Buttery homemade toffee covered in chocolate, what more could we ask for? How about EASY to do! You got it! This recipe takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time and you don't need a thermometer!
Toffee is one of the simplest types of candies to make, in my opinion. While there is the "PERFECT" crunch to a well-made toffee, you will still love the toffee even if it is slightly less than perfect!
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I know this because I've made this recipe many times and I didn't always get perfect results, but they were close enough! Funny thing is, the best batch of toffee that I made was when I was filming the video on how to make it and I think I know why!
I talk alot. I know it, my husband knows it, and my friends that watch my YouTube videos know it. So, while I was filming the recipe, I was talking my way through the steps and guess what?
I was talking and let the toffee cook just a tad (and I mean maybe 1 minute) longer than the previous batches and it was PERFECT!
Frequently Asked Questions
When stored properly, toffee will last a long time. At least 3 months in the fridge and longer in the freezer. However, there certain ways that are best for storing toffee and I'll go into detail about that later in the article.
No, you don't. In this recipe we go by the color of the toffee, however, a thermometer is always a useful tool to have in the kitchen. If you want to make a lot of candy, I definitely suggest investing in a good candy thermometer.
There are some recipes for using certain sugar substitutes online, but I cannot vouch for how they turn out because I haven't tried them. I plan on doing that soon!
What's the Difference between Toffee and English Toffee
English Toffee is usually made with brown sugar and butter and doesn't typically have nuts in it.
American Toffee is usually made with white sugar and butter and has nuts, usually almonds in the toffee.
This toffee recipe is an American Toffee without nuts, but you can add them if you like!
What is the Texture of Toffee?
I've read some articles online that say toffee can be soft or hard. This is very confusing to me because caramel is soft and chewy and toffee is harder and will break apart easily, however it is NOT as hard as a brittle.
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what the internet says, it matters what you want to make!
The texture of candy is usually a result of the temperature you cook the mixture to and the ingredients used.
For example, when you want to make a pourable caramel glaze (or icing) that doesn't harden, you don't cook it as long and you add cream. A perfect example is this recipe for Apple Cake.
For a harder caramel, I leave out the cream and cook it longer. This is what I did in my recipe for Caramel Popcorn in the Ninja Foodi. The biggest difference between my caramel popcorn and this toffee is the ratio of sugar to butter and the addition of baking soda. These simple changes result in a completely different flavor and texture.
The homemade toffee has a more pronounced buttery flavor and is a softer texture, while the caramel corn has more of a caramelized sugar flavor and coats the popcorn in a thin hard layer of caramel that is perfectly dry to the touch.
This Homemade Toffee recipe results in the texture of a Heath or a Skor bar. If you have never had either one, you can bite through them with ease and they sort of just melt in your mouth with a buttery deliciousness. YUM!
How do I Store My Homemade Toffee?
Once you chill your toffee for about two hours, remove it from the fridge. This is very important and something I failed to do with one of my batches and it resulted in a stickier toffee.
The refrigerator and sugar aren't friends. The humidity in the fridge will begin to melt the sugar in the toffee and it gets a little sticky and chewy.
I'll never forget the time I made the perfect batch of peanut brittle, it was gorgeous! I put it in the fridge overnight and when I went to get it out, it was a tray of goop. I called my Mom immediately because that is what I do when things go wrong in the kitchen. She is always a great source of experienced knowledge and this is what she said to me:
"Louise, you can't put candy, like brittle, in the fridge. The sugar absorbs the moisture (humidity) in the fridge and softens." Oh! I had no idea, it simply made sense to cool it faster in the fridge!
The same is true with toffee WHEN you put it in the fridge open and on the tray for an extended amount of time, like I did. Don't ask me why I left it in the fridge after my disaster peanut brittle incident, I know better and still did it! It was still delicious, just a little messier to eat!
The batch I left in too long had some melting sugar on the bottom of the toffee, so the toffee was kind of wet and sticky. This is not how you want your toffee to be, so, once it has chilled, remove it from the fridge.
