This Keto English Toffee recipe looks and tastes super fancy and hard to make, but it's surprisingly easy! It features roasted nuts covered in buttery, crunchy toffee, and topped with melted chocolate. And even though it is gluten-free with only 3 net carbs per serving, no one will be able to tell the difference!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Low-Carb Toffee Recipe: 1) It is easy to make. 2) Uses common low-carb ingredients. 3) Is perfect for a make-ahead dessert or as a gift. 4) Has no weird sugar-free aftertaste. 7) Tastes just like the original variety but is gluten-free and keto, only having 3 net carbs per serving!
And if you're looking for more keto dessert recipes, I think you'll love these turtles, peanut butter cups, easy fudge, peanut brittle, and hot chocolate mix recipes!
Ingredients
- Butter: Adds buttery goodness!
- Allulose: Has no aftertaste, doesn't crystallize or get gritty, and results in super-smooth sugar-free candy.
- Erythritol-Based Sweetener: Just enough to make the toffee crunchy without making it grainy or leaving an aftertaste.
- Pure Vanilla: If possible, use pure vanilla and not the imitation variety for the best taste.
- Sea Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: Use any high-quality variety you prefer. I like to use Lily's or ChocZero. Feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate - whichever you like best!
- Chopped Pecans Or Almonds: Or chopped nuts of choice.
Equipment
- Candy Thermometer: If you don't use a thermometer, you risk burning your mixture and having to start over.
- Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan - Be sure to use a high-quality heavy-bottomed saucepan, as this will distribute heat more evenly and help prevent the mixture from burning. Thin-bottomed saucepans are prone to "hot spots" which can burn the candy.
- Wooden Spoon: For stirring the mixture.
- Baking Sheet: To toast the nuts.
- 8x8-inch Baking Dish: For the English toffee to set up in.
- Parchment-Paper: If you don't line your pan with parchment paper, the mixture will stick!
Easy instructions
Here are the easy sugar-free toffee instructions:
Step #1: Preheat the oven to 310 degrees and toast the pecans or almonds for 10 minutes. Or if you prefer to toast them in a pan, see this tutorial on how to toast pecans!
Step #2: Melt the butter over low heat. Add the allulose and erythritol. Turn up the heat to medium and bring the mixture to 310 degrees, then immediately remove it from the heat to prevent burning. Stir in the pure vanilla.
💭Tip: The mixture will look greasy and separated, then turn a golden brown, then start foaming with large bubbles when it reaches 310 degrees.
Step #3: Spread the nuts evenly in a parchment-lined 8x8 baking dish. Pour the butter/sweetener mixture over the nuts.
Step #4: Evenly spread the chocolate chips over the toffee and cover with foil for 5 minutes to soften and melt. Remove the foil and spread out the softened chocolate with a rubber spatula. If desired, top with additional chopped nuts. Cool and break into pieces.
💭Tip: The toffee will be hard after it has set, so use a see-saw motion from the edge of the candy with a sharp knife to help break it into pieces.
Substitutions
- Feel free to use any nuts you prefer.
- Not a fan of nuts? You can leave them out altogether.
- I don't recommend substituting the allulose. The allulose results in a super smooth keto candy with no aftertaste. If you substitute the allulose, it will change the entire recipe!
- A brown erythritol-based sweetener can be substituted for the white variety. However, the brown variety has a bit more moisture, which is why I prefer white.
- Salted butter can be substituted. If choosing this option, omit the sea salt.
Variations
This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb, and keto. Here are some variations to make it fit more diets:
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Paleo: While you *may* be able to substitute the sweeteners with ¾ cups of coconut palm sugar, I haven't tried it myself. Or check out this Paleo Toffee from Tessa Domestic Diva!
Storage
- Fridge: If you prefer your toffee on the chewier side, store it in the refrigerator for up to one month.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe container or baggie for up to 3 months for crunchy keto toffee. Eat straight from the freezer.
