Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee
Perfectly crunchy and sweet toffee topped with dark chocolate and roasted almonds. This simple candy is an easy treat and is perfect for gifting throughout the year!
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Toffee is perhaps my favorite candy. Since we travel a lot, we do a lot of shopping in tourist-y stores, because it’s what you do when you visit new places. We always peek in the sweet shops, but usually we don’t buy anything.
Except, if I were single, I would buy dark chocolate toffee every single time. It never steers me wrong.
I still remember some of my favorites from all my travels: Chelsea Market has a great toffee, as do Disneyland and Disney World (no surprise). I also remember buying perhaps my first toffee decades ago while driving cross-country with my family. Somewhere in the middle of America, nearish to the the I-80 cross-country route, there is an astounding dark chocolate toffee. (Helpful tip, I’m sure.)
So I’m surprised it took me this long to try making it.
Like, this was my first try ever. I’ve made “cheater” toffee before, but why even bother? You just stir and cook until it reaches a temperature (the key is a large, deep pot) and then you’re done. Sure, you need to pour carefully, but I had no problem pouring it and I’m prone to issues with any sort of candy/caramel type recipe. I have the scars to prove it.
So if I can lift my Le Creuset dutch oven and pour some toffee onto a parchment lined pan, you can too. Trust me.
Why this recipe works
It’s really a simple recipe. Sugar, butter, and salt. Just cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until it reaches between 290F/143C to 300F/149C. Then pour it out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. No need to be pretty about it—the key is to not pour it out too thin. I chose a 9x13 rimmed cookie sheet but didn’t spread it all the way to the edges. I wanted a nice, thick toffee (but not so thick I couldn’t bite it).
Then you just sprinkle chocolate chips on top, let them sit a moment, and spread them like butter on top of your toffee. This method is easier than melting the chocolate separately, and it helps the chocolate adhere well to the toffee. Then, just sprinkle your almonds on the still-warm chocolate and press it down slightly. Done!
See? Easy.
Key ingredients
Sugar. Use granulated sugar (brown sugar will have less of a crunch).
Butter. European butter is ideal, because it is creamier and less prone to separating as the toffee boils and bubbles.
Salt. Omit if using salted butter.
Dark chocolate chips/chopped baking chocolate. Of course you can use semisweet or milk, but I personally feel milk chocolate is a waste of calories, so I always go for the good stuff.
Chopped, roasted almonds. I had raw, so I had to chop and roast them myself ahead of time, but that took about 10 minutes total.
How to make dark chocolate almond toffee
1. Combine sugar, butter, and salt. You’ll want a large, deep pot. I used my oval dutch oven that’s about 6-7 quarts. It was a bit larger than necessary, but I wanted to play it safe.
2. Cook over medium-low heat. This seems too low, like it’ll take forever to boil. It won’t, trust me. Be sure to stir constantly once the butter fully melts, as there can be separation of the butter and sugar.
3. Cook until it reaches 290F/143C to 300F/149C. My candy thermometer never stays up in my pot, so I just used a regular kitchen thermometer, holding that with one hand and stirring with the other. It’s not easy, so I recommend a regular candy thermometer that can be attached to the edge of the pan.
4. Pour into a parchment lined 9x13 cookie sheet. You can also mark off a 9x13 section on a piece of parchment and turn it over. Just don’t spread your toffee larger than 9x13 or you’ll get a thinner toffee that’s more chewy and lacks the right ratio of ingredients.
5. Immediately sprinkle dark chocolate on top. This allows the heat of the cooling toffee to melt the chocolate and is far easier than melting the chocolate and dipping the toffee once it’s cooled.
6. Immediately top chocolate with almonds. This ensures they stick to the chocolate. You’ll want to press them down gently, which can get messy, but I just embrace my inner five year old and lick that all off.
7. Let cool then break or chop. I actually used a large knife to cut these into squares, but you can just break them with your hands.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Do I have to use dark chocolate?
