The Best Homemade Toffee {3 Tips for Foolproof Toffee!}
This easy foolproof homemade toffee is a holiday staple! The recipe also includes THREE essential tips for ensuring perfect toffee every time!
Making toffee at home can seem super intimidating. And trust me, I get it! I’ve had my share of homemade toffee fails over the years.
But thanks to me failing and trying again (over and over and maybe with a few bad words sprinkled here and there), I’ve learned the secrets to perfect foolproof homemade toffee.

Most homemade toffee recipes look very similar. Making perfect toffee is all about the technique and tips. The do’s and don’ts.
Today, I’m sharing my favorite homemade toffee recipe plus three tips for foolproof toffee!
Simple Ingredients
Homemade toffee is one of my favorite holiday treats ever. The crunchy caramelly nutty goodness is irresistible!
The ingredients are super simple:
- butter
- sugar
- a little bit of salt
- chocolate
- chopped nuts (optional)
The other critical “ingredient” is a heavy-bottom pot.
What constitutes a heavy-bottom pot? You’ll know if your pot is good for toffee making if the base of the pot is thicker than the sides. It should feel noticeably heavy and more substantial at the bottom. This helps distribute the heat to cook more evenly.
How to Make Homemade Toffee
To begin, the butter, sugar and salt get melt together over low heat.
At first, you may be alarmed. Like, why is my sugar and butter mixture so greasy? So oily? So separated? So weird?
It all comes together, I promise! It has a lot to do with chemistry and molecules and heat reactions and science.
Mel’s Dumbed Down Version: patience, moderate heat and heavy-bottoms (see saucepan note above) make the best toffee.
It’s important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.
For those of you that need to know exactly how often you should stir, I would suggest erring on the side of not stirring more than stirring. Moderate the heat so the toffee doesn’t scorch and burn, and you only need to stir 3-4 times.
When stirring, don’t scrape the sides of the pot. That can also cause the toffee to crystallize and/or separate into a butter layer.
Cook the toffee until it is a beautiful deep golden brown. That’s right around 285-290 degrees F on a thermometer.
What happens if my toffee separates?
If you notice the toffee separating with a greasy butter layer on top, try slowly stirring in 1 tablespoon water at a time until it comes together again.
Immediately upon reaching the sweet spot of perfectly cooked toffee, pour it onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You can spread it out with an offset spatula, but I just pour it around in ribbons and let it flow together.
The Golden Question
Q: Do you like nuts on the bottom of your toffee or on the top?
A: I like them on the bottom. It’s the only way I make toffee. I scatter chopped nuts (my fave combo is slivered almonds and toasted pecans) on the parchment paper and pour the toffee over the chopped nuts.
But if you prefer the age old toffee + chocolate + nuts look, you can simply pour the toffee right onto the parchment paper and save the nuts for later.
Scatter chocolate chips immediately on top of the hot toffee. They’ll melt within a few minutes.
Spread them into an even layer (add nuts to the soft chocolate at this point, if you want) and then let the toffee hang out until it’s set and no longer warm.
Break the cooled toffee into delicious shards and make a plan for the toffee’s immediate exit out of your home. Otherwise you’ll be like me and wonder how an entire batch of toffee innocently sitting on the counter managed to disappear in less than 24 hours.
Oops.
3 Tips for Foolproof Toffee:
1) Use a heavy-bottom saucepan.This is important as the thicker base means more even heat distribution which means less chance of burning. Thin-bottom, cheaply made pots should stay far away from toffee making. I always use a stainless pot – I wouldn’t recommend pots with nonstick coating. Basically, a heavy-bottom is a very admirable quality here.
2) Don’t stir constantly. Unlike other homemade candy and many caramel recipes that require constant stirring, toffee is different. It only needs to be stirred occasionally, otherwise it has a tendency to crystallize (turn sugary and grainy) or separate. I leave my stirring spoon in the pot the entire time. Taking it out and reintroducing it with every stir also increases the risk of the dreaded crystallization because the temperature drops when the spoon enters the hot, boiling toffee.
