Homemade Toffee Bits Recipe

Name: Homemade Toffee Bits
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter; 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar; 1 teaspoon fine salt

Recipe By Tessa Arias

December 8th, 2020

5 from 15 votes

38 Comments

5 from 15 votes

38 Comments

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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.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

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.

I adore toffee.

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

chopped up copycat Heath toffee bits on parchment paper

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

Such as a chocolate chip cookie, blondie, brownie or even banana bread recipes. Or sprinkled on cupcakes, French toast, or ice cream. Plus you likely already have the ingredients on hand to make it from scratch.

How to Make Homemade Toffee Bits

What are toffee bits?

Just what it sounds like! Bits of crunchy sweet toffee 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 the chocolate & toffee bits which you may not always want.

But trust me, this homemade recipe is even tastier than the Heath toffee bits!

Only 3 ingredients needed for homemade toffee bits:

Butter (make sure to use unsalted)
Light brown sugar
Salt

How to make DIY Toffee Bits from scratch:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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).
Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing it to spread. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
Use a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object to crack the toffee into small bits.
You can now use your toffee pieces in cookies, brownies, streusel toppings, sprinkled on top of vanilla ice cream, you name it!

process collage showing how to make homemade toffee bits

Recipes That Use Toffee Bits:

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

5 from 15 votes

How to make

Homemade Toffee Bits

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Setting Time 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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 butter
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

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 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. 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.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make toffee bits, toffee bits, toffee bits recipe

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

Recipe by Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

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All Comments Questions I Made This

#
Courtney — December 10, 2020 at 8:44 pm

I just made these and they are amazing! Super easy. I don’t have a thermometer but it still turned out really well. I just let it bubble while whisking every so often for 10 minutes. I can’t wait to try them in the browned butter chocolate chip toffee cookies recipe!

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  Handle the Heat — December 11, 2020 at 12:19 pm
  
  YAY! Can’t wait to hear how your toffee cookies turn out!
  
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Eliza — December 11, 2020 at 7:10 am

I just finished making this! Omg, super easy and my home smells incredible! I’m making your Toffee and Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!

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  Handle the Heat — December 11, 2020 at 12:21 pm
  
  SO happy to hear that, Eliza! Can’t wait to hear how your cookies turn out.
  
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Donna D Lewis — December 11, 2020 at 11:52 am

Donna D

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Nevena — December 11, 2020 at 5:19 pm

This stuff is like magic! It can’t together so easily but tastes incredible.

Question: when I smashed it up in a bag it created a lot of toffee dust can I use that in the cookie recipe? Don’t want it to go to waste!

Thanks for your guidance

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  Handle the Heat — December 14, 2020 at 1:39 pm
  
  Hi Nevena, the toffee dust should be fine to use in the cookies!
  
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Sabrina — December 11, 2020 at 8:58 pm

3 ingredients definitely works! 15 minutes maybe even better nice not to have a long baking recipe this time of year, thank you!

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  Handle the Heat — December 14, 2020 at 1:39 pm
  
  So glad you tried this toffee recipe out!
  
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Rachel Warners — December 14, 2020 at 12:57 pm

I made this today, and it’s delicious! However, it’s quite chewy…did I do something wrong?

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Samantha — December 14, 2020 at 1:16 pm

Super easy to make and they taste so much better than store bought! Made a batch this morning and then made the dough for Tessa’s Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. Can’t wait to bake them off with these toffee bits!

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Anna — December 15, 2020 at 4:44 pm

Really adored this recipe! I made it in preparation of the Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies on the blog! The toffee is delicious and took less than 10 minutes so it is definitely easy to make.

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  Handle the Heat — December 16, 2020 at 9:55 am
  
  So thrilled you enjoyed this recipe!
  
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Alison V — December 16, 2020 at 7:28 pm

The 1st batch I burned but after that I successfully made it 3 times! Once for toffee chips to put in cookies, once to make toffee popcorn and the last time for homemade almond roca. Very easy to make and it’s delicious!

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  Handle the Heat — December 17, 2020 at 11:45 am
  
  I bet your kitchen smells amazing!! I’m so glad you tried this recipe out.
  
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Katie — December 17, 2020 at 6:10 pm

Made these with the intention of putting them in the chocolate chip toffee cookie recipe but…. THEY’RE SO GOOD THERE MAY NOT BE ANY LEFT TOMORROW!!!!! So good. Amazing what butter and sugar (and salt) can create.

