This is the BEST Vegan Toffee recipe and it’s so easy to make! You only need 5 ingredients and 30 minutes to make this sweet and crunchy treat. It’s the perfect gift year round.
Have you ever wanted to try making your own candy? Now you can, and without needing any fancy equipment or tools! Making Vegan Toffee from scratch is a breeze thanks to the 5 pantry-staple ingredients and quick cook time. It’s all said and done in about 30 minutes!
Break up your homemade toffee into smaller bits and fold them into chocolate chip cookies, vegan ice cream, and chocolate peanut butter bars. You won’t be able to get enough of this sweet treat!
Want more vegan candy recipes to make at home? Try these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, Vegan Truffles, Vegan Fudge and Vegan Peanut Butter Balls.
Why you need this vegan toffee recipe in your life
- Easy and foolproof. This is a simple, foolproof toffee recipe that doesn’t require any fancy tools or methods. The finished result is always deliciously sweet, salty, and crunchy.
- Only 3 ingredients! You could make this toffee right now using 5 ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen: sugar, vegan butter, and salt.
- A million ways to use it. Fold the bits into cookie dough, vegan ice cream, cookie bars, chocolate bark, and more! A batch of homemade toffee bits will quickly become a new baking staple.
How to make vegan toffee
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Line a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper and sprinkle the chopped nuts across the bottom in a single layer.
In a heavy bottom saucepan, add the vegan butter, sugar and salt and cook until the butter melts. Increase the heat and bring to a steady boil. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
It should go from cream colored to a light golden (or darker golden brown, but I prefer to stop when it’s a bit lighter in color). Be careful not to let it get too dark brown, or it will taste burnt.
Remove from heat and pour over the nuts in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and let them soften for 5 minutes before spreading the chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with more chopped nuts and coarse salt, if desired. Let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour, until hardened, then break into pieces.
Ways to use it
- Chop into smaller pieces and mix into almond flour cookies, peanut butter cookies, and even edible cookie dough.
- Use the bits in chocolate bark or as one of the layers in these seven layer bars.
- They’re a must in homemade vegan Skor bars.
- Press them onto the outsides of vegan chocolate truffles.
- Stir the bits into homemade ice cream.
Break up the pieces and enjoy them for the holidays or give them away as gifts!
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a candy thermometer? No, you don’t need a candy thermometer to make this toffee. Instead, you’ll watch for doneness using the “stir and watch” method. You’ll know it’s ready when the liquid toffee has a light golden brown color and is completely homogenous.
- My toffee separated! What should I do? If the mixture separates as you’re stirring, simply take the pot off the heat and keep whisking until it comes back together. Return it to the heat and continue the recipe as normal.
- How do you store vegan toffee? The toffee are best stored in the refrigerator as they have the crunchiest texture when cold. This is likely due to the coconut oil in the vegan butter, which hardens when cold (I used Miyoko’s vegan butter).
Want more ideas on how to use vegan toffee bits?
- As a topping on Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Sprinkled on Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- To decorate Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Sprinkled on top of Vegan Pecan Bars
- On a piece of Vegan Apple Pie
Vegan Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped nuts I used pecans
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- coarse sea salt and more chopped nuts, optional for topping
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper with overhang for easy removal. I also like to spray the bottom of the pan so the parchment will stay in place better. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts across the bottom of the parchment lined dish in a single layer.
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, add the vegan butter, sugar and salt. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring, until the butter has melted. Attach a candy thermometer, if using. I don't usually use one!
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to steady boil. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, slowly and evenly and watching closely. It should slowly go from cream colored to golden. If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature should reach 290 degrees F. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Be careful not to cook until it's dark brown, you want a golden amber color but not dark brown.
- IF IT SEPARATES AT ANY POINT – If it starts to separate and look like there is a layer of oil on top, remove from heat and whisk well, being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil. It should come back together. Return to heat and continue to cook.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour the hot mixture onto the nuts in the dish and let it spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the toffee and let them soften for 5 minutes. Gently spread the chocolate in an even layer using a spatula. Sprinkle with more chopped nuts or coarse salt, if desired.
- Place in the refrigerator and cool for about an hour, until hardened.
- Lift the toffee out using the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Use a big sharp knife to cut into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
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I have tested this with Miyoko’s, Earth Balance and Melt brands of vegan butter. They all work well but the Miyoko’s version tastes the best to me.
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Feel free to double the recipe but use a large pot and it will take longer to cook.
