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 love your website and all the recipes you post! Question. Why is the ratio so high for the sugar? I’m interested in the science or reasoning behind it. Typically it’s 1:1.
Absolutely perfect results as a first time toffee maker! I needed chips without chocolate (like the store bought ones) to recreate a cookie from CIA Greystone. This was so simple and worth the aching muscles. I will definitely use this recipe soon.
Another great tip if you don’t have a thermometer is my grandmothers old school trick. Get a bowl with ice water put a drop of the mixture inside and roll it around test the hardness with your fingers it should harden up pretty quick if it’s done but if not it will be more malleable like play dough. Can’t wait to try this one out!
I just made this toffee for the first time and OMG this stuff is addictive!!! I’m so happy it turned out right for my first time, I was definitely nervous. I also also use fine pink Himalayan salt because I didn’t have regular and it still turned out so delicious!!!
I’ve never made toffee before, but this was so easy! I mean your arm will hurt a little but I’m so happy, 10/10 so yummy taste like heath
I have successfully made toffee many times, so I wasn’t worried about making this recipe. However, I noticed immediately after combining the ingredients that the ratio of butter to sugar was WAY different than I have used before. I couldn’t get the sugar to melt, so I mixed in a small amount of water. My toffee turned out dark and with a burnt taste despite constant stirring. Are you sure this recipe isn’t supposed to have 1 CUP of butter instead of 1 stick? Every other toffee recipe I’ve seen has a 1:1 ratio of butter and sugar. 1 CUP of butter to 1 cup of sugar…. It always turns out perfectly that way.
Thanks for sharing feedback and a photo! I’m so sorry your batch didn’t turn out. The recipe does use a different ratio than some classic 1:1 toffee formulas, but the measurements listed are correct.
From your photo, the very dark color and burnt flavor you mentioned suggest the mixture went past temperature (or the heat was a bit too high), which can happen quickly even with constant stirring. Did you happen to use a candy thermometer, or were you going by visual cues? Toffee can turn dark fast if it climbs even a few degrees above the target.
I know toffee can be finicky even for experienced candy-makers—but besides the dark color, your toffee actually looks great. If you’re up for giving it another go, keep the heat at medium, whisk the butter and sugar vigorously for the first minute to help them emulsify (the sugar won’t dissolve right away), then continue whisking as it cooks. It may take less than 10 minutes depending on your stove, so keep a close eye on the color and scent as you go.
hi, this is how i failed then SAVED the recipe.i reccomend reading this before making if youre unsure.
firstly it all went bad, it looked like ”melted peanut butter” very fast, (imo i think the heat was too strong, id recommend low to medium rather than medium heat) and i poured it on the parchment paper in fear of burning it. it looked ok. but didnt harden, and when i took a piece i saw the sugar hadnt melted. i contamplated what to do, then decided im gonna try and save it. so this is what i did:
1. i put it back in the pan on not entirely low but low heat.
2. i stired it for a while, but nothing really happened , except the butter separating.
3. so i added a tablespoon of water (i cut the recipe in half, so maybe 2 tablespoons for this recipe), it helped a bit but then again, didnt do much.
4. so in a last try of saving it, i turned up the heat, to not meadium, but kind of between low and medium. i continued stiring (through the whole proccess) and my toffee came together slowly!
there was still separated butter, but i just poured it out/ kind of wiped the toffee.
hope this helped u!!!
(i gave this recipe three stars cus i dont think its detalied enough. its too vague and needs to be elaborative. i only could save it thanks to my little baking experience. 🙂
My first attempt was quite the fail, it separated and turned into hard brown sugar. My second attempt i tried a few different things, i didn’t reduce the heat (which i was slowly doing in the first try, since i was worried it would burn) and i made sure to stop vigorously whisking as soon as it started to boil, then i did slow stirs ever couple of minutes or so, until it reached 300 F, and it turned out great! I did use land o lakes butter in my first try and then used kroger brand butter for my second try, i’m not sure if the different butter had any effect on my outcome, but i wanted to include it for anyone who might think it’s the butter their using!
