Name: CASHEW TOFFEE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cashew (halves and pieces); ½ cup granulated sugar; ⅓ cup brown sugar (packed); 1 cup butter (or margarine); ¼ cup water; ½ cup white vanilla baking chips

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I make a double batch of this Cashew Toffee every single year for the past 15+ years! Buttery rich toffee that’s tender with fantastic flavor from roasted cashews. Tips included for making the BEST toffee!

side view of homemade toffee topped with cashews

You can make this easy toffee recipe with only 6 simple ingredients, it comes together quickly and easily. Making homemade toffee does not have to be difficult, see our tips and tricks below to ensure an easy candy making process!

Simple Cashew Toffee

This cashew toffee is a slight variation from the traditional toffee recipe I have made in the past. While I normally love traditional recipes, when it comes to homemade candy, this is just so good! The candy is not difficult to make at all. Although it does require your full attention for about 30 minutes, so plan accordingly.

Trust me though, it is easier than you think and the results are an amazing homemade candy. This cashew toffee is great to make around the holidays and gift to family, friends, or neighbors. Everyone is sure to enjoy this sweet and salty treat!

Tips for Making the Best Toffee

Making candy at home is not super difficult, but it does require some patience and attention. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring your homemade toffee turns out great every time.

Use a stainless steel pan. I make toffee every year and I have learned that while I love my enameled cast iron or porcelain pans, they do not work well with candy making. Stick to a good quality stainless steel pot. I use a 4-quart because the candy will bubble up a bit and more space is always a good idea.
Cook the toffee on medium high heat. On my electric stove I set it between 6 and 7. If you cook at high heat, it will likely burn and lower heat, well, that takes forever. Find that happy medium and your candy will cook perfectly.
Use a really good cooking thermometer. My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It is super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well too. They are worth the investment, these are the only cooking thermometers that last longer than a couple years for me.
High Elevation toffee cooks to just 290°F. If you live at high elevation, cook your candy to 10 degrees less than the recipe states. This applies to all candy, by the way, not just toffee.
Prepare ahead. Measure the cashews and the white chocolate, lay the parchment on a pan and have it close. Toffee tends to cook fairly slowly…then very fast at the end, so have everything ready so you don’t have to scramble.

Cashew Toffee Ingredients

Cashew: You will need 1 cup of cashew, halves and cut into pieces, for the wonderful crunch in this toffee treat.

Sugar: Using ½ cup of granulated sugar will give the toffee just the right amount of sweetness.

Brown sugar: Add in ⅓ cups of packed brown sugar to give this treat a wonderful depth of flavor.

Butter: You need 1 cup of butter, or margarine, to give the candy great texture and shine.

Water: To help create the right consistency, use ¼ cup of water.

Baking chips: Use ½ cup of white vanilla baking chips to add some wonderful creamy texture and chocolatey taste to this dessert.

Step by step on how to make the BEST Cashew Toffee

Prep

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then, line a quarter baking sheet with parchment paper.

Next, break the cashews halves into pieces. You can chop them slightly or just break them up in the bag with your hands. They don’t have to be perfect, just want some smaller pieces along with the halves. After that, spread the cashews in the baking sheet and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are lightly browned. Divide the cashews in half and set aside.

Keep the parchment paper in the pan for use later on!

Toffee mixture

Now, in 4-quart heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, butter and water and cook over medium-high heat (see tip# 2 above), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come to a full boil after about 5-7 minutes.

Proceed to lower the temperature to just under medium and boil the mixture for 15 minutes, when candy begins to stir as 1 mass. The temperature on a candy thermometer will be 300°F or small amount of mixture dropped into cup of ice water forms a hard brittle strand. Be sure to stir frequently during this process, the mixture will darken as it gets closer to 300 degrees. See tip# 4 above if you live in a high elevation.

toffee that's been broken up in a pan with parchment paper

Transfer to Pan

Next, stir in 1/2 cup of the cooked cashews and then immediately pour the toffee into the parchment lined pan. Tilt the pan to spread the mixture a bit. You don’t want it to be too thin; there’s no need to fill the pan.

Sprinkle the top with the white chocolate chips. Let those stand about 1 minute or until the chips are completely softened, then using a spatula, spread the softened chips evenly over the top of the toffee. It is ok if they do not melt and spread completely. Last thing is, sprinkle the top of the chocolate with the remaining cashews.

Place the baking pan in the refrigerator about 30 minutes or until the topping is firm. Then, using a knife, break the toffee into 1-inch pieces.

Serve and enjoy!