AFTER you break it up into the size pieces you want, you absolutely CAN store it in the fridge IF you put it into sealed containers. This will prevent the humidity from affecting your toffee and it lasts several months in the fridge this way.
You can also store it on the counter for several weeks in a sealed container.
If you want to enjoy your homemade toffee for longer periods of time, you can freeze it, as well. Make sure it is completely cool and break it into the size pieces you want. Then place it in a sealed container (the less air the better) and freeze it. Some people wrap each piece in parchment paper and you can do that. Honestly, I never freeze my toffee because it stays good in the fridge (in a sealed bag or container) longer than it takes to eat it!
How do I Know when My Homemade Toffee has Cooked Long Enough?
Using a candy thermometer is the most precise way to tell when your toffee is done. If you want to use a candy thermometer, you will want to cook the toffee until it reaches about 300℉/149℃.
Personally, I don't use a candy thermometer. I don't even have one (though I should), but have never found a good one that didn't get in the way. I have tried to use an Instant Read, but even though my thermometer is fast to read a temp, I find that I focus too much on taking temps and in that time, the sugar can burn.
Instead, I rely solely on the color, consistency and the smell. It's pretty easy, too! Once the sugar and butter melt and begin to boil, it starts off as a pale yellow and begins to deepen in color until it turns a light mocha color and that is when it is ready.
Some describe the color as being the same as an Almond skin. To me, it resembles my coffee after adding some cream.
There are also changes in the consistency which is best seen in the video below.
Can I add Nuts to My Homemade Toffee?
Of course! You can add whatever type of nuts you want. For the best results I would use toasted nuts that are finely chopped.
Once you prep your pan with the parchment paper, spread the nuts out over the bottom of the pan.
When the toffee is ready, simply pour it over the nuts.
You can also place chocolate chips on the bottom of the pan, pour the toffee over it and then add nuts on top.
Get creative and experiment with different ways of jazzing up your toffee!
Tips for Making Homemade Toffee
The instructions and tips below are the same no matter what appliance you are using to cook your toffee. The process for making toffee in the Ninja Foodi or the Instant Pot is the same as making it in a deep pot on the stove.
Tip #1
Adjust your heat as needed
Heat regulation is important in candy making and if your heat is too high, you could burn the sugar, if it's too low, it will take forever to reach the desired stage.
Using the high sear/sauté on the Ninja Foodi worked perfectly and kept the heat regulated the entire time. I also used the stainless steel pot and not the ceramic coated pot which will conduct heat differently and you might need to cook a few minutes longer.
If you are making the toffee on the stove, there will be a difference in heat regulation between a gas stove and an electric stove.
Tip # 2
Have all of your ingredients measured out and your pan ready to go BEFORE you start making your toffee.
It might seem like there is plenty of time to get the pan ready while your sugar and butter is melting and if you put your heat on low, there probably is. However, as a rule of thumb, you want to pay attention to the sugar and butter the entire time.
The slightest distraction and you could end up with burnt sugar and that is no fun. You can't fix it if it burns. So, it's much easier to have everything ready to go.
Tip # 3
Use the right size pan to pour your toffee into.
I used a 9x13 pan to pour the toffee into and it gave the perfect thickness to the toffee. For this recipe, try to find a pan about that same size for the best results.
A smaller pan will result in a much thicker toffee and a bigger pan will result in a much thinner toffee, if you spread the toffee out.
You can also pour your toffee onto a parchment lined sheet pan and let it flow free form into whatever shape it wants. This will result in uneven pieces, but many people do it that way.
It can be any material you want as long as it is heat resistant. Glass, metal, stoneware, and even disposable pans will work just fine.
Just keep in mind that the toffee is very hot when it's poured into the pan, so if you are using glass or metal, the bottom will be hot. Use oven mitts when putting it in the fridge to cool.
Instructions for Making Homemade Toffee
I'm detailing the instructions for the Ninja Foodi because that is how I made the recipe, but they are the same no matter which appliance you are using.
