Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: Sweet, nutty, and delicious.
Texture: Perfectly crunchy with a slight candy chew.
Ease: Just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes prep and cook time.
Pros: Such a fun DIY!
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely, I like to make a double batch and sprinkle them on everything I bake for weeks.

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I adore toffee.

Like butterscotch, toffee seems to be caramel’s forgotten cousin. To me, it deserves as much adoration as caramel. Maybe more!

Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (1)

As much as I love a buttery toffee recipe on its own, my favorite is when it’s added to something already delicious.

It’s the perfect addition to a chocolate chip cookie, blondie, brownie or even banana bread. Or sprinkle the toffee on cupcakes, French toast, or ice cream. Plus, you likely already have the simple ingredients on hand to make it from scratch.

Bonus: this toffee recipe is also a great treat for giving as delicious holiday gifts during the holidays or Christmas!

How to Make Homemade Toffee Bits

What is Toffee?

Toffee is a crunchy, sweet, buttery, cooked sugar candy, similar to caramel and butterscotch. These three classic dessert components seem very similar – so how do they differ?

  • Caramel: Based on white granulated sugar. Typically, butter, milk/cream, and vanilla are added for flavor and to produce a thick, creamy caramel. Caramel can be heated less for a sauce consistency, longer for a chewy soft caramel, or even longer for a crunchier hard caramel. I have a recipe for caramel sauce here.
  • Butterscotch:Similar process to caramel, but made with brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar. Cream and vanilla are also often added. I have a recipe for butterscotch sauce here.
  • Toffee:Just like butterscotch, toffee starts with brown sugar – but the difference between butterscotch and toffee is the temperature it’s heated to. Toffee is cooked longer to a much higher temperature – all the way to the ‘hard crack’ stage. This means that toffee will harden completely as it cools, and can then be cut or broken into pieces, to be added to other delicious desserts, or simply enjoyed by itself!

What are Toffee Bits?

Just what it sounds like! Bits of crunchy sweet toffee, chopped or broken into pieces about the same size as chocolate chips.

Can’t You Just Buy Toffee Bits?

Yes, you can buy them in the baking aisle under the Heath brand. However, they can be difficult to find in some regions and stores. Additionally, many stores only carry chocolate-covered toffee bits, which you may not always want.

But trust me, this homemade toffee recipe is even tastier than the Heath version! Plus, no preservatives or artificial flavors in these homemade sweet morsels!

Only 3 Ingredients Are Needed for Homemade Toffee Bits:

  • Butter (make sure to use American unsalted butter – European butter has too much butterfat and the toffee will separate)
  • Light brown sugar
  • Salt
Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (2)

Why American-Style Butter Only?

European-style butter (such as Kerrygold) contains a higher butterfat percentage, compared to American-style butter. This lack of water content in European-style butter results in the toffee separating, and/or refusing to set fully. Any butter over 80% butterfat will cause these issues and unfortunately, we have yet to find a way to make this recipe work with butter containing higher percentages of fat. If you are successful in creating a hard toffee using European-style butter, please let us know in the comments below.

How to Make DIY Toffee Bits From Scratch:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Then, add the sugar and salt and whisk until combined. Continue whisking for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture looks like melted peanut butter (reference the picture below). Make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan or pot.
  3. Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing it to spread. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
  4. Use a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object to crack the batch of toffee into small bits.
  5. You can now use your toffee pieces to amp up the flavor in cookies, brownies, streusel toppings, sprinkled on top of vanilla ice cream, you name it!
Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (3)

Tips for Making Toffee:

  • Before you start the recipe, line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. It’s best to do this first because you will need to pour the finished toffee onto the prepared pan immediately.
  • If your toffee burns on the bottom or you’re having trouble with the toffee separating (and you’re using American-style butter!), try a thicker-based heavy saucepan. Pans with thinner bottoms will heat too aggressively and may cause separation or scorching.
  • Never step away from the toffee while it’s on the stove. It can burn quickly.
  • Do not try to touch or taste the sugar while it’s cooking, as it will be extremely hot.
  • Separated toffee can sometimes be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and whisking vigorously until it comes back together into a smooth mixture.
  • A candy thermometer is so helpful in making toffee. This is my favorite candy thermometer.
  • Make sure to let the toffee cool completely before you break it into bits and store it.

How to Store Toffee Bits

Once cooled and cut or broken into pieces, freeze in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature before enjoying or adding to cookie dough, streusel or other baked goods.