My picture didn’t upload in my second comment so i’ll reply to my original one!
Came out great!! Don’t let the comments scare you – it’s easy. Use your thermometer, make NO modifications (candy making is a science!), and you’ll be fine. Stir constantly – don’t step away.
I’m allergic to nuts so I can never use the store bought toffee bits, so this is really a godsend. THANK YOU TESSA!
PS – To clean the pan afterwards, I just filled it with water and brought it to a boil, and it dissolved right away.
Your toffee bits look perfect, Lauren! Thanks so much for the feedback and tips! 🙂
I have used the recipe in the past with no issues but tonight after three attempts I gave up. I could not stop it from separating. The first two batches were with sugar with a bit of molasses to make brown sugar- i thought thr first time maybe too much molasses. Round two i used less. round three went with white sugar and It was the worst. we tried cooking more and then less and removing from heat. We used members mark butter which who knows…wasn’t an issue in the cookies. The first batch and second batch I cooked together and eventually I just strained the butter and it kinda came up to a hard crumble which tasted ok. Each batch was very grainy. I know butter lately has been giving peeps issues??
Hi Debbie, thanks for your feedback! When the recipe worked for you in the past, do you remember the brand of ingredients that you used? Did you make your own brown sugar back then as well? Granulated sugar will not work as a substitute, but I am curious to learn more about the first two batches. At which point did they separate? Did you stop whisking the mixture, even for a few seconds?
Hi Emily, Round 1 came out the best I used reg brown sugar feom the store. I think the heat may have been a bit too high as it got to PB looking stage before the 10 min was up. The sugar never really dissolved- it was grainy and it never set properly- soft and foldable although temp was reached. Round 2-3 homemade brown sugar – kept separating. Round 4 used batch 3 and 1 combined – melted again – whisked but never came together. Oddly batch 2 dried but in this very weird dry crumble which I ended up using. It tasted good but very strange lol – think almost very hard/dry sand clumps. It was a few years ago when I made it last – I usually only use Costco or Sams butter just due to cost so that would be my guess of what I would have used previously.
Hi Debbie, sorry for my delay! I tested this recipe a few times yesterday to see if I could intentionally break it, and I noticed that a batch cooked on medium-high did separate, turn grainy, and hit the target temperature before the 10 minutes were up. For your next batch, I’d pay a close eye on keeping the heat at medium and stirring constantly the whole time—this should help the mixture come together smoothly and give the sugar more time to dissolve. Let me know how it goes!
Can these be used in place of butterscotch chips in confetti squares?
No, butterscotch chips and toffee bits are two very different ingredients. The butterscotch chips help create the structure of confetti squares, and these toffee bits won’t melt quite like butterscotch chips do. We prefer using these more for cookie, brownie, or blondie mix-ins (or just eating as a snack!). Hope that helps!
Waste of time and ingredients, should have read the comments first. Followed the recipe and it separated in about five minutes, couldn’t get it to come back together despite following the instructions. Should have taken it as a red flag that it addressed separation directly in the recipe. Unfortunate. No offense!
Mine didn’t separate! I thought it was a great recipe. Use a wooden spoon to stir. Have a candy thermometer.
Hi D W, thanks for sharing your experience! Our team hasn’t run into separation, and I actually made it myself as a mix-in for cookies just this morning. We’d love to troubleshoot what might have gone wrong so we can test it out again. Could you share what brands and types of ingredients you used, any substitutions, and whether you used a thermometer or went by the sensory cues? Did you stir continuously, or did it separate even when stirring without stopping? What kind of pan did you use?
We include the note about separation because it can happen under certain conditions, but your feedback will help us make the instructions even clearer. Thanks for helping us improve the recipe!
I agree I had the same issues. Waste of ingredients