What I love about Chocolate Almond Toffee Bark
This Chocolate Almond Toffee Bark is an absolute family favorite at Christmastime. It’s crunchy, sweet, and completely addictive. In fact, I tried to get ahead this year by making a batch early and storing it in the fridge until Christmas. However, the plan didn’t last long. The moment my husband got home, he asked, “Where is it? I have to try it!” When I told him, “No, it’s for Christmas,” he immediately opened the fridge to look for it anyway. So, it’s safe to say I’ll definitely need to hide it better next time!
Thankfully, this recipe is fairly quick and easy to make. If you’ve never made caramel, or toffee before, don’t worry — there’s no need to be intimidated. As long as you follow the steps and take your time, you shouldn’t have any problems. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be completely hooked. Because of that, this bark has become a go-to during the holidays, whether you’re making it as a gift, adding it to a gift box, or simply keeping it on hand to enjoy with family and friends.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Sea Salt – Believe it or not, adding salt can make or break this recipe, so do NOT forget to add this crucial ingredient!
- Chocolate Chips – Any kind of chocolate chips or chunks will work for this recipe, but I recommend dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness of the toffee.
- Almonds – I love to add roasted, chopped almonds but you can use any type of nut here.
- Flakey Sea Salt – I to finish this bark off with a little flakey sea salt. Make sure you use finishing salt, like Maldon, not just any salt. It’s very specific.
FAQ
The most common reason is that you forgot the salt or didn’t add enough. The salt acts as a stabilizer and is a very important ingredient in bring the toffee together!
Another reason is that you over-stirred when the toffee was boiling. Once the toffee is boiling, it is important to stir gently on and off every 15-30 seconds or so and not more than that.
You dramatically increased or decreased the heat quickly. Turning the heat up or down too quickly can shock the toffee and make it sieze. Try to keep it at the same temperature the entire time that it is boiling.
Sadly, when this happens there’s not much you can do to save it. Rather, you will most likely have to start from scratch.
I recommend storing toffee bark in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep well for 2-3 weeks.
Yes. You can freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Yes! Roasted pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or even peanuts would all be delicious also.
Chocolate Almond Toffee Bark
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 2 teaspoons flakey finishing salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Prepare a sheet of tin foil the size of the baking sheet and set aside as well.
- On another baking sheet, spread out the almonds and roast them in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let them cool and then chop them into small pieces. Set aside
- In a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot, melt the butter, sugar and salt over low-medium heat. (Don't forget the salt!) Whisk consistently until the butter is fully melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- Once the mixture is boiling, stir only every 10-15 seconds to allow the toffee to caramelize. Stir gently in a circular motion. Boil the mix until the toffee reads 295F on your candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the toffee onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread out in a thin, even layer. It will cool and set up very fast, so you need to work fast!
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips all over the toffee and cover the pan with aluminum foil to keep the heat in. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and spread the melted chocolate all over the toffee in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the bark with the chopped almonds and flakey sea salt and transfer the pan to the fridge to set up for about 10-15 minutes.
- Break up the bark into small pieces and store in the fridge or enjoy right away!
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