Gather your ingredients and prep your pan. I can't stress this enough. When the toffee is done, it's done and if you are scrambling around trying to find your measuring spoon for the vanilla, you could burn the toffee even though the heat is off.
Prep your pan by lining it with parchment paper. This is going to make life much easier when it comes to removing your toffee! I always find that my parchment slips around on me, so I spritz the pan with a little oil and then put the parchment paper over it and it stays in place great.
Turn the Ninja Foodi on High sear/sauté and add the butter and the sugar. I would suggest adding ½-¾ teaspoon of salt if you are using unsalted butter because the salt seems to help keep the fat from separating from the sugar.
*** I use fine grind sea salt, not table salt in this recipe.
I always use salted butter and add the little extra salt at the the end, but you certainly can add the salt in the beginning even if you are using salted butter. Just don't add the vanilla because it will lose its flavor when heated.
Stir occasionally while the butter and sugar is melting.
Once the butter and sugar begins to boil, you will want to stir constantly to avoid burning. You can always turn your heat down to medium if you are worried about burning, it will just take longer to reach the desired color and consistency for the toffee.
You will see the bubbles on the top getting bigger and bigger and the mixture will turn from a light yellow to a tan color. Keep stirring. This whole process only takes about 10 minutes and when it turns from light yellow to a light tan, it turns to the slightly darker mocha color in a very short time.
Once it reaches the mocha color, the mixture will be noticeable thicker and the bubbles will be really big. Turn off the Ninja Foodi at this point. You can even remove the pot from the Foodi if you are concerned about carryover heat.
Add in the vanilla and the salt (if you didn't add it earlier) and stir.
Use heat resistant gloves to pour the toffee into your prepared pan. One of the worst burns you can get in the kitchen is from hot sugar, so definitely wear gloves!
Once all of the toffee has been poured into the pan, spread it out as evenly as you can. If you think you burned any of the toffee on the bottom of the pot avoid scraping the bottom when you pour out the toffee.
Add the chocolate chips by scattering them over the top and immediately cover with foil to trap in the heat and melt the chocolate. After about 10 minutes, remove the foil and spread the chocolate over the top.
When you first pull off the foil, the chocolate will not look melted. Simply spread with a spatula (or an offset spatula, which is what I like to use) and if the chocolate spreads easily, it's melted enough. If it doesn't, cover for another 5 minutes.
Now, the hardest part! Let it cool. You can do this at room temp on a wire cooling rack or in the fridge. It will take about 2 hours for the toffee to cool. Leave it uncovered while cooling.
For nutritional purposes, I have based a serving size as 2" x 2" piece of toffee. There are 24 servings in one pan.
Now, the best part! Lift the parchment from the pan and place on a cutting board or hard surface. Break into pieces. You can make them as big or as small as you want.
Serve & Enjoy!
This is the batch I left in the fridge overnight and you can see the sticky sugar on the parchment. The batch that I took out after two hours did not do that.
Homemade Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter salted
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp fine grind sea salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Measure out all of the ingredients and prep the 9x13 pan by lining it with parchment paper. I usually spritz the pan with a bit of oil to help the parchment stay in place.
- Turn the sear/sauté on high and add in the butter and sugar. If using unsalted butter, see recipe notes. Stir occasionally while the butter and sugar are melting.
- When the butter and sugar begin boiling, you will want to stir constantly. You can decrease your heat if you think you need to, it will just take longer to get to the color and consistency you want.
- You will see the mixture start to form bigger bubbles and it will turn from a pale yellow to a light tan and then it will begin to thicken and even bigger bubbles and turn a light mocha color. This is how you know it's done. Or you can use a candy thermometer and when it reaches 300°F/149°C it is done. Turn off the Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot or Stove.
- Quickly add in the vanilla extract and the salt (if you didn't before). Stir to combine and immediately pour the toffee mixture into your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top and cover with foil for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the toffee. Place the pan in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- Remove and lift the toffee out of the pan using the parchment paper. Break up into pieces and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
ABOUT THE RECIPE AUTHOR, LOUISE LONG
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and getting the most out of the Ninja Foodi.
