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!
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!
Sprinkle of Science
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 These?
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:
- Butter (more on this below)
- Light brown sugar
- Salt
Why American-Style Butter?
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 unless you add in 1-2 tablespoons of water to the melting butter.
Step by Step:
- 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). Make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan or pot.
- Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing it to spread. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Use a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object to crack the batch of toffee into small bits.
- 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!
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.
- Use a heavy-bottomed 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. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify.
- 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.
- If the toffee is flexible instead of hard, it wasn’t cooked long enough. You can break into pieces, return to the stove, and re-melt and cook to 295-305°F.
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.
Try Next: Dutch Apple Pie With Caramel Streusel Topping
Homemade Toffee Bits
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Ingredients
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted American butter*
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare your pan first: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will make it easy to pour and cool the toffee later.
- Melt the butter: Place butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and let it melt gently. Heating over high heat may cause the mixture to separate.
- Add sugar and salt: Once the butter is partially melted, stir in the brown sugar and salt, then use a whisk to whisk vigorously for 1 full minute until smooth and evenly combined. The sugar won't be fully dissolved yet—that's normal.
- Cook carefully: Keep the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, including the edges to scrape up any sugar that sticks. The mixture will bubble, thicken, and look like smooth, melted peanut butter.⚠️ Important: Don't leave the pan unattended or stop stirring, even for a moment. Toffee can burn very quickly if ignored.
- If the mixture separates: If the butter and sugar split at any point (see Notes), remove the pan from heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. Return to medium heat, stirring constantly, to finish cooking.
- Check for doneness:*With a candy thermometer: 295°F-305°F (about 8-10 minutes)*Without a thermometer: Watch and smell closely. The mixture is ready when all three of these happen: the mixture is very smooth and glossy, the color turns a deep golden-brown, and a rich, toasty caramel aroma fills the air.
- Pour and spread: Immediately pour the hot toffee onto the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly. Be careful, it's very hot! Let cool and harden, about 20 minutes.
- Break into pieces and store: Once hardened, crack into small pieces with a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object, or cut with a sharp serrated knife. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
- Butter: American-style butter gives the best texture and flavor. If using European-style butter ( 82% or more fat), add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of water as it melts to compensate for the lower water content. Cook to 300°F. The resulting toffee may be slightly greasier and is best used immediately.
- Salt: Don’t skip it! Salt helps stabilize the mixture and enhances the flavor overall.
- Pan: Heavy-bottomed pans distribute heat evenly. Avoid thin-bottomed or cheap pans, which can create hot spots and cause separation or burning.
- Heat: Keep medium heat consistent. Avoid abrupt changes or cooking on higher temperatures to speed up.
- Timing: Cooking time depends on your pan and stove. If separation happens within the first few minutes or your toffee cooks much faster than the time listed, your heat is likely too high. Always rely on sensory cues — texture, color, and aroma — rather than the clock alone.
- Toffee not hardening? If your toffee hasn’t set and is bendy, it likely didn’t cook long enough. To fix it, simply return the mixture to the pan over medium heat and cook while following the three sensory cues listed in the recipe — texture, color, and aroma — to know when it’s ready.
Recipes Using Toffee Bits:
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin. Recipe instructions updated in December 2025 for clarity.
I went to buy some toffee bits for some scones I’m making. $5.99 at the store! No thank you! So I decided to try my hand at making it myself. I was a little worried to make this with some of the comments saying that it separated and whatnot. Went for it and it worked! Followed the recipe as it was explained. I was thrilled. It’s delish too! Thank you!
I used vegan butter and added the extra tablespoon of water as suggested. The toffee turned out great! It’s delicious!
Nope didn’t work. Patiently cooked over med heat in heavy bottom pot. Broke at 280 degrees.
Didn’t come out as expected. I thought it was weird that you stir constantly, but I just watched another persons recipe and they did too. Probably shouldn’t have used a whisk.
Hi Eddie! Thanks for giving this recipe a try and for following up with your second comment. We removed your earlier review per your request. We’ve tested this recipe over 20 times (using just a whisk!) and it’s worked well for many members in our baking community, so I’d love to better understand what you mean by “didn’t come out as expected.” Was it the texture, flavor, color, or snap that seemed off?
This is definitely a recipe where constant stirring is key. It keeps the mixture emulsified so the butter and sugar don’t separate. If left alone, it won’t cook properly and can burn easily. Tessa has some super helpful Tips for Making Toffee just above the recipe that might help troubleshoot.
I hope you’ll give it another go! This is one of my favorites, especially when added to chocolate chip cookies!
Your recipe was easy to follow and do! I feel silly for buying toffee bits for all these years! I will definitely try more of your recipes!
Can I add red food coloring to this recipe?
Want to make red toffee for Halloween cookies.
Any help is appreciated!
Hi Sohail! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not! Be sure to use gel food coloring for best results, and you’ll quickly whisk in the coloring just before the toffee reaches temp. Let us know how it turns out. And please share a pic of your cookies, I’m curious to see the results!
Looks easy but made it twice and keep stirring and following directions as stated and towards the end of the temp it completely separated??
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry to hear the toffee gave you trouble. Without being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong, but I’d love to help troubleshoot! Did the mixture stay smooth at first and only separate right near the end? And just to confirm—were you whisking constantly throughout the cooking process? Even a quick pause can sometimes cause separation.
Believe it or not, the type of saucepan used can make a big difference too. A thinner pan won’t conduct heat evenly and can create hot spots that cause the mixture to split. Heating too quickly in the beginning (above medium) can also cause separation, so be sure to keep the heat at medium while the mixture is melting. Stir slowly and gently—but as the recipe mentions, if it does start to separate, remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously to bring it back together. Did you try that either time?
Also, what kind of butter did you use? If it was European-style (like Kerrygold), that could be the issue! We tested the recipe with European butter, and while it can work, it needs a small adjustment. Be sure to check out the Recipe Notes for those details. Let me know if I can help further!
Holy moly, amazing toffee! It’s so easy to make and works amazing in the suggested recipes! 100/10!
This toffee came together quickly and easily, and it’s tasty! I’m definitely making another batch.
I only had 160 grams of light brown sugar so I added 40 grams of dark brown sugar. Turned out great! Will be using this toffee for my favorite cookie recipe- your brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies!
I went ahead and got some light brown sugar 😀. It turned out FANTASTIC. Used some in my chocolate chip cookie recipe and it made them even better. No more store bought toffee bits because these are so much better and so easy to make. Already had to make a 3rd batch. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. You are greatly appreciated!!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the recipe, Vickie! A third batch is such a compliment 🙂 Thanks for following up!
I only have dark brown sugar😔, can that work or would it change the taste?
Hi Vickie! Our team hasn’t tested that, but other readers have used dark brown sugar with success! Feel free to give it a try and let us know how it goes.