The Best Butter Toffee

Written by Camille Published on December 7, 2022 Updated on April 26, 2024

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Want a candy recipe that will make your neighbors and friends say, “Where did you get this recipe!”? This butter toffee recipe is it. It’s flavorful, satisfying, has that perfect crisp snap and texture, and is so buttery and chocolatey. Read below for tips on how to make the recipe.

The Best Butter Toffee | Baker Street Society (1)

What’s in the Best Butter Toffee?

The ingredients that make up butter toffee include unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, water, vanilla, almonds, and dark chocolate.

You can choose a different type of chocolate, but when I was working on this recipe, I found semi-sweet chocolate too sweet.

The dark chocolate I chose isn’t overly dark and heavy in flavor, which is key to balance.

The balance of the sweet toffee works best with chocolate that isn’t too sugary but isn’t so dark that the chocolate flavor overpowers the toffee.

The Best Butter Toffee | Baker Street Society (2)

3 Tips for Making Toffee Perfectly Every Time

We got the original version of this almond butter toffee recipe from a family friend when I was a child. I don’t pretend to be an expert candy recipe creator, (although my homemade soft caramel recipe is perfectly delicious) so it was helpful to start with a familiar recipe.

When I tested the original recipe, I was surprised to realize that there were some issues with the original version.

The recommended chocolate wasn’t a good choice, the recipe didn’t call for almonds in the toffee (which are important for texture), and the temperature was all wrong.

The first batch was a light color and mainly tasted like sugar with maybe just a hint of caramel flavor. It was pretty unimpressive.

So to help you succeed in making this recipe, here are my top 3 tips to help you make this almond toffee perfectly every time.

Use a Heavy Bottom Pot

You can be the best baker or candy maker in the world, but a bad pot will severely cripple you in the kitchen when it comes to candy-making.

Use a heavy bottom pot for candy-making. Some people even buy a special pot just for candy making, but I prefer to use my All-Clad pot since I can use it for everything in the kitchen.

If you choose to invest in an All-Clad pot, know that it’s an investment, but this pot will last you the rest of your life and then some.

Heavy bottom pots distribute the heat more evenly than traditional cookware, which is important for candy making.

I tried making toffee in a normal pot years ago, and it was far more challenging. So stick to a good-quality pot that has a heavy bottom. Any pot that is at least 3-ply will work great!

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Stir the Toffee Often

The first time I made this butter toffee, I made the mistake of not stirring it often enough.

If you don’t stir the toffee often as it’s cooking, the toffee can separate.

Once the toffee reaches 250 F degrees, stir the toffee frequently to make sure the ingredients stay together.

The toffee can also separate if the temperature is too high and it gets too hot too fast. So keep the temperature around medium heat.

Use a Candy Thermometer

Lastly, use a good candy thermometer. The inexpensive ones work great.

It’s best to use a thermometer that attaches to the pot so that you don’t have to mess with it during the cooking process.

As much as I love my Thermopen, I don’t want to hold it the whole time I’m trying to temp the candy.

When you buy a candy thermometer, test it in ice-cold water to see if it’s calibrated correctly. If the temperature is off, make a note and adjust the baking temp accordingly.

Be sure to cook the toffee to 300 degrees F. The temperature is key to developing the proper depth of flavor and candy texture.

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Author: Camille
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 16 servings 1x
Category: candy

Ingredients

UnitsScale

For the Butter Toffee

227 g (1 c) unsalted butter
200 g granulated sugar
21 g light corn syrup
44 g water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50 g almonds, roughly chopped

For the Chocolate Layer

150 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Approx. 25 g almonds, finely chopped

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Instructions

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
In a medium sized, heavy bottom pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Then add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved and allow the candy to begin to cook.
Cook the butter toffee to 300 degrees F (150 C) on a candy thermometer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add vanilla and chopped almonds, and stir.
Pour into parchment lined pan and spread. Add chopped chocolate, let it sit for 1 minute, then spread with an offset spatula. Top with crushed almonds.
Allow butter toffee to set up and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or breaking into pieces. To help the chocolate harden quicker, place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Cut into bars when cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.

Notes

This is a Baker Street Society recipe.

Welcome to the Society

Hi, I’m Camille! I'm a professionally trained pastry chef with a passion for food travel, all things French, and teaching others how baking works in my baking program. I spend my days raising 3 amazing kids while baking, instructing, and planning my next food travel adventure!

Learn More About The Society

The Best Butter Toffee | Baker Street Society (2024)

What’s in the Best Butter Toffee?

3 Tips for Making Toffee Perfectly Every Time

Use a Heavy Bottom Pot

Stir the Toffee Often

Use a Candy Thermometer