Description
This crunchy, buttery toffee topped with melty milk chocolate and toasted pecans is shockingly simple — and dangerously giftable. It comes together in about 20 minutes of hands-on time and chills into perfect brittle bites.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Lightly spray a 9-inch square pan, then line it with parchment leaving an overhang for easy removal. Scatter the chopped pecans in an even layer on the parchment.
- Combine butter and sugar: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (3-quart works well), add the butter, sugar, and salt. Melt over medium-low, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook to hard-crack: Bring the mixture to a steady boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 290–300°F on a candy thermometer (the hard-crack stage). This usually takes 10–15 minutes — don’t rush it.
- Flavor and pour: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Carefully pour the hot toffee over the pecans, tilting the pan so the toffee spreads evenly.
- Add chocolate: After a minute or two, sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee. Cover the pan with foil for about 5 minutes so the chocolate softens from the residual heat.
- Smooth the top: Remove the foil and use an offset spatula to spread the softened chocolate into a smooth layer.
- Chill and break: Refrigerate until fully set (at least 2 hours). Lift the parchment from the pan and break the slab into pieces with a sharp knife or by hand.
Notes
- Storage
- Keep the toffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to two weeks. In humid climates store in the fridge to prevent stickiness.
- Quick tips
- A digital candy thermometer makes this foolproof — accuracy matters at the hard-crack stage.
- Use high-quality chocolate for the best flavor and sheen.
- Swap pecans for almonds or walnuts if preferred.
- If you prefer a salt finish, sprinkle flaky sea salt on the chocolate before it sets.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Nutrition
- Calories: 167kcal
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 21mg