FAQ's
In America, English toffee typically refers to a hard candy made with butter and sugar to form a brittle and usually includes nuts and a layer of melted chocolate.
Toffee can be chewy or crunchy, but Engish toffee is usually crunchy. This recipe is crunchy with a small amount of chewiness at the end. If you would like it chewier, simply leave out the erythritol-based sweetener and store it in the refrigerator instead of the freezer.
Top tips
- I highly recommend using a candy thermometer! If you don't use a thermometer, you risk burning your mixture and having to start over. Stir frequently and remove from heat as soon as it reaches 305 degrees to prevent burning.
- At first, the mixture will look greasy and separated, then it will turn a golden brown, and then it will start foaming with large bubbles when it reaches 305 degrees.
Have you tried this keto toffee recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below 👇
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📖 Recipe
Sugar-Free Keto English Toffee
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Chopped Almonds Or Pecans - + more for sprinkling, if desired
- 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- ¾ Cup Allulose
- 2 Tablespoons Erythritol-Based Sweetener - such as Swerve or Lakanto
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
- 1 Cup Keto Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 310 degrees. Once preheated, place the chopped almonds or pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- While the nuts are toasting, line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Crease and fold the parchment paper the best you can to keep it in place. Once the nuts are finished cooking, place them in the lined baking dish in a single layer and set aside.
- In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the allulose and erythritol-based sweetener. Over medium or medium-low heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up higher!), bring the mixture to 310 degrees F, stirring constantly. Once it reaches 310 degrees, immediately remove it from the heat to keep it from burning Note: At first, the mixture will look greasy and separated, then it will turn a golden brown, then it will start foaming with large bubbles when it reaches 310 degrees.
- Allow to slightly cool, then stir in the pure vanilla.
- After the mixture is no longer bubbling, pour it over the nuts in the prepared dish.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the mixture. Loosely cover with foil and allow to set for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and gently spread out the softened chocolate into an even layer using a rubber spatula. If desired, top with additional chopped pecans or almonds.
- Place, uncovered, in the freezer just until set, around 30 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the freezer and break into pieces. After setting, the candy will be hard. Allow it to set at room temperature for a few minutes, then, using a see-saw motion from the edge of the candy with a sharp knife, break it into pieces.
- Store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Eat straight from the freezer. If you prefer your toffee a bit chewy, store it in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Add Your Own Notes
Notes
- I highly recommend using a candy thermometer! If you don't use a thermometer, you risk burning your mixture and having to start over. Stir constantly and remove from heat as soon as it reaches 305 degrees to prevent burning.
- This recipe is crunchy with a small amount of chewiness at the end. If you would like it chewier, simply leave out the erythritol-based sweetener and store it in the refrigerator instead of the freezer.
- I don't recommend substituting the allulose. The allulose results in a super smooth keto candy with no aftertaste. If you substitute the allulose, it will change the entire recipe!
- For the chocolate chips, use any high-quality variety you prefer. I like to use Lily's or ChocZero. Feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate - whichever you like best!
- Salted butter can be substituted. If choosing this option, omit the sea salt.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Paula says
Triednthis recipe twice, following direction s to a T. Toffee failed to set up both times. Will not try again.
Cassidy says
Oh no Paula, I'm sorry! I make this recipe all the time (I even made it this morning!) and I've never had a problem? Did it just not get crunchy enough or did it not set up at all??? Did you boil it to at least 310 degrees?
-Cassidy
Anita Bellefeuille says
Can I substitute xylitol for the Erythritol I am allergic to Erythritol?
Cassidy says
Hi Anita! The erythritol is what makes it crunchy. So while you *can* substitute the erythritol with xylitol, just know that it will change the texture. I haven't specifically tested this recipe with xylitol so I can't be certain how it will turn out, but I'd imagine it would turn out soft and chewy 😀 If you try it please come back and let me know it turned out!
XO,
Cassidy