English Toffee Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Luxuriously rich with a deep caramelized flavor, this English Toffee Sauce recipe is super easy to make and your taste buds will thank you over and over again! Drizzle it over your desserts – everything from cakes, pastries, puddings, waffles, and ice cream!
Few things are as irresistible as an oozing toffee sauce. Luxuriously rich with deep caramelized flavor, if you can resist eating this with a spoon or your fingers you will thoroughly enjoy it served over your desserts.
Drizzle this English toffee sauce over your cakes, ice cream, fresh fruit, add it to your fruit crumbles and crisps, or a dollop to your waffles or anything else your heart desires!
Why Is My Toffee Sauce Grainy?
When sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan before they’re completely dissolved they can crystalize and fall back into the toffee mixture causing it to be grainy. To prevent this be sure the sugar is dissolved before increase the temperature to a low simmer and then avoid stirring as much as possible until the toffee sauce begins to turn color.
English Toffee Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the heavy cream, brown sugar, salt and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and let the brown sugar dissolve completely, stirring as little as possible to avoid the sugar granules from splashing up the sides of the pan (this will result in a grainy toffee sauce). Once it’s dissolved increase the temperature to medium high.
Avoid stirring too much during the initial stages until the sauce begins to turn color. Increase the frequency of stirring as the sauce gets browner to prevent burning. Continue until the sauce is thickened and a dark amber.
How dark and how thick you let it get is a matter of personal preference. The darker and thicker, the deeper the flavor. I like it dark and thick. When I scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon and a trail is left behind, that’s the thickness I prefer. But you can stop simmering earlier than this if you prefer a thinner and lighter sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Let it cool a few minutes and serve warm or let it cool completely and store the homemade toffee sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a month. If it’s too thick, reheat it with a little heavy cream and/or butter.
Enjoy!
For more homemade dessert sauces be sure to also try my:
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
English Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- small pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the heavy cream, brown sugar, salt and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and let the brown sugar dissolve completely, stirring as little as possible to avoid the sugar granules from splashing up the sides of the pan (this will result in a grainy toffee sauce). Once it's dissolved increase the temperature to medium high. Avoid stirring too much during the initial stages until the sauce begins to turn color. Increase the frequency of stirring as the sauce gets browner to prevent burning. Continue until the sauce is thickened and a dark amber. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.If the sauce thickens too much or if leftovers are too thick, add a little extra butter and/or heavy cream and reheat. Makes about 1 3/4 cups. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a month.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 28, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
You don’t say whether or not to pack the brown sugar. I’m going to try it by packing the brown sugar so we will see if it works.
My understanding is that toffee is made with sugar and butter, while caramel is made with sugar, butter, and cream. So wouldn’t this be considered caramel sauce?
Toffee sauce is similar to caramel sauce in the sense that it’s made from sugar, butter and/or cream, the main difference is the degree to which it’s cooked. Toffee is only cooked to the point that the sugar in it melts, at which point it becomes usable.
Cooked until the sugar melts is caramel. Cooked at higher temps to harden it is toffee. So technically this is a caramel sauce. “Toffee sauce” by definition is a contradiction.
Toffee sauce is UK vernacular for this.
In the UK we call it toffee sauce. The most famous is Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding which contains toffee sauce.
Omg!! It’s amazing. I loved it even without the vanilla…
Awesome, Meg, I’m happy you enjoyed it, thank you!
Can I add a couple of fresh passionfruit pulp to this recipe?
This looks delicious! Do you think it would set up well enough to glaze cookies, as in homemade samoas? I’ve seen recipes call for melting caramel candies but I’m wondering if this would work? Thanks!
Hi Kelly, yes it will as long as you let it cook long enough. You’ll need to use a candy thermometer to ensure it gets up to the proper temp – I can’t remember whether it’s soft ball stage or firm ball stage you’ll need to aim for, you’ll need to verify. Happy cooking! :)
It came out delicious thank you! I just used the glass of water method to test for the right consistency and it came out great. It might have gone a little gritty but I put toasted coconut in it so it was hard to tell, the consistency was like a See’s bourdeux bar, so good!
Fantastic, Kelly, thank you and that sounds delicious!
Hi just wondering if I can use this recipe to make one large pudding? I see you have referred to the 8 x 8 tin so I’m assuming I can?? Thanks
Absolutely, Rebecca! For example, we recommend it for our Sticky Toffee Pudding: https://www.daringgourmet.com/sticky-toffee-pudding/
This is so delicious and easy to make! All I need is a spoon,I do not need anything to put this on :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cat, thank you, and I can totally relate to that sentiment! :)
Why did my toffe become so buttery? There was butter still floating after I did the toffe
Hi Rose Marie, that’s a common occurrence and often happens from inconsistent temperatures – either heating it up too fast or adjusting the temperature during the cooking process.
Delicious but when do you add the vanilla? After you remove from heat or do you boil together?
Hi Theresa, sorry for the confusion – stir it in very last after you remove the finished sauce from the heat.
Does this thicken up as it cools? I plan to use as a cake filling. I cooked it until it got a nice color as stated, but it isn’t thick. I don’t want to overcook it so I stopped hoping it thickens up like in your picture when it cools! It is delicious!
Hi Meredith, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! How thick it gets is directly related to how long you cook it (the longer you cook it, the thicker it will be when cooled). I’d recommend using a candy thermometer, that way you can gauge the thickness outcome.
Hi Kimberly
Any chance you could convert them measurements into Uk equivalent, as I know your cup and teaspoon sizes are different across the pond.
Hi David, if you scroll down to the recipe box, directly under the list of ingredients you’ll see “US Customary – Metric” in blue. If you click on “Metric” it will automatically convert everything. Happy cooking!
I’ve tried making this but it is going grainy.. how do I stop this happening?
Hi David, that’s caused by undissolved sugar crystals splashing up the sides of the pan and then falling back into the toffee sauce. Allow the brown sugar to dissolve completely before stirring too much to prevent the splashing.
I, too, learned to make it Kavita’s way. Usually good but occasionally scorched the sugar (not good). Yours is not only easier, it’s perfection every time. Thank you for the expert tip to make this fabulous sauce. 😍
Thanks so much, Hugo, I appreciate the feedback!
A-Ma-Zing!!! I didn’t have the patience or time to really cook it down. But it was superb. My guests asked for the recipe and think I’m a domestic goddess lol!!
Fantastic, Mikki, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
I have learned to make toffee sauce in a different
way with sugar to caramelize then adding butter and lastly cream but this seems to be very easy ..let me make and find out.
Even if you don’t cook it to hard crack stage, this stuff is still crack. Truly wonderful toffee sauce!
Lol, Lynn, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
If you cook this for longer, will it get hard & crunchy like normal toffee?
Hi Aiden, yes, if you cook it to hard crack stage (300F).