About this post
This Toffee is crunchy, buttery, and finished with a smooth layer of dark chocolate, toasted almonds, and flaky salt. It’s easy to make, comes together in under an hour, and works beautifully whether you use vegan butter or regular butter — my favorite kind of flexible recipe.
It’s the kind of treat that feels special enough for the holidays but simple enough to make anytime you’re craving something sweet and salty.
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect for gifting: ideal for holidays, hostess gifts, or dessert platters
- Sweet + salty balance with dark chocolate and flaky salt
- Customizable with any nuts, seeds, or toppings you love
- Make-ahead friendly and stores beautifully.
What is toffee?
Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking sugar and butter until it reaches the hard-crack stage, creating a brittle, crunchy texture. In this vegan version, dairy-free butter delivers the same classic snap and rich flavor — finished with dark chocolate for a smooth contrast.
ingredient notes
- Butter: You can use regular butter or a high-quality vegan butter with a clean, neutral flavor (Miyoko’s, Flora, or similar). Avoid margarine with strong aftertastes — it can overpower the toffee.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds a slightly deeper, more caramel-like flavor, but white sugar works perfectly, too.
- Dark chocolate:
- Almonds: Toasted almonds add great crunch, but feel free to swap in cashews, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, or even crushed pretzels.
- Flaky salt
Nut-free option: skip the nuts and finish with sesame seeds, crushed candy canes, or sprinkles.
How to Make Toffee at Home (Step-by-Step)
- Prep first. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Measure all ingredients and have them ready. Attach a candy thermometer to your pot before heating.
- Cook the toffee.
- Add vanilla.
- Pour carefully.
- Add chocolate. Let the toffee sit for about 1 minute, then sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the top. Once melted, gently spread into a thin layer.
- Finish and cool.
- Break and store.
Tools YOU NEED
Important Safety Note
Toffee reaches very high temperatures, so a little extra care goes a long way.
Before you start:
- Clear your workspace
- Keep kids and pets out of the kitchen
- Use a heavy pot with high sides
- Wear kitchen gloves when pouring the caramel
Hot sugar is no joke — slow, steady, and focused is the way to go.
Tools you need
- The most important thing for this recipe is to have a pot that can withstand high heat. A 4-quart Dutch oven is perfect for this toffee recipe. The sides are high enough to protect you from the hot candy.
- It would help if you also had a candy thermometer, a baking sheet, parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Not completely necessary, but they work great.
Variations
- Holiday toffee: top with crushed candy canes
- Seeded version: sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds
- Extra chocolate: drizzle with white vegan chocolate
- Sweet-spicy: add a tiny pinch of chili flakes with the salt
Home-Cook to Home-Cook Tips
- If the toffee separates slightly while cooking, keep stirring gently — it usually comes back together.
- Toast your nuts first for deeper flavor and better crunch.
- Store with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Toffee (Chocolate Almond Toffee)
Equipment
- Heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven (at least 4-quart, high sides)
- Candy thermometer
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Heat-resistant spatula
- Kitchen gloves (recommended)
Ingredients
- 250 g sugar brown or white about 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar or 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- 250 g butter (vegan or regular ) 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g dark chocolate chopped, about 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or ¾ cup chocolate chips
- 100 g toasted almonds roughly chopped, about ¾ cup chopped almonds
- Flaky salt such as Maldon, to finish
Instructions
Prep the pan and ingredients.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Measure all ingredients and have them ready. Attach the candy thermometer to the pot before heating.
Cook the toffee.
- Add the sugar, butter, and water to a heavy-bottom pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 305°F (hard-crack stage).
- Add vanilla.
- Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour carefully.
- Wearing kitchen gloves, carefully pour the hot caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Add the chocolate.
- Let the toffee sit for about 1 minute, then sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the top. Once melted, gently spread into a thin layer.
Finish and cool.
- Immediately sprinkle with chopped almonds and flaky salt. Let cool completely at room temperature.
Break and store.
- Once fully set, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- About the Author
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I am Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes — some Mexican, mostly plant-based — that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I am also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications. Follow along on my social accounts for daily inspiration, tips, and delicious recipes! I would love to hear about you! Send me a DM on Instagram, and we can talk all things food 🍽️✨