3) Moderate the heat carefully. When the butter and sugar are first added to the pan, cook on medium-low until the butter is melted. Don’t try to rush this step with higher heat. After that, cook on medium heat as the toffee comes to a gentle boil and throughout the cooking process.
Every stove is different – gas vs. electric, etc., so watch the heat closely and turn down or up as needed. Medium on my stove may not be the same as medium on your stove. Additionally sudden drops or spikes in the temperature of the toffee can cause issues, so try to keep it even and steady.
And there you have it! Perfect foolproof homemade toffee. This recipe has been in my family for years. It’s classic, simple and delicious.
Anyone can make homemade toffee with the right recipe and just a few crucial tips and tricks!
FAQs for this Homemade Toffee:
Yes! Use a larger pot and remember that doubling the recipe will mean it takes longer to cook and reach the correct temperature.
If you notice a greasy buttery layer forming on top while the toffee cooks, it means the toffee is separating. You can try adding in 1 tablespoon of water at a time and slowly stirring to recombine. Separating (and/or crystallizing where the toffee turns sugary and grainy) can happen with sudden drops or spikes in the temperature or with constant, vigorous stirring. It can also happen if the sides of the pot are scraped, reintroducing crystallized sugar pieces.
Granulated sugar is best for this toffee recipe (brown sugar has a different moisture content and a much higher chance of scorching).
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The Best Homemade Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup (114 g) chopped nuts (see note)
- 2 cups (454 g) salted butter
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a half sheet pan or 9X13-inch pan (for thicker toffee) with parchment paper – no need to butter or grease the parchment. Sprinkle chopped nuts in an even layer over the parchment. Set aside. (I like nuts on the bottom of the toffee, but you can skip this step and sprinkle nuts on top of the toffee after the chocolate melts.)
- In a heavy-bottom 4-quart saucepan on medium-low heat, add the butter, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, if using.
- Increase heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a steady boil. Stir only occasionally (not constantly) and avoid scraping down the sides of the pan. Stirring too quickly or too often can cause the toffee to separate. Moderate the heat as needed – turn it down if the toffee is boiling or cooking too fast so it doesn’t burn.
- Cook until the toffee registers 285-290 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer and is deep amber brown in color, about 20-25 minutes.
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the toffee evenly over the nuts on the prepared baking sheet – don’t scrape the sides of the pan. You can spread the toffee with an offset spatula; I pour it back and forth in ribbons over the nuts and let it flow together.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let them soften and melt for 2-3 minutes and then spread the chocolate into an even layer over the toffee. If using nuts on top, sprinkle them over the melted chocolate before it hardens.
- Chill or let toffee sit at room temperature until set. Break into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container (it will keep for several days at room temp).
Thank you for the recipe, but more importantly, thank you for the detailed instructions and the photos. Other toffee recipes I read did not give very good instructions. Unfortunately, I followed another recipe first and my toffee batch was a major fail. Then I found your recipe with the best instructions and photos. My second batch following your guidelines came out perfect! I will be following you on Pinterest to see what other fun recipes you have to share.
Separated on me at the very end 🙁 didn’t stir more than 3 times very gently but it just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe I’ll try again next year
Thank you! I have tried for years to make candy. Fudge has been the only one I was successful with. So I gave up. Then I just wanted to make some toffee and your recipe popped up. It worked great.
This was my second attempt to make toffee my first was a disaster this turned out perfect, I’m going to make another batch tomorrow really appreciated the directions about stirring (not) and the type of pan to use for cooking..for even heat distribution. Thank you very much
Hi. I made this last year, excellent. This year I am making holiday gifts. I bought some plastic airtight containers, how long will it last in these containers. I like to cook a lot over 1-2 days and then give them as gifts over the week, but want them to be fresh. Recommendations please.
