English Toffee is a classic holiday candy that’s buttery, nutty, and rich thanks to a combination of almonds, walnuts, and milk chocolate. Make it in a brownie bite pan to get the cutest toffee bites—perfect for gifting!
I love making candy every holiday to give as gifts and serve to guests. If you’re new to candy, start with our easy rocky road fudge, homemade turtles, and peanut butter cups.
Why You’ll Love This English Toffee Recipe
Thanks to one of my besties RHONDA (hey girl!), who shared this awesome English toffee recipe with me years ago. It became a tradition for us to have a holiday candy-making day with our oldest daughters, Natasha (on the left) and my daughter Alyssa (on right).
We usually gave the girls the job of rolling Peanut Butter Buckeyes and wrapping homemade caramels…you know, the “chores”!
Here’s what makes this English toffee one of my favorites:
- English toffee is typically made in an 11×7 pan, but a few years ago I found a silicone brownie bite pan and it’s all I use now. No more slicing toffee, just pop the toffee bites out and you’re good to go—easy, neat, perfectly portioned pieces!
- If you like Heath Bars, this homemade English toffee is like that, but so much better than store-bought. It’s rich, buttery, and much more nutty.
- Not everyone is a baker! If you struggle to get your Christmas cookies looking just right, switch to candy—it’s a lot easier to make, with fewer details to manage. No more struggling with icing or cookie cutters!
Important Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter – There are three dominant flavors in English toffee: butter, nuts, and chocolate. Spring for a good butter!
- Margarine – You may say, “CAN I USE ALL BUTTER?” The answer is yes. However, I find I get reliable results, with no separation of butter and sugar, when I use half margarine. The flavor is still amazing!
- Kosher salt – Salt is important for adding balance to this recipe. If you’d like, you can also sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the melted chocolate.
- Vanilla extract – Aside from the butter, toffee is also vanilla flavored. Use a high-quality pure vanilla, not imitation. Our homemade vanilla would be perfect.
- Milk chocolate – Again, high-quality is important here!
- Nuts – You’ll need both unblanched whole almonds and finely ground walnuts.
How to Make Homemade English Toffee
Prep the Almonds: On a foil lined baking dish or in a silicone brownie bite pan, arrange the almonds in a single layer.
Make the Toffee Mixture:
- In a heavy pan, combine the butter, margarine, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter melts. Bring mixture to a rolling boil.
- Continue boiling and stirring for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the candy turns the color of almonds (or reaches about 300 degrees, if you have a candy thermometer).
- Pour the toffee mixture over the almonds. (If you’re using the brownie bite pan, I use a small metal scoop to get toffee into each bite, working quickly!)
- Cool completely.
Finish: Spread the melted chocolate over top of the cooled toffee, then sprinkle with the ground walnuts. Once the chocolate sets, remove from the brownie pan or cut the English toffee into pieces.
Recipe FAQs
Using thin lined saucepans can cause butter to separate. A heavy bottomed saucepan can manage the heat better. The second reason may be from heating the butter and margarine too quickly. Keep the pan over medium to medium-high heat. Don’t crank the heat up for the sake of bringing it to a boil faster.
The reason I like to use half butter and half margarine when I make English Toffee is that I find I get more reliable results, without any separation of the butter and sugar. The flavor is still amazing! You can use all butter if you prefer.
This is most likely due to excess butter on the toffee surface. Before adding your chocolate, be sure to wipe the top of your toffee with a dry paper towel to absorb any excess butter.
If it still feels a little “greasy”, sprinkle a small amount of cocoa powder or crushed nuts to the top before adding your chocolate. This should help!
More Holiday treats
- Chocolate Peppermint Graham Crackers
- Peppermint Meringues
- Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Peppermint Bark
- Churro Toffee
- Divinity Candy
- Christmas Crack
- Sugar Cookies – perfect no-spread cut out cookies
Holiday Candy Recipes
See all Candy recipes
English Toffee
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup margarine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounce milk chocolate melted
- 1 cup unblanched whole almonds
- 1 cup finely ground walnuts
Instructions
- On a foil lined baking dish (11×7)- or in a silicone brownie bite pan (with 24 bites)- arrange almonds in a single layer. Set aside.
- In a heavy pan, combine butter, margarine, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat with a wooden spoon until butter melts, stirring constantly. (REALLY STIRRING CONSTANTLY)! Bring mixture to a rolling boil.
- Continue boiling (AND STIRRING) an additional 5-7 minutes until candy turns the color of almonds (about 300 degrees). Pour over almonds. If using the brownie bite pan, I use a small metal scoop to get toffee into each bite, working quickly!
- Cool completely.
- When candy is cooled and set (about 2 hours), spread chocolate over top of toffee. Sprinkle generously with ground walnuts. If doing both sides, use only half of the chocolate and walnuts. Allow top to set before flipping over and doing bottom. When set, pop out of silicone pan and store in a airtight containers. OR cut into pieces. ENJOY!
Notes
- Tip- when I say stirring, I’m talking taking that wooding spoon and whipping it! haha!! I have an electric stovetop and turn my heat on 7…and it remains on 7 through the entire boiling process.