- If you don’t have a 9 inch baking dish, you can also just line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the nuts on it, then the hot toffee and let it spread. The toffee will be thinner, but that can be a good thing!
Hi,
Could you use coconut sugar or 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 coconut sugar in place of cane sugar?
I don’t think maple syrup will work. Coconut sugar should work pretty well, but this recipe turns out best using granulated cane sugar.
Have you ever tried this recipe with brown sugar instead of white sugar?
I haven’t, but it should work okay.
Hi Nora! Thanks for the great recipe. I made two batches. The first one was with Earth Balance which had an odd taste and smell, although the instructions worked to perfection. The second batch was with Miyoko’s vegan butter and it tasted great and the texture was spot on. I used a candy thermometer. Such a wonderful treat.
Thanks for the feedback! Miyoko’s has the best flavor in my opinion, so that makes sense to me.
Great!
I followed the recipe, however it browned really quickly (even though I used a heavy bottom pot) and when I poured it on to the baking sheet, the oil separated from the caramelized mixture. Any idea where I went wrong?
I made two batches of regular toffee last week, and decided I like it spread out on a cookie sheet so it’s thinner and easier to eat. I have to tell you that I wouldn’t have believed this recipe could be vegan except we switched to vegan butter a year or two ago and love it so much. I toasted sliced almonds and pecans before spreading the toffee over them. Wonderful flavor and texture, truly perfect toffee!
Hi Susan. Your toffee sounds amazing! I am so glad that you love it! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback and ideas!
I’m going to get cravings for this now I just know it! Too delicious and so quick and easy!!!
I’m glad you loved the toffee! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
Easy and delicious, just as promised. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback, Tonya! I’m glad you loved the vegan toffee!
Thank you for this, Nora! This was surprisingly easy and FAST. It only took 10 minutes to get to the 290 degree mark, which made me worried but it turned out great. I also doubled it and used a cookie sheet. My only issue was that I think I need to find a different butter. I used Violife and I don’t know if it’s fortified in some way but it smelled funny and tasted funny before it was allowed to come back up to room temp after chilling in the fridge. I’ve had this issues with other vegan butters before…something about heating them up triggers a weird smell and taste. Have you noticed this before?
I’m so glad you loved the toffee! Is it possible the butter was expired before you started? I haven’t tested this recipe with Violife so I’m not sure if it always tastes/smells funky.
Another excellent recipe! Thank you!
I doubled up and used a baking sheet. Came out a nice thickness. I used the earth balance butter, turned out delicious! The change in color was very subtle for me! I used a thermometer and took it off the heat at 293 … but was a little unsure because I couldn’t quite tell if it had changed. So definitely pay close attention!
Really really good. The sea salt on top gave it a really nice extra savory edge to it.
Love love love. I have missed toffee a lot! Just like a Heath bar, but better!
Oh I also toasted the pecans first. May not have made a difference tho.
I’m so glad it worked out well for you, thank you! I have missed toffee a lot as well, and I’m so happy to have a vegan version after years of going without.
Just made this and it’s amazing!
Can I freeze it? I want to save some until Christmas.
I’m so happy you made it! Yes, I have some in the freezer now, it will stay good and is actually good straight from the freezer.
I’ll give 5 stars because let’s face it, pretty much all of ur recipes are good!
Since i’m pretty new to the sugar cooking in a pot thing, i burned my 1st batch. So you really have to watch it, mine took about 13-14min to go amber.
Not sure about the texture either, i had quite a crunchy finish once cooled down in fridge. Anyway, taste is good!
Aw thank you! You really do need to watch it closely, it can change fast. It should be very crunchy once it cools. 🙂
Do I use brown sugar or granulated sugar? I see brown sugar in blog part of post and granulated in recipe section.
This recipes calls for granulated sugar. That is the only sugar listed in the recipe post.
The many vegan entrees you have posted are among my families favorite 😍 thank you Nora💕
I am needing no fail recipes for no sugar desserts. If you have, could you post those, as allergies to sugar has been a game changer. Better health.
Thank you
Would I be able to use plant base ghee?
I’ve never cooked with plant based ghee so I’m not sure. If it works like vegan butter than probably.
This looks amazing as are all your recipes! Can’t wait to give it a try.
Thanks Racheal! I hope you enjoy!
How long does this keep in the fridge or room temperature?
It will last about one week, and possibly up to 2.
Would the recipe work using brown sugar or maple syrup in substitute of white sugar?
I don’t think maple syrup will work. Brown sugar should work pretty well, but it turns out best using granulated sugar.