Ninja Foodi Fresh & Healthy Meals
Seeing the need for easy, delicious, and high quality recipes, she is focusing all of her efforts creating recipes specifically for the Ninja Foodi. Her recipes are easy for the home cook to follow and provide step-by-step instructions.
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE COOKING UP IN YOUR NINJA FOODI! TAG ME @THESALTEDPEPPER ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WHEN YOU MAKE A DISH!
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE SALTED PEPPER RIGHT HERE ⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓
Jan Fultner
We absolutely love your toffee recipe. We have made a total of 8 batches. No we did not eat all of it. We shared it with family, friends, doctors and veterinarians offices (along with your recipe). 2 of the batches separated while the other 6 were perfect. We live in south Louisiana, 45 miles from New Orleans. I have cooked pralines and fudge all of my life. I have found that along with the toffee these sweet treats should be made on a dry low humidity day. Some people disagree, but that is how our Cajun grandmother taught us. Maybe you can help me adapt the praline recipe to be a ninja foodie treat also. I have shared your web-sight and wisdom to almost everyone I know. Thank you for your clear and wonderful videos. I have found cooking to be fast and fun once again. JF
Louise
That is so great to hear! Candy making can be very finicky for sure. I agree 100% with making it on a low humidity day. I'm sure you can make the praline recipe in the Ninja Foodi, if you want to email me the recipe, I'll be happy to help! louise@thesaltedpepper.com
Muluki
Looks like it is going to turn out great
I did not stir it at all after it came to its boil. Most candy recipes tell you to leave it alone until it comes to temp, then stir in the other ingredients, Hope this helps.
Louise
I hope it turns out great! Yes, a lot candy recipes you don't stir, but this one worked well when stirring gently throughout the process.
Yvonne
"thermometer"
Yvonne
Over the holidays I tried your toffee recipe and loved it!
Have always wanted to try making toffee and after viewing your video I felt confident enough to give it a shot. (In the past, I broke a candy thermoniture trying to make hard candy.)
At first I thought I had messed up, the butter-sugar mixture was grainy, like the suger wasn't melting. Figured I had nothing to lose and turn the heat up to high. Suger did melt. Yeah! The toffee was a hit.
Thank YOU!
Louise
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and fixed your issue! That's interesting though, I would think turning the heat up would cause more issues, so thank you for telling me this because I've been telling people to turn their heat down and give it more time to dissolve.
Kirsten
I learned to judge toffee by color too. My recipe is one my mom got from a friend in high school, so in the 1950’s. It doesn’t give a temperature or even a cold water stage. It just says “when it turns brown.” I under and over cooked it several times and finally learned the right color to stop. Louise’s description and video are spot on.
Louise
Thank you so much!
Edie
Made this today! We all LOVED it!! Thank you!
Louise
I'm so glad to hear that!
Julia K
I've made toffee for 40 years. This is the only time the butter separated. I kept stirring until it registereds bit over 300 degrees. It was then that it came together. However, I still had excess butter form around the edges. Note: when I've made toffee in the past, I melted the butter first, added sugar & 1 Tbl. of corn syrup.
Louise
That's a good idea! Some people are having the issue with their butter separating and some aren't. I've been trying to figure out why it is happening only in some cases. I've made the recipe a few more times and it has never happened to me. I wonder if it's the salted, room temp butter that I use? Anyway, I like the idea of melting the butter first, I will offer that as a suggestion for sure. The corn syrup might help with separation, but from what I've read that has more to do with crystallization. Thanks for your input, it is really helpful for me and others!
Susan
I am lost my butter was separated and foamy and I am not quite sure what to do. Do you have any ideas? Is there a brand of butter that works best? I do not have a Ninja yet but after seeing your recipe I thought this is something I can do so we will see and if I can maybe I will get a Ninja.
