Easy Homemade Toffee Treats

This Homemade Toffee recipe results in buttery, sweet toffee that has a crunchy texture. Using only six easy-to-find ingredients, you may have everything you need on hand already to make this sweet confection. It is excellent served as a snack or after dinner when you want something sweet but don’t want a full dessert.

Making homemade toffee is incredibly easy. To make it, you combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, water, vanilla, and salt in a pot on the stoves. Then, it gets cooked until it reaches 145 C (290 F) before being poured on a lined tray and allowed to harden. Once firm, it can be broken into bite-sized pieces for easy snacking throughout the day.

What is Homemade Toffee?

Toffee is a type of confection with English origins. It typically involves cooking sugar or molasses with butter until it reaches the hard crack stage to ensure that it sets firmly and isn’t chewy. Toffee has a wonderful buttery and sweet taste with a hint of bitterness from caramelizing the sugar. This version of homemade toffee includes vanilla for flavoring which adds some nuance to this simple homemade treat.

Pro Tips

• Minimize stirring the sugar mixture as it cooks, as stirring may cause it to crystallize.
• Use a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer so you know when the candy has reached the correct temperature.
• Feel free to use golden or white corn syrup in this homemade toffee recipe, as either will work just as well as the other.
• If you don’t have a silicone mat to line your baking sheet, you could line it with parchment paper instead.
• Feel free to add chopped nuts into the toffee for added flavor and crunch!

What to Serve with Homemade Toffee?

This homemade toffee recipe is perfect served on its own, but it would also be good served with other confections such as fudge or truffles.

Can I Double the Recipe?

Yes, if you would like to make a larger batch, you can easily double the ingredients. However, you may need to use a larger pot and cook the mixture for longer to ensure it comes to the proper temperature.

Can I Use Brown Sugar in Homemade Toffee? 

No, it is best to stick with granulated white sugar as brown sugar scorches more easily, making the toffee bitter and burnt tasting.

Why is My Toffee Chewy?

If you find that your toffee has a chewy texture rather than a hard texture, it means that you didn’t allow it to get hot enough. It is best to use an instant-read thermometer to tell when the sugar mixture reaches the correct temperature for the hard crack stage. This way, you will know that your candy will set correctly and have the right texture.

Why Did My Toffee Separate?

Toffee can separate if the butter and sugar don’t emulsify properly during cooking. This often happens due to overheating, stirring too vigorously, or uneven heat distribution.

Can I Freeze Homemade Toffee?

Yes, you can freeze homemade toffee to extend its shelf life. Wrap the toffee pieces tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying to maintain their texture and flavor.

How to Store Homemade Toffee

This homemade toffee can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. It will keep for several days before it starts to lose its texture.

How to Make Homemade Toffee

Step 1: Mix the sugar with the butter, corn syrup, water, vanilla, and salt in a pot.

Step 2: Cook the mixture over low heat until it reaches 145 C (290 F).

Step 3: Pour the toffee mixture on a silicone-lined baking sheet and allow it to harden for 3 hours.

Step 4: Break it into pieces and serve.