Joleen
It should be good for a week if it’s well-covered!
this was good thank you – all other recipes I checked said to cook to 325, which I find the toffee turns out way too sticky for my old teeth lol. So i was specifically looking for a lower temp one. Nuts on the bottom is excellent idea as they don’t flake off the chocolate as in other recipes
I tried years ago at making toffee and failed. The first time I tried this one was it for me..It turned out great.
Thank you for the tips and clear guideline on making the toffee! If I use the plain toffee on cookies, I understand it will melt a bit when baked. Will it affect the saltiness of the cookies since both the toffee and the cookie dough have salt in them? If so, will it help if I omit the salt on the cookies? Thank you!
It really depends on the cookie recipe you use the toffee in. You’ll probably have to experiment!
I have been making toffee for a few years now. Worked out great at first then started having separation issues and didn’t know why for sure. Tried changing up my ingredients sometimes it worked and some times it didn’t…I want to Thank You for your tips, it worked great this last batch!!!
This is the first time I’ve made toffee and it turned out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe. Now we need to share it with neighbors before we eat it all ourselves!
Okay, so for my first attempt I think this turned out pretty good! The taste is great, but the texture is definitely a little off, it still snaps but it’s just a little on the chewy side. I didn’t cook it quite as long as indicated, but it did reach the correct temperature. Is is better to go by the color and amount of time, even if it gets “too” hot?
What elevation do you live at? It’s likely you might need a few more degrees cooking temp based on elevation or accuracy of your cooking thermometer.
I read this recipe several times and all of the comments before attempting it on my own! It’s currently cooling and I’m hoping it will turn out! Thank you for providing delicious recipes that my family loves!! I’m so grateful!
I’m proud of you, Sarah! Hope it turns out!
I have a recipe which calls for ground almonds to be added before you pour out toffee when is the best time to stir them in ?
Right at the end before pouring the toffee onto a baking sheet.
Good.!!!!!
I am SO happy how this turned out! I made it this morning without nuts, and it tastes (to me) exactly like SCOR bar.
mine is a total wreck! Chewy even though it reached 285-290. All those ingredients down the tube, ugh.
Does the starting temperature of the butter matter? I’ve tried 4 times 🙁
What’s happening when you make the toffee, Shalise? I can help you troubleshoot. I don’t think the starting temp of the butter should make a huge difference unless it’s frozen
Yummy! I’ve already made this a few times and it’s super delicious! My mom, who passed away four years ago, made toffee for neighbors every Christmas and this recipe tastes just like the toffee she made. I have for little boys and every one of them totally loves this! Thanks for this recipe that brought good memories back to me!
I love that, Lauren! Thanks for sharing about your mom.
Hi Mel – My mom and I have made Almond Rocha every Christmas and this recipe is so similar. Is there a difference between the two? Also, thank you so much for the troubleshooting tips! They have been some helpful. ❤️
This one differs slightly in method and also not stirring in almonds.
I successfully made toffee on my first attempt and it is all thanks to you. I did not plan to attempt toffee but my seven year old picked it as her treat for our Christmas baking (everyone in our family gets to pick one thing). Well, this recipe saved the day. I’m pretty decent in the kitchen but I was definitely intimidated when she asked if we could make toffee. Thanks to your pictures and details it turned out delicious. I’m the kind of person that needed the only stir 3-4 times tip. My daughter is thrilled and it was so fun to learn a new skill. Thanks Mel!
Yay, Megan! This totally made my day. Way to go! So proud of you. 🙂
I made this the other day using my stainless steel pot. Do you know if SS is typically heavy bottomed? I THINK mine are, but I couldn’t tell for sure. Also, mine came out very tasty, however, it never got crunchy, it was somewhere between caramel and toffee, which was wonderful, but just curious why that was. I brought up to temp. The very bottom of my pot was burnt as well. It tasted fine, but there was a very thin layer of burnt candy. I want to perfect this, just trying to figure out what I need to adjust. Also….I just found a couple of cast iron pots, are those considered bottom heavy….I mean, they’re heavy everywhere. lol Love you’re site and all your yummy recipes.
