Sugar Free Toffee Candy
Homemade keto toffee is so easy but so satisfying. It looks and tastes like the expensive bark in fancy chocolate shops. My buttery walnut sugar free toffee candy has only 5 ingredients plus salt and takes minutes. Even if you’ve never made candy before you can make this.
99% of the time I make a recipe because there is something I want to eat. I love food. Since I don’t have any healthy candy in the house I had to make something yummy (before I cave into the Snickers bars in the grocery check out).
When I first shared this back in 2016, I had my Facebook followers vote on which post I should share immediately and this one won by a landslide. I’m not surprised because it is so good I hid this homemade low carb English toffee recipe in the back of the fridge. And made another dessert for a party so I didn’t have to share these.
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Ingredients
Sweetener – I use a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. Using either xylitol or erythritol on their own should work as well but I don’t test all the possible combinations. Candies can be tricky so I do recommend using the sweetener listed in this.
Cream – Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream are needed for this recipe.
Butter – I use salted butter. The bit of salt in the butter helps balance the sweetness of the candy.
Nuts – Walnuts are the nut I use most often in this recipe but any nut will work.
Chocolate – Choose a sugar-free milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate that melts easily. 85% dark chocolate can also be used.
How to Make Keto Toffee
Toffee is fairly easy to make. If you’ve ever made any kind of cooked candy before you can make this!
First Step: You cook the sweetener, cream, and butter until it is thickened and golden brown. I add the nuts in the cooking stage so they get toasted right in the caramel. Pour the toffee on a greased foil lined pan.
Expert Tip: Cooking the sugar free toffee to the perfect point can be tricky! I highly recommend watching the video in this post before making this. It is only 1 minute long and very helpful!
Second Step: Cool the keto English toffee until it firms up, then pour on the melted chocolate.
Third Step (optional): If you want chocolate on both sides chill the toffee and then flip it over. Peel off the foil and cover the second side with more melted chocolate.
Fourth Step: Cut into squares and eat your toffee candy!
Storing Homemade Toffee
You can store sugar free toffee at room temperature for a day or two. At room temperature, it will be softer and more caramelly. For it to get crisp like a real English toffee chill it. You can see the difference between my video and photos. In the video, the toffee was room temperature. In these photos, it has been chilled first.
Tips for Making Sugar Free Toffee
I have had readers simplify this by putting the melted sugar free chocolate in a muffin tin with aluminum liners. Chill the chocolate, put the warm toffee on top, chill again, and then top with more chocolate. You get cute little circles that way and don’t need to flip the toffee over or cut it. That method can also help with portion control.
Substitutions & Tweaks
This basic combination of cream, butter, and sweetener can be used to make all varieties of keto toffee.
Nuts: Any type of nuts work! We love this with pecans. With pecans, it tastes like cracker toffee aka Christmas crack. Almonds, macadamia nuts, and cashews are all great choices. Make it with peanuts and it tastes like snickers!
Coffee: Mix in a teaspoon of instant coffee when you add the final tablespoon of cream for a mocha flavor.
Seeds: If you can’t have nuts pepitas (pumpkin seeds) give a nice crunch in place of the walnuts.
White Chocolate: Now that sugar-free white chocolate chips are more readily available go ahead and try some in place of the dark chocolate!
Cranberries: Add in some sugar-free dried cranberries with the last tablespoon of the heavy cream. They give a nice, tart contrast to the sweetness of the toffee.
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Keto Toffee
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or nuts of your choice
- 5 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- pinch salt
- 7 oz sugar free or very dark chocolate***
Instructions
- Line a small baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Melt butter over low medium until it starts to turn golden. Add nuts and cook for about five minutes until they are slightly toasted. Add 4 tbsp of the cream and the sweetener. Cook until thickened and golden. This takes about 10 minutes. If it doesn't seem to be thickening you can turn up the heat to medium or medium high but stir constantly. It can burn quickly. Remove immediately from the heat and add the salt and reserved cream. Stir until smooth. Pour onto the foil lined tray and refrigerate until firm to the touch (about half an hour).