- If you choose to scoop into brownie bite pan vs. pouring into a baking pan, your butter might separate a little bit by the time you get to the 20th scoop! Don’t worry about it. I use my scooper to slightly stir as I take a scoop of toffee.
- Many will ask WHY DOES MY BUTTER SEPARATE? This can be from using cheaper, thinner lined saucepans. It could be from heating the butter and margarine too quickly.
- You may say, “CAN I USE ALL BUTTER?” The answer is yes. However, I find I get reliable results, with no separation of butter and sugar, when I use half margarine. The flavor is still amazing!
- If you’d like, you can add the chocolate and walnuts to both sides of the toffee. To do it this way, use only half of the chocolate and walnuts for the first side. Allow the top to set before flipping over and doing bottom.
- Oh, and breaking English toffee into pieces will leave you some shards on your cutting board. SAVE THESE. They are delicious on vanilla ice cream.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Hi Aimee, your toffee is beautiful and looks so delicious! I’m going to make these soon and would like to know where you posted the video of making your English toffee bites that you had previously said you were going to post. What a beautiful websites thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. Also, I read above you bought a brownie bites silicone mold at Michaels, is this that stretchy-platicy mold thing that you pour your stuff in and push it out of mold when it’s set? Because I know you said you had a brownie bites silicone pan, so I didn’t know if it was different than this mold thing I’m talking about. Thank you for your help I appreciate it. Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I have yet to get that video made, ugh, thanks for the reminder!! And yes, thats the mold I am referring too! Good luck and enjoy!
English Toffee is, hands down, my favorite dessert. And I need it portion controlled (and adorable!) like this!
Thanks Nicole! ENJOY
Made these over the holidays and everyone loved them. Silicone was a great idea. They popped out so easy!
So glad to hear it 🙂
I have to say this is the best recipe I’ve tried for toffee, but I will say I used a 8×8 pan foiled line pan and it came out thin, so next time I make it I will double if not triple the recipe . I just finished making them today , I really stired it and even whipped it and they came out great. Any body new trying this stir it the whole time so you won’t have a problem with it ( I didn’t thank God ) I do recommend as soon as you pour it in the pan soak that pan in really hot water and and spoons you used the candy hardens fast and if you don’t soak it immediately its hard to clean . Enjoy I know I did.
Tried the toffee — doubled the batch and used tempered white chocolate on top (as a gift for a non-chocolate lover) — truly amazing!
I am making these now for a party and am really excited about them! You mentioned in response on earlier posts that the Margarine helps keep the butter from separating. Is the separation a problem when pouring into a large pan (vs scooping into the brownie bites pan)? Also, do you grease the foiled lined pan at all? Thanks so much for the great recipe!
So, this really doesn’t take brown sugar? I followed the instructions perfectly, but the mixture never turned to the color of almonds. Still pretty yellow-ish. It is setting up now. Hoping it turns out well.
Hi Michelle, if its still yellow then it didnt cook long enough. Once it begins to change colors, it happens fast!
Sorry, didn’t read the prior answers. I would risk it myself, as margarine is so very bad for you. I want to try this also sugar free, using xylitol.
I’m wondering the reason you use butter and margarine. Can’t you just use all butter?
This looks so yummy! I have a question though, can all butter be used instead of butter and margarine?
Thank you so much! ; )
You can. But it can separate, whereas using half margarine keeps it combined better.
Does this recipe work if you use all butter and no margarine? I really dislike margarine cuz it’s fake. Id rather use the real stuff. Thanks!
Can I substitute the margarin for all butter?
I’m wondering the same thing. We do not use margarine. I’m thinking of maybe trying coconut oil and butter.
Using a combination of margarine and butter helps keep the butter from separating! I haven’t used coconut oil, let me know if it works.
I did two batches with all butter and it burned each time, by the time the sugar was melted. Once I get more butter, I’ll try again, but… yeah. 1 C butter and 1 C sugar does NOT work.
Just made these as homemade Christmas gifts. Thanks to your great directions, they turned out perfect and will be such a treat to give. Thanks a million!
So glad to hear it Ashleigh!! Thanks for stopping back over!
this sounds amazing i can’t wait to make it. just wondering, when we cool it should we refrigerate it or just allow it to sit at room temperature?
Room temperature! ENJOY.
If you do use a silicone brownie pan, how many pans does this one batch need? It seems much tidier.
One batch will fill one silicone brownie pan (the kind that has 24 individual bites).
What are the white truffle type cookies in the bottom picture?
Those are easy Cool Whip Truffles
Hi,
Love This Recipe!!! I made these last year they were awesome. my only question is can you refrigerate days or does it change the consistency of them? same question for the freezer, can you freeze them?
I would like to make them about 10 days before giving them away as gifts but I’m sure if they will become rancid. thank you for your help.
I like to keep them at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I don’t think I would freeze them. 10 days would be totally fine! Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container!
Oooo another awesome looking recipe with from scratch ingredients.
Just wondering, can I give these for christmaspresent. I have a suprise to my man, when I’m leaving for a month to other side of the world 🙁
So my main point was, do these survive in roomwarm, or do these need a freezer? It will be in presentbox about a week :S Sorry my bad english, I’m from sweden 😛
I cannot find a brownie bite pan up here in Canada, wondering if it would work to use a mini muffin pan lined with small baking cups?? Thanks!!!