Skip to content

Homemade Almond Roca

Make a batch of Homemade Almond Roca for parties, cookie trays, or gift-giving. These English toffee candies are absolutely scrumptious, impressive, and easy to make.

homemade almond roca or English toffee.
Homemade Almond Roca or English Toffee is perfect for gifting and sharing, as it stays crunchy and delicious!

Homemade Almond Roca is a holiday classic

As a kid, I often savored gold-foil-wrapped Almond Roca candies by the fistful. We loved finding those happy pink canisters in our kitchen any time of year. To this day, it’s anybody’s guess whether all those chocolate covered English toffee candies were given to us by Mom’s friends or if she secretly stashed our pantry with them herself.

Either way, that pretty much started a long term friendship with the chocolatey, crunchy, highly addictive Almond Roca. 💓

almond-roca

English Toffee is Perfect for Gifting

Few goodies are more impressive or appreciated than a container of homemade Almond Roca gifted to your favorite people.

These homemade Almond Roca are easy and every bit as amazingly delicious as the ones you buy off the shelf.  The varied shapes and sizes of your homemade toffee candies makes it super fun for munching during the holidays.

Six ingredients

  • Light brown sugar – pack it in tight
  • Salted butter – you’ll need 2 cups (or 4 sticks.) While you’re doling out the butter, remind yourself it’s a special occasion
  • Roasted and salted almonds, coarsely chopped – if you can put them in the oven for a quick fresh roast (take care not to burn, of course) then you’ll be massively rewarded with a wonderful nutty aroma
  • Milk chocolate chips – you can technically use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, but milk chocolate simply tastes best in these crunchy/chewy toffee candies
  • Vegetable oil or canola oil can be used
  • Special equipment: Candy thermometer – now’s the time to invest in one, if you don’t have one already. Use it to make this unbelievable 4-Ingredient salted caramel as well.
homemade almond roca or English toffee.

perfect for parties, gifts, and keep well

Wrap ’em up, tie some ribbons, and generously share the love. Bonus: you can absolutely make them ahead of time, wrap them up, and they stay deliciously ‘n delightfully crunchy for several weeks at moderate room temp. They also freeze well for those holiday-treat-emergencies. They’re perfect for sharing any time of year.

More to make and eat:

Try this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel

Shop This Recipe

  • candy thermometer

    Insulated handle and pan clip is adjustable to attach to any size pan.

  • 18x13 sheet pan

    Make cookies, jelly rolls, bars, plus one-pan meals, or roasted vegetables with secure grip.

  • All Clad 3-quart saucepan

    Classic tri-ply construction, made with a responsive aluminum core bonded together with 2 layers of durable, stainless steel all the way around for maximum durability and fast, even heat distribution.

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

homemade almond roca

Homemade Almond Roca

4.40 from 69 ratings
English toffee is absolutely scrumptious. They're crunchy, chocolatey, and taste just like the original pink canister ones you've loved since childhood. Perfect for gift-giving or holiday party trays.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 40
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

Instructions

  • Stir: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar and salted butter. Stir often for 3-4 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and thick and candy thermometer registers 280ºF.
  • Combine and Pour: Immediately remove from heat once thermometer hits 290F.
    Add 3/4 cup almonds to the mixture and stir to combine well. Pour evenly into a rimmed 18×13 baking sheet, using the back of a wooden spoon to smooth evenly into the pan. Work quickly here, as mixture thickens and sets quickly.
  • Melt and Layer: While toffee cools, set a heavy pot over low heat. Add chocolate and oil, stirring until just barley melted through. Use a rubber spatula to transfer melted chocolate evenly on top of toffee layer, taking care to smooth the surface. Sprinkle remaining chopped almonds evenly over the warm chocolate layer.
  • Chill and Cut: Chill in fridge for a couple of hours to cool completely. Once fully set, carefully cut the toffee into pieces with a sharp knife. Homemade Almond Roca keep well in airtight container for a couple of weeks at room temp.

Notes

  • Homemade Almond Roca can be kept airtight at moderate room temp for several weeks, as they keep very well. They can also be frozen for a longer period of time and defrosted at room temp for holiday (any day) treat emergencies 🙂 
  • If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1.9g | Fat: 14.5g | Saturated Fat: 7.7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 26.3mg | Sodium: 82.5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14.3g
Course: candies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Stovetop

Add a comment

Recipe Rating




63 comments

    • Andrea

    By the time my thermometer read over 250 the sugar and butter had separated. I haven’t tried it yet but the sugar has gone really hard and I poured off a whole almost cup full of butter that was floating on the top. I’m not sure what went wrong. It took so long to get to 280 degrees!

      • chewoutloud

      I’m wondering if you would be able to try a different thermometer? If sugar went really hard, it sounds like the temp got much too high. Let me know if you’re able to try it using a new thermometer. Thanks for coming over, Andrea! 🙂

    • C. Paquette
    • 5 stars

    Fantastic recipe! My first attempt and it was a success! I followed the recipe exactly except I used 1 cup golden sugar and 1 cup dark brown sugar. The only issue I had was when I used a knife to cut it, the chocolate separated from the toffee. I strongly advise to use your hands to carefully break it up to barks. I highly recommend this recipe and I will definitely make this again and again! Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!!

      • chewoutloud

      Yipee!! So so happy it was successful and you liked it 🙂 🙂 You’re so welcome and Merry Christmas!

    • Saudagar Hartanah
    • 5 stars

    Almond! i like it when it mixed with caramel. sooo delicious

    beli rumah

    • Jenni LeBaron
    • 5 stars

    I grew up eating almond roca for each holiday so I’m thrilled to see this recipe so I can make it myself at home! This looks simple and delicious to make!

      • chewoutloud

      It’s funny how many of us grew up munching on Almond Roca over the holidays! 🙂 🙂

Get our free email series: 5 Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

Plus our newest recipes each week