toffee.

The temperature of the mixture will continue to climb as the water boils out. Keep watch and stir occasionally. The mixture will bubble and foam up. I like watching the color change from a pale yellow, to amber, to a golden brown. Your kitchen will start to smell incredible.

We’re cooking the sugar to the “soft crack” stage, 290 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s about 140 Celsius). At this temperature, much of the water has boiled away, which is what gives us the “snap” we’re looking for when we break it later.

When the temperature gets to about 275°F, don’t take your eyes off of it. The last few degrees can go up quickly. The moment your thermometer hits 290°F, take the pan off the heat. The sugar is still cooking from the pan’s residual heat, so you need to do the next step right away. It starts setting up quickly!

Step 3: The Toffee Pour and The Chocolate Pour

This is still a grown-up’s job! Pour the hot toffee on the baking pan or 9×13″ pan you prepared earlier. Use the spoon or tilt the cookie sheet slightly to gently guide it into an even layer. Don’t scrape the bottom and sides of the pan when you pour, sometimes there’s slightly scorched bits there. Let the toffee cool on the counter.

And now for my favorite part, the topping. Let your helpers slightly melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (in a microwave proof container, I use my glass measuring cup). Heat them for about 10-15 seconds at a time until soft. 

Then spread the chocolate all over the top of the toffee. I’m using semi-sweet chips because the toffee is already so sweet. 

Step 4: The Finishing Touches & The English Toffee Recipe Cool Down

While the chocolate is still melted, let the kids sprinkle chopped pecans on the top and gently press them into the chocolate (this is optional). 

And now for the hardest part of this recipe- waiting. The toffee needs to cool completely to get hard and brittle. It’s best to leave it on the counter for a couple of hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the chocolate is solid and the toffee is hard. 

I’ve been impatient and stuck it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. But don’t leave it there for long because that changes the texture because of the moisture. 

The Payoff- Homemade Toffee

Once everything is completely cool and hard, set it on a cutting board. Use your hands or the handle of a knife and break the toffee apart. This is a fun job for everyone. Don’t try to cut it neatly, just break it into bite sized pieces of various shapes. 

Do you hear the candy snap? That’s the perfect soft crack sound.

Time for a taste test. We want a light, crunchy texture with a deep, buttery caramel flavor. The toffee, chocolate, and pecans is an addicting combination. At least it is for me. It tastes like it came from a fancy candy shop, but you made it right in your own kitchen.

Just look at this pile of delicious, homemade English toffee. It’s the perfect gift for the holidays, a guaranteed hit at parties, or something to have stashed away for yourselves. If you store it in an airtight container, it will last for weeks and it freezes well. But let’s be real, it’s not going to be around that long.

Recipe Tips for a Toffee Recipe

These tips can help making recipe for making toffee even easier!

• Leave the parchment paper longer on two sides of the pan to create “handles.” Later you can lift the toffee out of the pan easily. 
• Sprinkle the chocolate chips directly on top of the hot toffee. Let it sit with foil over it for 3 to 4 minutes. The heat will soften the chocolate so you can spread it.
• Toffee bits- Use the small broken pieces as toffee bits on ice cream or a dessert. You may even want to crush some toffee for this purpose. 

Recipe Variations- Homemade Toffee

Here are a few variations you’re welcome to try with this old-fashioned toffee recipe:

• Sprinkle ½ cup nuts on the prepared pan and pour the toffee over it or stir ½ cup nuts into the toffee as you take it off the stove. This makes a wonderful butternut type of candy.
• Use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the toffee.
• Add a very light sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top of the topping to balance out the toffee sweetness.
• Leave the toffee plain with no chocolate or nuts on top.

FAQ About Toffees Candy

More DIY Christmas Recipes for Kids

Looking for more great Christmas recipes for kids? Here are a few favorites for you to try:

Come Join the Fun at WTN!

See? Candy making doesn’t have to be scary. With a clear plan and the right tools, even as a beginner you can totally conquer it. Try this craft, leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.

Yummy English Toffee Recipe with a Chocolate Coating!

Shelly

This Yummy English Toffee Recipe is buttery goodness with a chocolate coating. It’s easy to make and a Heath lover’s dream come true.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Gift, Teacher gift

Cuisine Dessert

Servings 24 pieces of toffee

Ingredients  

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup nuts finely chopped- optional (walnuts, pecans)
• ½-1 cup melted chocolate chips
• Cooking spray or parchment paper 

Instructions 

• Combine sugar, salt, water, and butter in a heavy saucepan. Slowly melt ingredients and then heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

• Cook to light crack stage (290 degrees). Take off the stove.

• Add ½ cup of nuts (optional).

• Pour onto well greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow to cool.

• Spread chocolate chips mixture over top and sprinkle with ½ cup nuts (optional). Cool.

• Break in pieces to serve. Makes about 24 pieces.

Notes

Tips and variations are found on the post at: https://welcometonanas.com/yummy-english-toffee-recipe/

Keyword cooking toffee, easy toffee recipe, english toffee recipe, heath bar candy recipe, homemade toffee, old-fashioned toffee recipe, recipe for making toffee, toffee bits, toffee recipe, toffees candy

Butternut Crunch

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

½ cup butter or margarine

1 ½ cups nuts finely chopped- optional (walnuts, pecans)

 2-6 ounces packages melted chocolate chips or milk chocolate may be used

Combine sugar, salt, water, and butter; heat to boiling.

Cook to light crack stage (285 degrees). ***

Add ½ cup of nuts (optional).

Pour onto well greased cookey sheet. Allow to cool.

Spread half of chocolate mixture over top and sprinkle with ½ cup nuts (optional). Cool.

 Turn and spread with remaining chocolate and sprinkle with remaining nuts (optional).

Break in pieces to serve. 

Makes about 24 pieces.