- Melt the chocolate. I do this in a glass bowl in the microwave stirring every thirty seconds. Add sweetener if needed. Pour half of the chocolate on top of the toffee. Put in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate is solid. Flip over the toffee bark and peel off the foil. Put the foil back on the tray and put the toffee on the chocolate side down. Pour the rest of the chocolate on top. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- The filling stays soft like caramel at room temperature but hardens like a toffee overnight or after refrigerating.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for other easy keto candy recipes? Try my:
Salted Chocolate Almond Brittle Bark
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Bark
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark
Originally Published August 19, 2016. Revised and Republished with video October 3, 2020.
We have a walnut allergy in our house but she’s ok with all other nuts. Which one do you think would be best with this, pecans?
Yes, pecans are my top choice 🙂
If I only have erithitol, swerve, liquid stevia and Splenda. What can I use and how much. Thanks
I would use erythitol and add a few drops of liquid stevia if it’s not sweet enough.
I cannot have dairy. Could I use coconut milk or coconut cream? Thanks
What size tray did you use?
It is about 7 x 11.
What is your sweetener?
http://Www.joyfilledeats.com/sweetener
Talk about joy filled eating! Oh my yum!!! This toffee is seriously amazing!!! I cut down on the chocolate on the top layer and just did a drizzle and sprinkled with a little sea salt. I seriously have to use all self control and only eat a couple small pieces. Thank you for this recipe. Can’t wait to try some of your others!!
The butter separated when inspired it into a pan. Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Are you using my sweetener or gentle sweet?
I used Swerve. Does that make a difference?
Yes. I’ve only tested these with my sweetener. Sometimes you can’t convert sweeteners in candy recipes.
Mine too
Valerie, did you also use swerve?
I just attempted your recipe, only used Splenda instead of sweetner you listed. It all separated and never got thick. Suggestions??
No, sorry. I don’t use splenda. The sweetener I use is a blend of sugar alcohols and stevia. That is why it is able to caramelize. Maybe this would be helpful: http://answers.ifood.tv/question/can-you-make-caramel-from-splenda
This is so great!, love everything toffee!.
Man I just love your recipes! and this recipe is awesome, love toffee!.
Can I use stevia baking blend?
What are the ingredients? I’ve never heard of that before.
My toffee turned brown, could it be the sugar I used? I used pyure. It’s good, just not as pretty.
Maybe. I’ve never used pyure before. Or you may have just cooked it a bit too long. As long as it tastes good I wouldn’t worry.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but it just didn’t thicken up and get like toffee and I’m not sure if it’s the type of sugar substitute or what I even turned up the heat and I only got a fudge type toffee ugh ? can you please tell me what I have to do to get this to work I’ve used 4 types of sugar substitute including the one you recommend. Thanks for for your help.
Hi Wendy, this won’t get as firm as a sugar based toffee but it should get crisper than fudge. How long have you been cooking it for?
Living in Uganda I don’t have baking chocolate or dark chocolate. Anyway I could us Dutch cocoa powder?
Yes, if you make it into skinny chocolate. You mix cocoa powder with coconut milk and sweetener. You would have to keep it in the refrigerator or maybe the freezer. Do you need a recipe for skinny chocolate?
Thanks. No, I have the cook book. I will give it a try. I ordered sweetener that will be here in about 10days (friend hand carrying it for me ❤). Appreciate your help.
Hi,
I would really like to make this … but all I have on hand is Swerve, can I use that to make this ??
Thanks
I’m not sure. You can check out this toffee recipe that uses swerve: http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/12/low-carb-sugar-free-english-toffee.html
Such a great recipe and just in time for the holiday season which will be soon upon us! My husband would love this!
Wow! Chocolate and toffee – my husband loves toffee! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my goodness, those look crazy good!
Just curious what size pan did you use
I’ll measure it tomorrow but I’m pretty sure it’s 10 x 13. It’s a pampered chef sheet pan and I think it’s the medium size.
I was wondering if I could replace the walnuts with either pecans or almonds? Love toffee just not crazy about walnuts.
Absolutely 🙂 I was thinking these would taste like a Snickers with peanuts.