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How to make English Toffee the easy way. You'll love this homemade Christmas treat perfect for gifting or parties.
DELICIOUS AND EASY ENGLISH TOFFEE
It wouldn't be a Christmas season without making my mom's homemade English Toffee recipe. She's the reason I started this blog after all, (read the story here!) so it's only appropriate that I share one of her most famous recipes with all of you along with 13-layer rainbow jello.
This English Toffee candy is so simple to make and tastes delicious! Like, melt in your mouth delicious.
So if you've ever wondered "how to make toffee" this post will show you how easy it is!
WHAT IS TOFFEE?
This English butter toffee recipe is a popular Christmas treat made with butter, sugar, and chocolate.
ENGLISH TOFFEE GIFTS
Homemade toffee is great for Neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, or visitors who stop by. Just package this English butter toffee little cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon for a quick gift!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TOFFEE:
What is English toffee made of?
- large sauce pan
- baker's half sheet (I use this one for all my baking!)
- cellophane bags for gifts
SHOP THE SUPPLIES
HOW TO MAKE ENGLISH TOFFEE
1. First, melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Don't burn it! Once the butter starts melting, attach the candy thermometer to side of the pan like this:
2. Once the butter melts, stir in the water, sugar, and light corn syrup. You'll cook it until it reaches 300 degrees F, or the hard crack stage. This is a hard toffee recipe, so be sure it reaches the full temperature.
It will take about 15 minutes to reach 300 degrees. Just keep stirring. So before you start making this Toffee, make sure you have a good 20 minutes or so that you can dedicate to just this!
3. Once the old English toffee mixture has reaches that temperature, you pour the super hot, sweet-smelling hot toffee mixture onto an extra large cookie sheet.
4. Then you sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips onto the toffee. And if you keep your chocolate chips in the freezer like I do and are worried about them not melting, do not fear! They will melt just fine.
You'll want a bowl scraper to smooth the chocolate chips all over the toffee. Keep smoothing until the chocolate has melted and you have a nice, smooth layer on top.
5. For English toffee with nuts, just sprinkle chopped walnuts, or your favorite nuts, on top at this point. You can certainly make it without nuts, too.
6. Take the cookie sheet of goodness and place outside (if it's nice and cold!) or in the refrigerator and leave there until the toffee has hardened and the chocolate is no longer runny.
7. Once the toffee has cooled completely, hit with the back of a knife to make uneven pieces. Once you have one section broken, you can even use your hands to break the rest.
8. Store in an airtight container or package up for yummy gifts.
See how easy making toffee can be? Seriously, you got this!
READY TO MAKE THE BEST ENGLISH TOFFEE?
I would say I would send you some of ours, but the truth is: our entire batch is already gone. Guess we'll just need to make another! 🙂
OTHER AMAZING RECIPES TO TRY:
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (2 dozen in 30 minutes!)
- 5-Minute Frozen Hot Chocolate
- Cute & Easy Santa Cupcakes
Here's the easy recipe for English Toffee!
Print📖 Recipe
The Best English Toffee
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 13x18 cookie sheet 1x
Description
A simple but amazing English Toffee, perfect for holiday gifts, parties, or treats!
Ingredients
- 1 pound real butter, do not use margarine
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups white sugar
- 4 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- about 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- chopped walnuts, if desired
- candy thermometer
- wooden spoon
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan now.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the water, white sugar and corn syrup.
- Cook the mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F (hard crack) on a candy thermometer. This will take about 12-14 minutes. Make sure to stir continually so that it doesn't burn. Use a wooden spoon-- a plastic spoon will melt!
- Once it reaches 300 F, pour the mixture on an ungreased cookie sheet (10x15 is good).
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on the top and spread with a bowl scraper. (They will melt). Once you spread the chocolate and it's all melted, sprinkle the chopped nuts if you are going to add them. Cool until hard. To speed up the process, place outside in the cold weather or place in the refrigerator.
