This homemade Chocolate Almond Toffee is simply out of this world. The sweet buttery toffee is covered in rich chocolate and sprinkled with chopped walnut. A simple recipe that you could easily remember and whip up anytime!
The Story of This Delicious Chocolate Almond Toffee
I was never a toffee or candy person. However, I love chocolate and I used to be a serious chocoholic according to my mom.
About a year ago when we visited Utah to ski, our family had the pleasure of meeting my blogger friend Rachael of La Fuji Mama and her family. She is a Japanese cuisine advocate and shares Japanese recipes on her site, as she and her husband spent years living in Japan (check out her extensive Japanese recipes).
When we met up for dinner, she gifted us with her Fuji Nana’s Deadly Chocolate Almond Toffee (picture above is from my Instagram).
When I had the first bite, I really couldn’t believe how delicious the toffees tasted. Did toffees always taste this good? Well, this toffee sure did. Since then I’ve been addicted to this particular toffee. It’s completely over the top and I’m sure if you try, you’ll have a hard time staying away from getting another piece.
According to Rachael, this recipe was originally developed by her great aunt who was an amazing cook as well as a food writer for the Salt Lake Tribune or the Dessert News. The recipe was passed down to Rachael’s mom and to her.
With her permission, I’m so happy to share her recipe on my site with you today. Thank you, Rachael!
3 Helpful Tips for Best Chocolate Almond Toffee
1. Use Heavy Bottomed Saucepan
The saucepan needs to be thick (heavy) and deep, so it can withstand the heat needed to make toffee. If it’s a thin pan, you will burn it so make sure to use the heavy-bottomed pot you have in your kitchen for this recipe. It’s required.
2. Use Long Wooden Spoon
It took me a few batches until I realized that I would really need a long wooden spoon. The short one is okay for stirring, but the heat from the stove was too hot while I was stirring and I felt like my hand was burning. I love this long olive wood wooden spoon (I got a set of 3 on Amazon). The wooden spoon is recommended because it has a high heat tolerance, and is insulated so it won’t cause a sudden crystallization (read more in this article “The Why of the Wooden Spoon”).
3. Remember the Color of Raw Almond
This recipe does NOT require a candy thermometer. I never made candy before and didn’t know it’s pretty standard to use a candy thermometer. Rachael told me the best thing about this recipe is that you don’t need a candy thermometer and it’s so true! I’ve made so many batches and never ever failed even once.
You have to hold a piece of whole raw almond and compare the color of your candy in the pot with it. When it’s the same color, the toffee is done! As simple as that.
Lastly but not least, since candy making is like chemistry, I do not recommend substituting ingredients (except for the type of nuts), or changing the amount of ingredient I shared in the recipe.
A lot of my friends and family enjoyed this toffee as my food testers, and I hope this Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe will bring you and your loved ones joy this holiday season!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Chocolate Almond Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole raw almonds
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use bittersweet)
- ⅓-½ cup raw walnuts (halves/pieces are good)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Finely chop ⅓-½ cup (40-60 g) raw walnuts and set aside.
- Place the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Almonds should be over an area measuring about 10" x 7" (25 x 18 cm). Optionally you could bake the almonds in the preheated oven at 300ºF (150ºC) for 10-15 minutes to bring out more flavors.
- In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, add 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp vanilla extract.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally while with a clean, dry wooden spoon until butter is melted.
- Once the butter is melted, set the timer for 5 minutes and continue cooking and stirring constantly until the toffee is the color of whole raw almonds. Depends on your heat, you will be stirring from 5 to 7 minutes (workout time!). If you use lower heat, it could take up to 10 minutes (hence I recommend a long wooden spoon so you can use stronger heat).
- When the candy is color of raw almonds, turn off the heat.
- Immediately pour the toffee over almonds, covering all nuts and smoothing into an even layer. Do not scrape the pan. Keep the pot for delicious hot caramel milk.
- Melt 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips over a double boiler until the chocolate is soft enough to stir smoothly. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 to 1.5 minute to start with. Remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat heating at shorter intervals, 15 to 20 seconds, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and has a smooth consistency.
- Spread the chocolate over cooled toffee.
- Sprinkle with walnuts and let cool until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours (or once the toffee is cool down, refrigerate for 20 minutes to speed up the process).
- Once set, cut with a sharp knife or break into bite-size pieces.
Storage
- Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks, in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. For longer storage, freeze up to 6 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
To Make Hot Caramel Milk
- Add a small amount of milk to the pot with caramel leftover in it. Scrape off the sides and bottom with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Once the pot is clean, add more milk to adjust the sweetness. Enjoy hot/warm!