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  Handle the Heat — December 18, 2020 at 11:06 am
  
  Haha! This makes me so happy. So glad you enjoyed these toffee bits!!
  
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Sarah — December 18, 2020 at 1:17 am

Hey! This recipe looks absolutely incredible. Cant wait to try it. Just one question. Can i fold these bits into your butterscotch cake recipe before baking it?

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  Handle the Heat — December 18, 2020 at 11:07 am
  
  I haven’t tried that out! Let me know how it turns out!
  
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Julie — December 19, 2020 at 9:28 am

I was so excited for this as toffee bits aren’t available where I live. However, both my attempts ended up with separated butter and sugar (I followed the direction of taking it off the heat and whisking the *second* it looked like it might be separating.

Since brown sugar is hard to come by here (though available, unlike toffee bits), not sure I’m willing to risk a third attempt.

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Rebecca — December 22, 2020 at 7:28 pm

These were delicious! I’m planning on using them to bake with the brown butter toffee cookies. I think I’ll have more leftover than I expected. Do you think they would freeze well?

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Ann — January 18, 2021 at 3:15 pm

So I made this recipe but my toffee didn’t harden after it cooled. Any advice on what happened?

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Triya — January 26, 2021 at 6:04 am

Can we use dark brown sugar?

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  Handle the Heat — January 26, 2021 at 1:04 pm
  
  That should work!
  
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Barb Lee — January 31, 2021 at 1:39 am

Easy and delicious! Great to add as a topping for the Ultimate Cheesecake…(along with anything else)! They are supposed to last 1 week in an airtight container – as if they’d still be around then! Will certainly be using this recipe again and again.

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Eliza — February 2, 2021 at 8:03 pm

YUM!!! I literally just made this and it’s so easy and delish!!! Has the perfect crisp crunch not tacky at all. I used salted butter and dark brown sugar because that was all I had…one of the many COVID lessons. I just used a little less salt. I’m not sure if it’s because of the subs, the elevation (7k), or high heat but it was more like 3-4 minutes not 10 until 300 degrees. Thanks for making toffee so easy!!!

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  Handle the Heat — February 3, 2021 at 2:53 pm
  
  So glad you tried this recipe out!
  
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Diana — February 21, 2021 at 3:07 pm

So easy, and so good! Thanks for the simple recipe!

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  Handle the Heat — February 22, 2021 at 2:44 pm
  
  Wonderful to hear this!
  
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  Handle the Heat — February 22, 2021 at 2:51 pm
  
  Yay! So glad you enjoyed!
  
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Donna Vaughn — February 23, 2021 at 7:05 pm

Tessa, this toffee recipe is so easy and so delicious! It’s a definite game changer for my chocolate chip cookies. Thank you!!

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  Handle the Heat — February 24, 2021 at 2:12 pm
  
  I’m so glad you enjoyed these toffee bits!
  
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Mary — March 1, 2021 at 2:17 pm

I just finished making these – it was so easy and the toffee bits are so delicious ! Added bonus is that the house smells fabulous ! Next I’m making the Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Toffee cookies to give to my sister-in-law for her birthday.

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  Handle the Heat — March 2, 2021 at 11:27 am
  
  So glad to hear that! Hope those cookies are a hit!!
  
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Lenal — April 13, 2021 at 9:49 am

Thank you so much for a GREAT recipe. For years I’ve been using the 1 cup white sugar 1 cup butter posted on other sites. Today was the end of that. 1 to 1 ratio has inconsistent results to say the least today it was burned separated mess preparing the same as always. Most of the time it is a buttery separation. Found this recipe and thrilled; color is beautiful and consistency couldn’t be better! Thank you again!!!

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  Handle the Heat — April 13, 2021 at 2:46 pm
  
  Hooray! I’m so happy you love this toffee recipe and that it turned out perfectly for you, Lenal!
  
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Cindy :-) — April 13, 2021 at 10:45 am

Where has homemade toffee been all my life!!! It’s legal crack is what it is. Take a lesson from me…I screwed up my first batch by heating too hot, too fast. Second batch perfect. Make this. Hide this. Eat this. Repeat.

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  Handle the Heat — April 13, 2021 at 2:48 pm
  
  Yes, heat is key to this recipe for sure! I’m so happy you finally had success with this toffee, and I agree 100% that it is. SO. GOOD!!
  
  Reply

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