Vegan Toffee
Homemade vegan toffee is a buttery, decadent treat topped with toasted pecan and dark chocolate. Made with only seven ingredients, it’s so easy to make!
If this is your first time making homemade candy, you’re in for a real treat. Why? Because this homemade toffee is gorgeous, and it’s also relatively easy to make!
If you’re looking for the perfect homemade gift to give to friends, families, or neighbors, look no more. This vegan English toffee recipe is infused with toasted pecans, chocolate, and perfectly crunchy toffee.
Marly’s Tips
Want vegan toffee bits? Lift the toffee out of the pan using the parchment paper. Hold this a few inches over the counter, and then drop it. The toffee will break into pieces!
Key Ingredients
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Pecans — I used pecan halves that I then toasted and chopped into bits. You can substitute almonds or even walnuts. Or use no nuts at all!
- Butter — You’ll need one cup of vegan butter, and I recommend using plant-based butter formulated for baking. Tub margarine has too much water content for this recipe.
- Sugar — I prefer using white, granulated sugar. If you want chewier toffee, you can use brown sugar.
- Salt — The hint of salt that comes through this sweet treat is amazing.
- Vanilla — Toffee needs a bit of vanilla to give it the best flavor. I recommend using only pure vanilla extract (not imitation).
- Chocolate — You can use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips, such as dairy-free milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips. I’m only calling for 3/4 of a cup because we don’t want the chocolate to overpower the toffee flavor.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- EASY — Making homemade toffee is easier than you think when you have one handy kitchen gadget, a candy thermometer.
- GORGEOUS — Having a party? Setting out gorgeous finger foods like toffee will get your crowd mingling.
- FLEXIBLE — Don’t like pecans? Substitute walnuts or leave the nuts out entirely!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Are Heath toffee bars or bits vegan?
Health toffee products are not vegan, because, like most toffee, it’s made with dairy butter. The good news is, it’s easy to make toffee vegan at home!
Can you freeze toffee?
To freeze toffee, arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place that in the freezer for about an hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer it to the fridge overnight.
Toffee Toppings
Serve this dairy-free toffee with any of these fun toppings:
- Flaky sea salt on top can add contrast in color to the topping
- Chopped almonds
- Chopped walnuts
- Cacao nibs will add crunch, chocolate flavor, and hints of bitter chocolate in every bite.
Be sure to add toppings while the chocolate is still melted, and you can press it in gently to ensure it stays intact.
Storage Tips
Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Vegan Candy
If you love this vegan toffee recipe, here are more favorite vegan candy recipes to try:
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Vegan Toffee Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pecans
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
Toasting Pecans
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Add pecans to the baking pan and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove and transfer to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, chop into fine bits.
For the Vegan Toffee:
- Reserve half the chopped pecans for the topping. Spread the remaining pecans evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Add vegan butter, sugar, water, and salt to a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently while it comes to a boil.
- As it boils, stir occasionally and check the temperature regularly. Once it reaches the hard crack stage, 300°F/150°C, remove from heat. Carefully stir in vanilla. Immediately pour over the pecans in the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer. Set aside to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chocolate chips in a single layer over the toffee. Cover to allow the heat from the toffee to melt the chocolate chips. Use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the toffee.
- Top with reserved finely chopped toasted pecans.
- To set, refrigerate for 30 minutes or let the bars sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Use the parchment paper to pull the toffee from the pan. Break the toffee into pieces or score and cut them into squares.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Make-Ahead Tips
Toast the nuts the day before and chop them into bits.Butter
Use vegan butter that’s made for baking. Tub margarine have too much water content for this recipe.The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was my first time making anything like this — I even had to buy a candy thermometer! Toffee is one of my favorite sweeets so I was very interested in seeing how a vegan version would come out. I got my butter/sugar mixture to 300 degrees, but I think it was a bit too much. It got pretty dark and the final product does taste a bit burned. But the process was great — I will definitely try this again, but I’ll pull the pan off the heat at a more caramel color and not be so beholden to the temperature on the thermometer.
Hi Stacy. I’m so glad the process was great and that you’re willing to give it another try. I mean, you’ve got the equipment now, you can become a toffee pro! Also, it does go from amber to brown so quickly. I would love to see a pic of your toffee!
About how long did you have to boil to reach the hard crack stage?
Overall, it takes around 8 to 10 minutes. I feel like when it starts to turn amber and then a bit dark amber, is a pretty good sign you’re there (if you’re not using a thermometer).
Do you think this will work with Monkfruit and allulose combination?
Hi Patricia. I have not tried this combination, but I did research it and it looks like it should work. Monkfruit has a sweeter flavor, but allulose is not as sweet as sugar. So the two combined creates a 1:1 ratio.