Louise
That can happen when there are sudden temperature changes. What type of pot were you cooking it in? The best kind would be a heavy bottom pot. You can also have separation if you stir too vigorously. What I suggest is turning the heat down a bit and gently stirring until the butter incorporates with the sugar again. Then increase the heat and bring it to temperature. I use salted butter and that also seems to help with separation.
Lynda
Also had the butter separate when I added the salt and vanilla. I made it on the stove top. The first time I used high heat and it never came together from the beginning...stayed lumpy. So I tossed that batch and went at it again. This time I lowered the heat on my gas stove to medium. It looked smooth and creamy when I took it off the heat. I added the salt and butter and it became oily with the butter coming to the top. I left the butter and went ahead with the chocolate chips which melted fine. I spread it over even though the butter was on top. Waiting now for it to cool on the counter.
Louise
I'm confused as to why you added the butter after you took it off the heat, the butter goes in at the beginning. Also, if you used unsalted butter, the salt goes in at the beginning as well.
Jennifer Gehrman
All went well until I tried to break it into pieces after 2 hours in the fridge. The chocolate broke away from the toffee. I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. They melted fine after 10 min covered with foil. But after 2 hrs uncovered in fridge, most of the chocolate just separated from the toffee. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions for fixing the problem?
Louise
I haven't had that happened before. I'm wondering if maybe I left it on the counter longer before refrigerating. Next time, skip the refrigeration and let the toffee set up on the counter. It also could be that the toffee had cooled too much before the chocolate was added or the type of chocolate used. I did hear that someone tried to add the chocolate after the toffee cooled and it came off. I'm sorry that happened though and I'm not sure if there is a good way to fix it. If it was me, I would probably break a piece off and warm the top under the broiler for just 30 seconds or so and try to add some chocolate and see if it adheres.
JN
I just made this. It was great. But, I find it a little sweet. Can the sugar be reduced?
Louise
Since it's simply sugar and butter, it won't really change the sweetness much if you reduce the sugar. It will affect the volume and the ratios will be off. You could try to replace 1/4 cup of the sugar with 2 Tbsp of blackstrap molasses which would change the flavor.
Patty C
Saw this on another recipe for toffee. It maybe a fix for separation issues
Kitchen Tips
Sometimes when you make toffee, the ingredients separate during cooking and there is a buttery layer on top and a thicker layer underneath. To save the batch of toffee, add about 1/2 cup hot water and stir until well blended. Continue cooking as directed.
Louise
Thanks so much! Some people have made it and it's perfect and some people have encountered separation, so this really helps!
Sue
My butter started to separate a little but I just kept stirring even though it was already a little over 300 degrees and it came back together and was fine. Didn’t expect the sizzle when I dumped in the vanilla, tho! My toffee turned out perfectly. Can’t wait for it to cool, then on to the Coffee Toffee Ice Cream in my new blender! Just bought a second blender so I can make enough creamy tortilla soup for company all at the same time. Have two Ninja Foodi’s, too. Gave up buying clothes for a while - rather have Ninja’s! Next the Ninja grill! Your recipes and ideas are amazing! Thank you!
Louise
I'm so glad you loved it. A few other people have had their butter separate and I haven't figured why it happens sometimes and not other. It never happened to me during my test batches. Glad you saved it!
Michelle Myers
Hello! Hopefully I can give some insight to this butter separation issue.
I am a pastry chef and have background in making candies.
One of the biggest factors could possibly be that when individuals are in the stage of needing to stir consistently they may not actually be stirring at a consistent speed. In order for the butter and sugar mixture to blend properly you need to stir at a fast (safe) pace. Some may just be stirring it too slowly for it to completely blend together.
Louise
Thanks so much! I've also heard that stirring too fast can cause the separation, have you heard that? After a few people told me their butter was separating, I made the recipe again, but I can't get it to happen! Any thoughts on too high of a temperature causing the separation? I've instructed people to turn the heat down if they see the butter separating and stir slowly until the butter incorporates again and that worked for at least one person. I've also read that salt helps prevent separation, have you heard that? I appreciate you jumping in and giving your professional tips! I've been making candy my whole life, but don't have any professional training. Sometimes I think I just have a feel for it and know instinctively when to stir, how to stir and when to turn the heat off. It's hard to put that "feel" into words though.
