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Homemade Toffee Bits made with just 3 simple ingredients and can be made dairy free. These sweet, salty and crunchy treats are perfect for mixing into cookies, ice cream, brownies, cakes and more!
While you can buy toffee bits from the store, they’re incredibly easy to make at home with just 3 ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Plus, you can make them dairy free.
Toffee is a type of candy made by caramelizing sugar along with butter. It’s cooked to a particular temperature to achieve a chewy or hard consistency. It’s known for its sweet, buttery taste and often comes in small, individually wrapped pieces or as a crunchy slab that can be broken into smaller chunks. It’s similar to caramel, fudge and butterscotch, but differ in some ingredients and the process of making.
Toffee:
Made by caramelizing sugar with butter.
Often cooked to a hard, crunchy consistency (hard crack stage).
Known for its sweet, buttery taste.
Fudge:
Made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk or cream and then heated to the soft-ball stage.
Typically has a soft, creamy consistency.
Often dense and rich.
Caramel:
Created by heating sugar (often with butter and cream) until it reaches a specific caramelization point.
Can be sauce-y (sauce), soft and chewy (soft crack) or hard and crunchy (hard crack).
Butterscotch:
Made by melting brown sugar and butter together.
Has a rich, buttery taste with hints of caramel.
Can be in liquid form (sauce) or solid candy form (hard crack).
What are toffee bits?
They’re toffee that has been cracked or chopped into small bits that can be added to various other desserts.
Ingredients to make toffee bits
All you need are 3 ingredients to make toffee bits:
Butter: To make it dairy free, use high quality dairy free butter that tastes buttery. Make sure the butter’s first ingredient is refined coconut oil. I tested this recipe with other dairy free butters (modified palm oil), and for some reason it doesn’t hold up and gets greasy.
Sugar: You can use any kind of granulated sugar, but I find light brown to have the best flavour for toffee.
Salt: Or anything that adds an element of saltiness like miso or soy sauce.
How to make toffee bits
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside close to the stove.
Over medium heat, melt butter in a tall saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar and salt (or miso paste / soy sauce) and whisk continuously for about a minute.
Continue to cook, stirring consistently until candy thermometer reaches 285-290 F (soft-crack stage), or 300-310 (hard crack stage), about 8-10 minutes.
If at any point the mixture separates, remove from heat and whisk vigorously, but carefully to not splash any hot oil. Then place back over the heat and continue to cook.
Once it reaches 285-310, remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla. Then pour the toffee onto the prepared pan. Place into refrigerator and let it cool for at least 30 minutes or until fully hardened.
Once cooled and hardened, chop it up with a knife or place the toffee in a ziplock bag and crack it with a wooden spatula or rolling pin.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 1 month.
FAQ & Tips for making toffee bits
Use a high wall pot with a thick base for even heating and preventing the sugars from burning.
Don’t step away from the stove as the sugars can burn in seconds.
Be very careful not to splash the toffee mixture when cooking, it’s very hot.
Are toffee bits vegan? Store bought toffee bits are typically not vegan as they contain dairy, however this recipe is made with dairy free butter for vegan toffee bits.
How long do homemade toffee bits last? At room temp, 1 month. In the fridge, 3 months. In the freezer, 6 months.
How to store toffee bits? Once cooled and broken up, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Can I make toffee without a thermometer? Yes, but its easier and can guarantee success more confidently. They’re relatively inexpensive and recommend a candy thermometer for many other applications.
Why did my toffee separate? This may be due to the type of butter used, but generally it can be saved. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk vigorously until it combines and becomes smooth again.
Enjoy!! If you make this Toffee Bits recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rating and if you decide to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I’d love to hear from you 😁!
Homemade Toffee Bits made with just 3 simple ingredients and can be made dairy free. These sweet, salty and crunchy treats are perfect for mixing into cookies, ice cream, brownies, cakes and more!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1/2cup high quality dairy free butter*
1cup unpacked light brown sugar*
1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
1/2 tsp salt*
Instructions
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside close to the stove.
Over medium heat, melt butter in a tall saucepan. Once butter is melted, add in the sugar and salt (or miso paste / soy sauce) and whisk continuously for about a minute.
Continue to cook, stirring consistently until candy thermometer reaches 285-290 F (soft-crack stage), or 300-310 (hard crack stage), about 8-10 minutes.
If at any point the mixture separates, remove from heat and whisk vigorously, but carefully to not splash any hot oil. Then place back over the heat and continue to cook.
Once it reaches 285-310, remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla. Then pour the toffee onto the prepared pan. Place into refrigerator and let it cool for at least 30 minutes or until fully hardened.
Once cooled and hardened, chop it up with a knife or place the toffee in a ziplock bag and crack it with a wooden spatula or rolling pin.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 1 month.
Notes
*I use Miyoko’s cultured plant based butter
substitute the salt for 2 tbsp white miso paste or 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce for miso toffee or soy toffee!
I'm Lisa, a home cook, recipe developer and founder of Okonomi Kitchen. Here, you'll find a mix of classic and modernized Japanese recipes, and creative, plant-forward meal inspiration using seasonal ingredients. I hope to share more about Japanese cuisine and culture through food and recipes.
