Toffee Bits
Homemade toffee bits are one of the greatest ways to elevate any dessert! They're buttery, crunchy, and packed with delicious butterscotch flavor and taste amazing in cakes, cookies, and brownies!
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
Toffee Bits
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold 113g
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 200g
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
Optional Add-Ins
- 1/2 cup toasted nuts, finely chopped - I prefer pecans 60g
- 1 Tbsp flakey sea salt - garnish
Recommended Tools & Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Large, flat baking sheet
- Silicone mat or parchment paper
- Candy Thermometer
- Heavy object mallet, hammer, wine bottle, rolling pin, etc.
Instructions
Toffee Bits
- Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. Note: Do NOT use wax paper - the heat from the toffee can melt it!
- Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed, small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of packed light or dark brown sugar and 1 tsp fine salt and stir vigorously until combined. Continue to stir the mixture constantly as it cooks. If you don't, it can burn quite quickly! If the mixture separates while it's cooking, remove it from the stovetop and stir vigorously until it comes back together. Then return it to heat and continue cooking it.
- Cook the mixture for about 7-9 minutes, or until it reaches 295°F or 146°C.
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking pan as soon as it reaches the right temperature. It should spread out into an even layer. If it seems a bit thick, you can use a silicone spatula to spread it out a bit more.
- If desired, sprinkle 1/2 cup of toasted, finely chopped nuts and 1 Tbsp flakey sea salt on top of the toffee before it sets. Set the toffee aside to cool for about 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature.
- At this point, the toffee should be hard to the touch and have reached room temperature. Place the toffee in a Ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or heavy object to break it into small pieces. I like to break them into pieces that are roughly the size of large chocolate chips, but you can make them whatever size you want! Smaller pieces are great for mixing into desserts like cookies or cakes, and bigger pieces are great for snacking on. I recommend placing a towel underneath the toffee to protect your counters. If you make this in advance, store it in an airtight container/bag for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
How Many Toffee Bits Does This Recipe Make?
Yield will vary a bit based on how small you make the toffee bits and whether you add in the chopped nuts. With the nuts, you should end up with about 2 cups. Without the nuts, you should have about 1 1/2 cups.Tips for Making the Best Toffee Bits
- Use a candy thermometer if possible!!! It's important that you cook the toffee to the hard crack stage, which is between 295F and 309F.
- In this recipe, it's super important that you use a heavy-bottomed saucepan! Thinner, cheaper pans have a tendency to burn the toffee.
- Line the pan before you start cooking the toffee. It needs to be poured onto the pan as soon as it reaches the right temperature, and it's nice to have the pan ready to go so that you can immediately pour it out.
- Make sure the toffee is at room temperature before you break it into smaller pieces. If it's still warm, the pieces can stick together as they cool.
- Normally I say use the best ingredients possible, but in this recipe, you want to use American-style butter rather than fancier European butter like Kerry Gold or Plugra! They have a higher fat content and will cause the toffee to break as it cooks.
- This is optional, but I love to sprinkle toasted nuts and flakey sea salt on top of the toffee before it hardens to make these even more delicious. It almost gives it a praline vibe and it's so good!
- You can use light or dark brown sugar to make these toffee bits, but I prefer using dark brown sugar because it gives the toffee bits more depth of flavor.
Making This Recipe in Advance and Storage Tips
These toffee bits can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months once broken into small pieces. Store them in a ziplock bag, and let them thaw to room temperature before using. If any of the bits stick together, they can be broken up with a fork.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 597mg | Sugar: 11g