Kikki
I’ve been making toffee for years and tried your method in the instant pot for the first time. This is the best method. Over the years I learned that the separation is from stirring too fast. You want to slowly stir your butter and sugar. I also use add 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of corn syrup in the beginning. Those really help to keep the butter from separating.
Louise
Thank you so much for sharing that! I have told people that they many have been stirring to vigorously, causing their butter to separate. I thought corn syrup was to help with crystallization, but good to know it helps with both things! Thanks again, your tips are appreciated!
Briana Carney
Tried this twice. Both times my butter separated. Not sure if it’s the brand? I did use land o lakes margarine. Maybe that’s the reason? I’ve made several candies on my stove for years with this and never had issues. I can’t figure this one out? Anyone else have the same issue?
Louise
I think the margarine is the issue. It's best to use salted butter. The other issue could be the temperature is too hot at the beginning causing it to separate. I haven't had that issue using sear/sauté on high, but maybe yours is running hotter. Do you have the 8 qt or the 6.5qt? That might be something I need to address in the post. I have had 2 other people tell me their butter split, but at least 5 more people had it turn out perfect. I definitely want to get to the bottom of it, so I can address it in the post. Thanks for the feedback!
Tammy Dano
Mine turned out perfect! I can't believe how easy this was and it is sooo delicious!
Louise
I'm so glad to hear that!
Joyce V. Hansen
PS Re: too much butter
LOL. It tastes delicious!! Guess I'll pour off excess butter and continue on! I gave it a 5 star cuz it tastes so good. I'm sure it was operator error! Thanks
Louise
I am really trying to figure this out so I can update the post with some fixes or at least let people know what to avoid. I didn't have any issues when I tested the recipe and I even had a friend test it and it worked fine for her.
Lois
Certainly is NOT too much butter. Perfect recipe. You people that always have to criticize, let’s see you put up a perfect recipe. Some people just have to complain.
Louise
Thank you! I have to say the amount of criticism food bloggers and recipe creators get is unreal. I'm blown away by some comments! Thank you for your support and this recipe is delicious and it should be buttery, it's toffee!
Joyce V. Hansen
Help. sugar and butter did not mix. i have loads of butter floating on top. What did I do??? I had your video next to me and followed it step by step, even rewinding. Apparently, I didn't or toffee would have turned out better.
Louise
I am not sure what is going on, but you aren't the only one who had this issue. Then there are other people who it worked perfectly for. I'm trying to get as much feedback as possible to try to find out why the butter is splitting for some people. It never happened in any of my test batches. Was your butter salted or unsalted? Do you mind sharing the brand you used?
Jeanette Gilder
I make my peanut brittle in the microwave. I think this would work too.
Louise
I have never made anything but fudge in the microwave, but it is very similar to peanut brittle.
Michael James
We Have not tried this yet but it sounds good!
I'll give you a Onion Ring Recipe that I came up when snowed in back 1983.
You use what ever onions you prefer, I always use White Onions .
Slice them into rings of the thickness you prefer.
Use a good heavy skillet preferably a cast iron and add about 1/4" or more of good fry oil.
You need (Snowqualmie Falls Lodge) Old fashioned Pancake Mix for this recipe.
Recipe,
1 Onion
Canola Oil ( 1//4" to 3/8" In a heavy skillet.
Snowqualmie Fall Lodge Old Fashioned Pancake mix.
Heat oil to 375* and only add enough rings to not cool the oil down.
Flip them when light gold on one side and remove when there golden after flipping.
Place them onto a DISH CLOTH or a WIRE RACK so the oil doesn't get reabsorb.
Salt them after removed.
These are The Old Jack In The Box Onion Rings.
Mrs. Pepper,
You try this and let us know? I have a lot more recipes that come from experimentation to come.
Thanks, M.James
Louise
They sound good!