Hi Cicily – all stainless steel pans/pots differ in thickness on the bottom so you have to kind of seek out a heavy bottomed stainless steel pot – you can tell if there is a noticeable thickness to the bottom of the pot that isn’t the same on the sides. Have you calibrated your candy thermometer? That could be another reason it didn’t quite get crunchy enough.
My first two batches burned – I kept the heat low and was watching the termometer and it never registered close to 285 degrees but the toffee darkened and burned. I was using one of those all purpose cooking themometers that *claims* it can be used for candy. Finally, after ruining two batches, I read the reviews and decided to ditch the thermometer and just wait for that golden deep amber color, cook a few more minutes after it turned that color, and then took it off and poured it. I’m so glad I took the risk that it might not be the “perfect” temperature because it came out beautifully! The best snap and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Can’t wait to buy a real candy thermometer and do it again!
Bummer about the first two batches, Caitlin! But I’m really glad you figured it out. Way to go!
I think I went overboard with the no stirring thing. I only stirred 4 or 5 times (like only one rotation each time) and that didn’t work. I probably should have stirred it in the beginning more?
Did it burn, Lauren?
There are not enough stars to properly rate this recipe. It deserves a million stars! Thank you so much for the very clear instructions and tips, which I followed to the letter. I am not an experienced candy maker, so I have never considered for one second making toffee myself – until I saw your recipe. My husband and I are AMAZED at the quality of this toffee. AMAZED. The only thing I’ll note is that I don’t have a 4Q pan, so I used by 3.5Q LaCruset pan and it worked just fine. I’m going to make a few more batches and give goodie bags of toffee to family and friends. And I know this will be come an annual holiday task that I will happily own. Thanks again.
Thank you so much, Ashi! I’m ridiculously proud of you! So glad this toffee was a winner for you!
I’ve made this toffee several times over the years and sometimes it works better than others. This year I made two batches and one was perfect and the other the butter separates even after I pour it onto the nuts. Do you think the type of butter makes a difference because I used to kerry gold for the good one and Costco brand for the one that separated. ?? I used a thermometer and took both out at 293. I use to stir constantly but with your advice I didn’t stir much and think that helps a lot. Thx!
Hmmm, it’s quite possible butter can make a difference, Cherri. Although I almost always use Costco brand butter and haven’t had this toffee separate. Toffee can be so fickle!
I have had so many batches of toffee separate and this one did not! Huzzah! I barely stirred and that was the biggest difference from my failed toffee. Thanks for the tips 🙂
Woohoo! So happy to read this! You’re amazing!
Mel! You never disappoint! I made this toffee today and it turned out perfect! So good! I can tell you I was really nervous making it but I stuck to your recipe and your tips and it turned out exactly as it should. I love your recipes! Thanks so much for sharing! Merry Christmas!
I’m so, so happy to hear this, Carol! Thank you!
For the chocolate chips, do you recommend semi-sweet or milk chocolate?
I always use semisweet or bittersweet.
Ok, here’s an update from a rebel without a candy thermometer or a heavy bottomed pan but who just needed toffee and couldn’t be stopped 🙂 Mine changed to the deep amber color way earlier that the 20 minutes I was anticipating- it was around 14 minutes for me. I gave it a couple more minutes for good measure and then took it off. The finished toffee color was darker than the pics and it scalded the bottom of my pan a bit but the flavor was great!
Now to decide whether or not to share it with my kids…
Haha, I love that rebel inside of you, Bonnie! Thanks for the report on making this without a candy thermometer!
I’m SO excited for this recipe!! I’m trying to figure out how far in advance I can make this. How long will it stay good for after making? Does toffee stay good for longer in the fridge?
It will keep for a week at room temperature. And probably longer in the refrigerator.
