The Best Toffee Recipe

A stack of toffee piece coated in chocolate and cashews.

4.34 from 3 votes

This Homemade Toffee is one of those classic Christmas candies that feels a little fancy. My Dad has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember, and its the best toffee I've ever had!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Christmas Cashew Toffee, homeamde toffee, the best toffee, toffee

Servings:

Calories: 220kcal

Ingredients

1 lb Salted butter (4 sticks)
2 cups Granulated sugar
6 TBS water
2 TBS light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped cashews** (divided)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Add the butter to a large heavy duty sauce pan, and melt it over medium heat. Stir it occasionally to keep it from browning. 1 lb Salted butter
While the butter is melting prepare a half sized cookie sheet (12x17inches). You can line it with parchment paper, or coat it in butter all over!
Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir it all together until it is a gooey consistency. 2 cups Granulated sugar, 6 TBS water, 2 TBS light corn syrup
Hook a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, make sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan.
Raise the heat to medium high, and stir occasionally, using a wooden spoon or other non heat conducting spoon.
Once the temperature reaches 225 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to stir constantly, and quickly. The toffee will continue to heat, and once it hits 270 it will rise even quicker, so stir very quickly.
Near the end you will feel like your toffee and your arms are burning. This could be about 15 to 25 minutes. The toffee will be turning a golden brown color.
Once the toffee is between 295 and 300 F remove it from the heat.
Stir in 1 cups of the chopped cashews. 1 1/2 cups chopped cashews**
Pour the toffee into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly to the edges and corners with the wooden spoon. Do not scrape the toffee that is stuck on the bottom of the pan, as it may be burnt and bitter.
Let the toffee cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly. Wait a couple minutes and the chocolate chips will start to turn glossy and melt from the heat of the toffee. 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Spread the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee with a rubber spatula, avoiding the edge of the pan so you don't have to clean it off later.
Once the chocolate is spread, sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts across the surface. You can chop them even finer first.
Let the chocolate harden until it is set, and break toffee into pieces and enjoy.

Notes

*Chopped Cashews: 1 cup coarsely chopped cashews, and 1/2 cup finely chopped (I use a small electric food chopper)
Line your Pan: Line your pan with parchment paper or foil to make your clean up even easier.
Any Nuts: You can substitute chopped almonds, pecans, or even peanuts for the cashews if desired.
Candy Thermometer: Using a candy thermometer is the best way to guarantee this toffee will turn out for you. We need the toffee to cook to the right temperature for the candy to have the right texture. (Unless you've made this for years like my dad has, who now knows what to look for just based on the color!)
Have a Helper: This toffee requires constant stirring while it is boiling, and once the candy has reached 225 F. This could mean 15 to 30 minutes of stirring, so your arms will get tired. Do not stop stirring. Have some one around to help switch in, if needed.
Extra Pieces: After breaking your toffee into pieces, use the small leftover bits for ice cream topping, or using in our Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies!
Half Batch: My dad's recipe is double what a lot of toffee recipes make, this means more vigorous stirring, but you also get twice the toffee at once. You can cut the recipe in half and pour it on a Half Sheet Pan, or into a 9x13 pan.

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