No! You can use any kind of chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate) that you prefer. I just personally don’t care for milk chocolate in my baking and go for at least a semisweet chocolate.
I also caution against using a low-sugar chocolate, as those do not always melt well. Trust me: I speak from experience trying to make ganache and ending up with a weird, chalky/chunky mess.
Do I have to use almonds?
Nope! You can use any kind of nut, such as pecans, walnuts, or even macadamia nuts! You can also leave the top “naked,” which is what “English” toffee typically has (although it’s not how toffee is made in actual England, and the term is applied haphazardly across America). If you do use nuts, I highly suggest using roasted nuts. If all you have on hand is raw, be sure to roast them yourself. Simply place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway.
Can I put chocolate on both sides?
Absolutely! One easy option is to follow the recipe, chill until the chocolate is solid, then flip it all over and pour some melted chocolate on it, followed by more nuts. Of course, you can make the toffee, let it cool on its own, then chop it and dip each piece in chocolate. Many candy shops sell toffee made this way, in large squares about the size of half a graham cracker. However, it’s more work and mess, and I try to keep it simple when I can.
Can I make this thinner?
Yes! I personally don’t love toffee that’s spread thinner than the dimensions listed here. I like a thick, crunchy toffee. However, you can spread this out a bit thinner, using a half sheet pan or marking out 13x18 on a piece of parchment and flipping it over (so your pen doesn’t transfer to the toffee).
How do I store toffee?
Store it in an airtight container. It will last 3-5 days on the counter, 1-2 weeks in the fridge, or 1-2 months in the freezer. I actually like to keep mine in the freezer and just let it sit out for a few minutes before eating it.
What if I don’t have a candy thermometer?
I highly recommend investing in some sort of kitchen thermometer. You can use one that clips onto your pot or just a handheld one. However, you can also use the water test, which is why people use phrases like “hard ball” or “soft crack”. For 290F/143C to 300F/149C, you’ll want somewhere between a soft and hard crack. You’ll pour a small spoonful of the toffee into a bowl of cool water. It should form into a thread-like shape that is firm and can’t be bent very easily, if at all. You’ll want to check it early, to ensure you don’t overcook it.
Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee
- cook time: 15-20 minutes
- chill time: 1 hour
- total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
servings: 18-24
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted European style butter*
- ¼ teaspoon (2g) sea salt
- 1 cup (170g) dark chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate)
- ½ cup (46g) chopped roasted almonds
Instructions:
- If your almonds are not chopped or not roasted (or both), chop and/or roast first so they can cool. To roast, place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway. Let cool completely.
- Prepare your parchment. Place a piece of parchment on a small cookie sheet (no larger than 9x13). You can also mark off a roughly 9x13 section of a piece of parchment paper with pen or marker then flip it over so the ink doesn’t transfer to the toffee.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed, deep pot or saucepan, place the butter, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until the butter has melted.
- Once the butter has melted and the sugar starts to dissolve, stir constantly and lower temperature if needed to keep it from burning or turning dark. If it begins to separate, stir vigorously. Cook and stir until it reaches somewhere between 290F/143C and 300F/149C (the latter is ideal).
- Once it reaches temperature, carefully pour onto your prepared parchment, spreading it out with your spatula until evenly distributed.
- Immediately sprinkle the chocolate over the toffee. Let sit for 3-5 minutes then gently spread the chocolate (it should be melted and spread easily) all over the toffee. Don’t press too firmly or you’ll have misshapen pieces.
- Immediately sprinkle the almonds on top of the chocolate and press gently with your palm to adhere them to the chocolate.
- Chill 1 hour, until the chocolate is set and the toffee is firm. Using a knife or your palms, break into pieces of desired shape and size.
Enjoy!
Toffee should be stored in an airtight container. It will last 3-5 days at room temperature, 1-2 weeks in the fridge, or 1-2 months in the freezer.
*European butter is creamier and less likely to separate in cooking.