Make sure you use a wooden spoon, not a plastic spoon, as it will melt because of the super high temperature! I don’t use a candy thermometer so just look for the nice golden brown color that toffee needs! I am 13 years old, and this even worked great for me!
Great tips – thanks, Elodie!
Hi Mel! I have made your Pecan Buttercrunch recipe for Christmas gifts for years now & it is my #1 most requested item every time! I make it with & without the pecans & it’s just beautiful either way. It’s not Christmas for my kids without it & now 2 partners of theirs have been hooked on it as well.
Thanks for these tips, I have to say there have been many years in the past when these would have come in handy. Like last year where I may or may not have killed 3 half-batches that separated badly! I never stir the toffee after the sugar has dissolved & only use a wet brush to get any bits off of the sides of the pot & it is a heavy based pot (base is a good inch thick). The only place I think I may have gone wrong is heating the butter/sugar mixture on too high of a heat. Well, we will see if that works when I start making them again really soon. Hopefully I won’t have to send my son on a butter run 10 minutes before the shops close this year!
I followed your directions and it turned out perfectly! Thanks, Mel.
Awesome!!
I also learned the hard way that you have to use a wooden spoon!
I’m excited to try this recipe. I want to make it now and save it for Christmas (HA….right?). Can I freeze it?
You know, I’ve never frozen it, so I’m not sure how it would fare. Worth a try though!
Toffee is my all-time favorite. I had no idea how easy it is to make. Can’t wait to try this
I can’t wait to make this! I don’t have a stainless pot. Could I make it in my Le Creuset pot?
I haven’t tried making it in a cast iron pot/dutch oven, but it’s worth a try!
This is the recipe my mom makes and it’s my favorite thing of all time. She even sent me a bag of it when I was living in Argentina! It’s the best.
Where did you get your pan? It is so hard to find a good thick bottomed pan!
Hi Hollie – I am using an all-clad 4-quart pan in these pictures.
This may be a dumb question but can I use a silicone baking mat in place of the parchment paper?
I *think* so but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for absolute sure. It should work similar to parchment though.
Hi Laurel. I use my sil8con mat for toffee every Christmas & can confirm they works great! Even the cheaper ones have stood up well. If they can tolerate 350°F+ heat of an oven, then the 285° of the toffee is not a problem.
You do get a bit of the pattern from mat on the bottom the toffee if you don’t use nuts, but that’s hardly a deal breaker with my family!
Thank you thank you thank you! Mine has been separating. My old recipe said to stir constantly! My family and friends will be so happy when I make this for them again!
I hope it works out for you, Helen!
I love love love toffee! Growing up only the grownups got the homemade toffee at Christmas (I mean gross, who liked pecans when they were a kid? Ha ha)
Hahahaha. So true.
I have had the butter-separation problem with caramel. Is that the same cause? I find that if I’m not stirring it frequently it scorches on the bottom and I bet icky burnt bits mixed in my caramels. How do you prevent this?
Hi Teresa, from my experience, caramel separates for some of the same reasons – sudden changes in temperature (either way) and vigorous stirring. It’s ok to stir caramel the whole time, but it should be slow and steady, and I’ve found I need to cook my caramel at a lower temperature than I think. It takes longer but it’s worth it not to get the scorched bottom.
Me and Caleb got a great pot from home goods just to make this recipe. Excited to try it! I love toffee too much! Gotta give it away. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Also, Ghirardelli or guittard chocolate? I bought both .
I prefer ghirardelli over guittard but both are fantastic.
I’ve been making toffee for 40 plus years, my grandmother’s recipe is the same as this one, it works well for me and the tate is delicious! The time I’ve had it fail is on a cooktop stove, the burner is not consistent. My gas stove is perfect and I use a pan from all clad, I used a heavy cast iron pan years ago, the heat stayed consistent in the cast iron.
Would my heavy dutch oven enamel pan work?
Yes, it should!