CASHEW TOFFEE

Cashew Toffee is an easy and popular holiday dessert, it is made by simply adding roasted cashews to a delicious traditional toffee recipe! This chocolate covered toffee tastes absolutely incredible and makes a great treat to share at holiday parties or events.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, No-Bake Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cashew Toffee

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

1 cup cashew halves and pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar packed
1 cup butter or margarine
¼ cup water
½ cup white vanilla baking chips

Instructions

Prep: Start by preheating the oven to350°F. Then, line a quarter baking sheet with parchment paper.
Break the cashews halves into pieces. You can chop them slightly or just break them up in the bag with your hands. They don't have to be perfect, just want some smaller pieces along with the halves. After that, spread the cashews in the baking sheet and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are lightly browned. Divide the cashews in half and set aside. Keep the parchment paper in the pan for use later on!
Toffee mixture: Now, in 4-quart heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, butter and water and cook over medium-high heat(see tip# 2 below), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come to a full boil after about 5-7 minutes.
Lower the temperature to just under medium and boil the mixture for 15 minutes. At that point, the candy should begin to stir as 1 mass. The temperature on a candy thermometer will be 300°F or small amount of mixture dropped into cup of ice water forms a hard brittle strand. Be sure to stir frequently during this process, the mixture will darken as it gets closer to 300 degrees. See tip# 4 below if you live in a high elevation.
Next, quickly stir in 1/2 cup of the cooked cashews and then immediately pour the toffee into the parchment lined pan. Quickly tilt the pan to help the candy spread around. Don't spread it too thin, there's no need to fill the pan.
Sprinkle the top with the white chocolate chips. Let those stand about 1 minute or until the chips are completely softened, then using a spatula, spread the softened chips evenly over the top of the toffee. It is ok if they do not melt and spread completely. Sprinkle the top of the chocolate with the remaining cashews.
Place the baking pan in the refrigerator about 30 minutes or until the topping is firm. Then, using a knife, break the toffee into 1-inch pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Making candy at home is not super difficult, but it does require some patience and attention. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring your homemade toffee turns out great every time.

Use a stainless steel pan. I make toffee every year and I have learned that while I love my enameled cast iron or porcelain pans, they do not work well with candy making. Stick to a good quality stainless steel pot. I use a 4-quart because the candy will bubble up a bit and more space is always a good idea.
Cook the toffee on medium high heat. On my electric stove I set it between 6 and 7. If you cook at high heat, it will likely burn and lower heat, well, that takes forever. Find that happy medium and your candy will cook perfectly.
Use a really good cooking thermometer. My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It is super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well too. They are worth the investment, these are the only cooking thermometers that last longer than a couple years for me.
High Elevation toffee cooks to just 290°F. If you live at high elevation, cook your candy to 10 degrees less than the recipe states. This applies to all candy, by the way, not just toffee.
Prepare ahead. Measure the cashews and the white chocolate, lay the parchment on a pan and have it close. Toffee tends to cook fairly slowly…then very fast at the end, so have everything ready so you don’t have to scramble.

Nutrition

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How long is homemade candy toffee good for?

You can store homemade toffee in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or at room temperature for 2 weeks. It’s a fantastic treat to make ahead of time!

I make a double batch of this Cashew Toffee every single year for the past 15+ years! Buttery rich toffee that's tender with fantastic flavor from roasted cashews. Tips included for making the BEST toffee! — I make a double batch of this Cashew Toffee every single year for the past 15+ years! Buttery rich toffee that’s tender with fantastic flavor from roasted cashews. Tips included for making the BEST toffee!

Can you freeze cashew toffee?

You sure can! You will want to freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container and it should last up to 4-5 months. It would be a good idea to place a piece of parchment paper between each layer of toffee, this will prevent each piece from sticking together.

Why is my homemade toffee with cashews chewy?

Your toffee might be chewy because there is too much moisture in it. If toffee is undercooked it can leave it moist and chewy, making sure to boil the mixture the full allotted time should help draw some of the moisture out of it.

Do I have to use cashews for this toffee candy recipe?

No you do not, you can use any other type of nut you have on had or whichever you prefer. This toffee would be great with salted peanuts, walnuts, or even pecans. You can make a batch with all types of nuts if you’d like!

If you loved this toffee, try more amazing holiday recipes here!

Cashew Toffee is a simple and popular holiday dessert, it is made easily by adding cashews to a traditional toffee recipe! This chocolate covered toffee tastes delicious and makes a great treat to share at holiday parties or events.