English Toffee Sauce
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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:
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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!
Hello! Great recipe!! I followed recipe and it turned out so well and everyone loved it!!
That’s wonderful, thank you so much, Cindy!
New recipe for me, never made it this way before, worked a treat and tasted delicious
Fantastic, Rachel, thank you so much!
I followed your recipe for the date sponge cake and the toffee sauce, to the letter. I have a new favorite dessert, and so does my husband! We are both chefs, and appreciate a well written recipe. You’re fabulous, and we both thank you!!!!
What a compliment, Melodie, I’m beyond thrilled to hear that! Thank you so much!! <3
I was trying to cook it long enough that i had the trail as in the photo but it never did get that thick and actually started to get thinner and ended up with a dark caramel separated from the liquid
Any body got any thoughs of what might i have done wrong
The sauce pan i was using was on the smaller side
I subbed out 2% milk for cream and it was a disaster. Butter and sugar remained separate, just had a layer of butter floating over a layer of liquid sugar. Don’t use milk!
Your blog is beautiful and I have enjoyed every word and photo. I cannot wait to prepare several of your wonderful recipes.
Would you consider reducing the amount of blank space on your print recipes? This would cut down on the amount of paper we have to use for each recipe. IE:The information next to the photo could be reduced to 2 lines at most and positioned to the left of the photo without compromising your very clear and concise recipe format. That way most recipes would fit on both sides of just 1 page of paper. Recipes covering over two sides of the paper tend to clutter up the files and I try not to waste paper and ink.
Love your site. Maggie
Hi Maggie, that is so kind of you, I really appreciate the compliment, thank you very much :) That’s a very good point about the blank spaces, thank you for the suggestion. The recipe box is structured by a software program I subscribe to and I’m not sure how much flexibility there is with the format. I’ve just sent an email to the software developer with the question you raised to see if there’s anything they can do to make improvements. If there is I will definitely request the changes. Thanks again. Warm regards, Kimberly
Can I use imitation Vanilla extract, or does it have to be pure Vanilla extract
Hi! Imitation is fine. Happy baking!
Hi Lauren,I followed your recipe by every step,at the end it seems very runny is this normal?I hope so 😊 it tastes devine.i made a spiced apple bundt cake for Christmas day and hope this will compliment it beautifully