Question: Do you not spread the Toffie into the pan? Instead do you just let it spread, knowing that it won’t take up the whole space of the pan?
Hey Cindy, I just pour it out in ribbons over the nuts (or just onto the parchment) and because it is so hot, it flows together. But you could use an offset spatula to spread it into a more even layer.
Never have I ever made toffee, but with this new tutorial from you, I just might give it a shot this year!
I don’t have a heavy bottomed pan and I ruined 2 Lbs of butter in attempts to make my sweet neighbor’s toffee recipe for her grieving children at her funeral. It crystallized and separated over and over again. So I researched how to make toffee and also caramel without the dreaded crystalization. The hack that has never failed me, even with the same Costco pots, are to: 1. Put a lid on the pot and the condensation of the steam keeps the sugar down in the bottom, not on the sides where it tends to crystallize. 2. Put a few drops of lemon or lime in the sugar. It’s such a tiny amount that you can’t taste it and the acidity helps prevent crystalizing. I hope that helps any readers out there that have cheap puts like I do. 🙂 My caramels and candies have been a breeze since I learned these hacks.
I have a child with a dairy allergy. I LOVE cooking with butter but love my son more so have learned to adapt recipes. Do you think this recipe could be made using earth balance or heart smart? if not I’ll just have to make it with dairy and let my child salivate while the rest of us enjoy it.
Hi Sarah – my daughter is vegan and I found that I can substitute coconut oil for the butter. I usually use a tablespoon less of the coconut oil than the recipe calls for. Also, be aware that the color does not turn as deep of a caramel color but stays lighter.
Hi Mel, Happy Holidays and thanks for all the great recipes. I’m a toffee lover too, been making it for years. (But I’ll give your tried and true a shot this season.) One tip, if you don’t mind: instead of chocolate chips, my mom always bought the best quality chocolate bar (milk or dark) and shaved it over the hot toffee, then spread when it melted. Give it a whirl—it will up your toffee making to perfection.
Great tip – thank you, Karen! I can only imagine how much better a good quality chocolate makes the toffee!
This is the perfect recipe for right now! It has been my plan to finally make a lot of the desserts or candy that I have always meant to this Christmastime (since we can’t see other people really, at least we can lean into good food!). Homemade toffee is at the top of the list, so I am ecstatic to see your recipe and instructions. If we can dig up a pound of butter from the freezer I am going to make this right now – I just sent a kid to look.
Also, I have a recipe I have been meaning to send to you for years. It is a winter fruit salad from Southern Utah I got out of a ward cookbook, and we make this every year, often multiple times when pomegranates are in season. I know you like fruit salad and so perhaps would like this version. First take two tablespoons of cornstarch and a half cup of sugar and put them into a small saucepan and mix until well combined. Open a can of pineapple tidbits or chunks and drain the juice into the pan and mix it well. Then heat it on medium while stirring until it thickens. Cool this completely in fridge. Meanwhile take one pomegranite’s worth of arils, the pineapple pieces, a couple of bananas sliced, and a couple of apples chopped into chunks and mix these. Whip one cup of cream and add the cooled thickened juice mixture, and fold it in, and then mix in all the fruit. You can add more apples or bananas depending on their size and desired fruit/cream ratio.
As a follow up, I did make this recipe (sadly not that day as we did not end up having a pound of butter), and it worked great! Just a few notes in case others can use them: I used an enamel covered cast iron pot and it worked well, but did heat up more that just a regular stainless steel, so I moved the heat way back down to low while boiling it, and the boiling stage went faster. Also I used an instant read meat thermometer because I don’t have a candy one, and that worked great. I also used a silpat instead of parchment paper, and that worked well also.
Thank you so much for your report back, Thora! Others have wondered about an enamel pot so that’s helpful to know!
What altitude is the temperature for? I live at 4000 feet which is high altitude.
As always, Mel’s recipes are amazing! Toffee turned out perfect!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Alicia. Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know!