- Once cool and hard, use the back of a knife to break the English Toffee into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Treats
Keywords: english toffee, toffee, butter toffee, christmas candy
Save this British toffee recipe for later! Enjoy one of our favorite Christmas goodies!
Leslie says
Thanks for sharing. My grandma made delicious toffee and always had a tin of it in her refrigerator. I have always been too scared to try it since I did not inherit her culinary genius. You give me courage. Maybe I will have to try it.
Chris says
I just made this toffee and it is amazing! I didn't use the chocolate or the nuts as I just needed the toffee part. Thanks so much for sharing, this recipe it's a keeper.
Mel says
I'm so glad you loved it! It's our favorite too!
Linda Martin says
I made this last year for Christmas for myself as well as for gifts and everyone loved it.
I am making it again this year as I have had lots of requests for it. I also make a lot of other candies as well because my kids (5 of them) have children with families of their own and I make enough different candies to give each family an assortment of candies for Christmas.so I make at least between 15 - 20 tins of candy and this is one of my favorites, it is quick , easy and delicious . Thanks for this recipe
Mel says
Your comment makes me so happy to hear! This was my mom's famous recipe. She passed away when I was 15, but every time I make it, I think of her! I'm glad you LOVE it! I'm currently eating a few pieces myself. 🙂
Ton says
My butter separated what did I do wrong. I followed your instructions
sofestivemel says
what altitude are you at? I've never had that problem, but wondering if altitude or your thermometer could be off? I'm so sorry!
Whitney says
I love this recipe. My husband requested I make it for him every year!
sofestivemel says
So happy to hear! It's a keeper! Merry Christmas!
Blaire says
My butter also separated. I live in Denver, CO.
melissa says
sorry to hear that! i'm not sure why...did it seperate after you boiled it?
Kari Jernigan says
I made this for my boyfriend yesterday for Father’s Day and it’s a huge hit! I sprinkled some sea salt and fireball candied bacon crumbles on top (bacon crumbles cooked then sprinkled with brown sugar, dash of red pepper flakes, and a cap full of fireball whiskey at the end).
DELICIOUS! Excellent recipe. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Leanne Hartley says
Made this and just wonderful!! Warning, if you melt the butter too fast it will separate. Low and slow when it comes to melting butter.
Lou says
Did you use, salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
Melissa says
either is fine!
Susan Spangenberg says
Hi!
We live in Carr Colorado and I had previously read all the comments before making the toffee. In our house there is always something happening and I got distracted while adding the butter to the pot so instead of adding 4 sticks I had only added 3 and it came out great! So if you live in Colorado or an other state that is higher elevation just cut down on the butter.
★★★★★
Aileen Bluhm says
This wasn't fool-proof for me. I followed the recipe exactly and the toffee was too runny and the chocolate chips just sank to the bottom. Other recipes I read (a little too late) said to bring the toffee to a boil and it should be an amber color. I'm gonna try again but wasting a pound of butter is so disheartening! 🙁
Kate says
Butter separated 🙁 chocolate chips just sunk in i melter butter slow and stirred ingredients for over 30 minutes I love these I really want to get it right
Melissa says
I'm so sorry this didn't work for you. What altitude are you at?
Lynn says
Hello Melissa!
I live in the US, between Baltimore, Maryland, and our nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. So first, thank you for posting your lovely British recipe in American terms - so thoughtful!
We have a dear friend at church who spent years in the UK and loves what he calls “British toffee” and he prefers it “pure” - no nuts or chocolate. I’ve seen several recipes online, but the ingredients make them sound (to me) as though they would taste more like caramel than toffee, although I realize the flavors are similar.
I am very anxious to try yours since it’s authentic British. Looking forward to surprising our friend with it at our church “Harvest Night” get-together coming up the end of October, where everyone will bring a homemade dessert. I’m sure he will be thrilled.
Thank you for sharing your dear mom’s recipe. I’ll be sure to let you know our friend’s assessment. 🙂