Recipes Using Toffee Bits:

  • Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins
  • Salted Caramel Toffee Cupcakes
  • Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (4)

How to Make

Homemade Toffee Bits

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Setting Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Review Print

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Just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes and you have DIY homemade toffee bits from scratch! They’re absolutely amazing in cookies, brownies, streusel toppings on muffins or pies, or just as a sweet snack.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted American butter*
  • 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

  • Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

  • In a heavy-bottomed small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt and whisk vigorously for one minute until combined. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture looks like melted peanut butter and a candy thermometer reaches 295 to 305°F, about 10 minutes.

  • If the mixture separates at all, remove from heat and whisk vigorously until recombined. Return to heat and continue cooking.

  • Immediately and carefully pour the hot toffee onto the prepared baking pan, allowing it to spread into an even layer. Let cool and harden for about 20 minutes.

  • Place the sheet of toffee on a cutting board or in a zip top bag. Use a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object to crack it into small pieces. You can also cut into bits with a sharp serrated knife. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*Don’t use European-style butter (82% butterfat+) in this recipe. It contains too much butterfat and will cause the toffee to separate.

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between English toffee and regular toffee? ›

Americanized toffee may include nuts, while a completely traditional British toffee will not. On the other hand, English toffee uses pure cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses as its sweet base and always involves chocolate.

Can I substitute butterscotch chips for toffee bits? ›

Yes, if you can't find toffee bits, you could substitute them with chopped caramel, butterscotch chips or even Butterfinger baking bits. Keep in mind, however, that these will give a slightly different flavor than toffee.

How do you break toffee into pieces? ›

Remove the toffee from the container by lifting it with edges of the foil. Hold the foil and toffee a few inches over a table or counter and drop. You may have to do it a few times and the toffee will break into pieces.

What are toffee bits made of? ›

Not to be confused with chocolate-covered toffee bits such as Heath bar or Skor bars, homemade english toffee which is made with almonds, or saltine toffee, toffee bits are made simply from brown sugar and plenty of butter. Smaller than bark, this toffee is technically candy, but don't let that intimidate you!

What's the difference between taffy and toffee? ›

The difference is mainly in the candy-making process: taffy is pulled and stretched until it's soft and chewy. Toffee, on the other hand, won't stick in your teeth like taffy, because it is boiled, shaped, and allowed to harden into a delicious, glossy slab.

Are toffee bits and butterscotch the same? ›

Toffee vs Butterscotch

While butterscotch is cooked to a soft-crack stage, toffee is produced by allowing that same butter and brown sugar mixture to reach the hard-crack stage. Butterscotch tends to be chewy and pliable; toffee is brittle and more breakable.

Why cream of tartar in toffee? ›

Preventing sugar crystallization.

Cream of tartar can prevent your homemade hard candy, caramel, and toffee from forming a gritty texture due to sugar crystallization. Adding a pinch of cream of tartar to your sugar syrup will help break down the sugar molecules and stop them from crystalizing early on.

Does butterscotch taste like toffee? ›

Caramel, butterscotch, and toffee are three of the most popular flavors used in candies. Some people love one or two of those flavors and dislike the other, but most people love all three. While each has its own unique flavor and texture, they are all made using a similar base of butter and sugar.

How long does homemade toffee last? ›

Store homemade toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Why do you not stir toffee? ›

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate. For those of you that need to know exactly how often you should stir, I would suggest erring on the side of not stirring more than stirring.

Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy? ›

Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.

Why is my butter separating when I make toffee? ›

If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out. It can also be caused by the mixture being heated unevenly (if the pan has a thin base and has hot spots).

What are the ingredients in Skor toffee bits? ›

Ingredients. Sugar (sugar, Sweetened Condensed Milk), Milk Ingredients, Almonds, Milk Chocolate [sugars (sugar, Lactose), Cocoa Butter, Unsweetened Chocolate, Milk Ingredients, Salt, Lecithin (soy), Natural Flavour], Salt, Unsweetened Chocolate, Sunflower Oil. Contains: Almonds, Milk, Soy.

What is toffee crumble made of? ›

Sugar, Wheat Flour (with Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin) , Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Whole and Skimmed Milk Powder, Vegetable Oils: Palm, Sal, Shea, Illipe, Mango Kernel, Kokum Gurgi, Rapeseed, Palm Kernel, Sunflower, Coconut, Whey Powder (Milk), Glucose Syrup, Invert Sugar Syrup, Wholemeal Wheat Flour, Sweetened ...

What's the difference between toffee and butter toffee? ›

The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.

What makes English toffee separate? ›

If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out.

Is English toffee hard or soft? ›

Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .

Why is it called English toffee? ›

The name “English toffee” comes from the crunchy “toff” sound the candy makes when you bite into it. As the candy became popular, shops began selling it under the name “English toffee” or sometimes just “toffee.”

Is English toffee the same as caramel? ›

The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).

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