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Home » Gluten-Free Recipes

Easy Homemade Toffee Recipe with Only 3 Ingredients (Gluten Free)

Published: Jun 9, 2021 by Sharon McCaskill · Modified: Sep 21, 2023 · ✅Edited and Reviewed by: Sharon McCaskill, MA, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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This recipe for easy homemade toffee is naturally gluten-free and contains only 3 ingredients.  

While this base no bake recipe is a plain toffee recipe, you can add an assortment of toppings to really take this butter toffee to the next level!

Keep reading for this old fashioned toffee recipe with topping and decorating ideas.

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The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research.  Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here. 

Why you’ll love this homemade toffee recipe

  • This is an easy no bake and naturally gluten-free treat that everyone will love
  • It only takes 3 ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store
  • You can eat this toffee plain or decorate it any way you wish (check out the images of my unicorn-style toffee! So cute.)

Take this quick quiz and uncover the secrets to making your gluten-free lifestyle not just manageable, but truly enjoyable with custom recipes and tips!

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Is toffee gluten free?

While this is a 100% gluten free toffee recipe, many store-bought toffees are not gluten free due to adding gluten-containing ingredients as stabilizers.

What ingredients do you need to make your own toffee?

To make this super simple recipe you only need 3 ingredients that you probably already have on hand at home:

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Water

That’s it!

butter sugar and water for making stovetop toffee

However, you may want additional ingredients to add on top of you toffee to decorate it and add an extra layer of tasty fun (literally)

You can see those suggestions below.

How do you make homemade toffee?

First, you simply add all three ingredients to a saucepot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

butter sugar and water cooking on stovetop to make homemade toffee

You need to whisk constantly and keep your heat even to prevent toffee from separating or burning!

As the water evaporates your mixture will begin to caramelize and become darker.  Keep whisking until it reaches a beautiful golden brown!

Simply pour onto your prepared baking sheet and let it cool.

fresh toffee cooling on parchment

You can break it apart and enjoy it as is, or you may choose to add some fun toppings to change up the taste and flavor of this easy homemade toffee.

What to add to gluten-free toffee to jazz it up?

There are so many ways that you can customize toffee!  You can literally top it with almost any sweet thing!

I find lots of these ingredients at Thrive Market. If you’ve never tried Thrive Market you can get 25% off your order AND a free gift by clicking here!

Before the toffee is completely cool (so it adheres to the toffee) you could add:

  • Chocolate chips (check out my guide to gluten free chocolate chips here)
  • Chopped nuts
  • Gluten-free sprinkles (Check out my full guide to gluten free sprinkles here! You could also make your own sanding sugar)
  • Crushed gluten-free pretzels (like Glutino)
  • Cinnamon sugar

If your toffee is already cooled, you can still top it with melted chocolate.  Either spread it across the top of you cooled toffee or drizzle it.  From there you can add any of the previous toppings to the melted chocolate for an even MORE complex flavor!

Want colored chocolate like mine? Simply add a few drops of gluten-free gel food coloring to melted white chocolate and fill piping bags to drizzle it. 

plain toffee pieces ready to be decorated with colored chocolate and sprinkles

(and of course, then top with sprinkles for the ultimate homemade unicorn candy—can you tell I have two daughters? Lol!)

How to store homemade toffee

This toffee should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note: if it’s a hot and humid summer, your toffee might get sticky…

How long does homemade toffee last?

Homemade toffee can last about a week, but it is better to enjoy it quickly.  Over time it can become sticky.

Toffee Troubleshooting Tips

Why is my toffee chewy?

If it’s very hot and humid, your toffee may not set.  It’s best to make toffee in a cool and dry environment. 

Why is my toffee soft and grainy?

If your toffee is soft, you likely didn’t cook it long enough.  Be sure that it becomes golden brown (almost like a paper bag).  If it’s grainy, your sugar likely didn’t dissolve.  Whisk, whisk whisk!

What did you think of this easy homemade toffee recipe?

Be sure to share it to social media or Pin it for later using the social sharing buttons.  Also, be sure to come back and rate this recipe!

Scroll down for the printable recipe and take the FREE quiz to discover your personalized gluten free plan to claim back your love of food!

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3 ingredient homemade toffee with

Easy Homemade Toffee Recipe with Only 3 Ingredients [gluten-free]

This recipe for easy homemade toffee is naturally gluten-free and contains only 3 ingredients.  While this base no bake recipe is a plain toffee recipe, you can add an assortment of toppings to really take this butter toffee to the next level!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Cooling Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Servings 16 servings
Calories 162 kcal

Equipment

  • sauce pan
  • parchment lined baking sheet
  • whisk

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Add all 3 ingredients to sauce pan and heat over medium heat while whisking constantly.
  • Continue to cook and whisk while boiling until the color darkens to a rich golden brown (about the color of a paper bag)
  • Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet
  • Let cool and harden for about an hour before breaking and enjoy!
  • optional: add desired toppings

Notes

See blog post above for:
  • Step by step preparation images
  • specific brand equipment and ingredient suggestions
  • decoration ideas
  • storage and troubleshooting tips
  • and more!
Keyword almond butter, brown sugar, Butter toffee, chocolate, chocolate toffee, dessert, gluten-free, toffee
gluten free homemade toffee drizzled with chocolate and sprinkles pin image long

Other recipes for gluten-free treats that you will enjoy

  • DIY Sanding Sugar
  • Homemade GF/Vegan Chocolate Lollipops
  • Almond Flour Blondies
  • White Chocolate Mocha Coffee Bombs
  • No Bake Coconut Candy Truffles

More Gluten-Free Recipes

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    Butterfly Pea Lemon Tiramisu Recipe
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    Quick & Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Ranch Dressing – Creamy, Delicious, and Ready in 5 Minutes!
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    Easy Taco Tater Tot Casserole Recipe - Gluten-Free & Perfect for Busy Weeknights
  • thumbnail image for homemade gluten free oat milk
    How to Make Gluten-Free Oat Milk (Creamy Step-by-Step Recipe!)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heidi

    January 21, 2022 at 4:58 pm

    5 stars
    I loved how easy and delicious this recipe was! I added nuts and chocolate chips to the top while it was still hot and they melted into it. It was perfectly crunchy!

    Reply
  2. Relle

    February 20, 2022 at 12:29 am

    5 stars
    Homemade is so much better. Loved it.

    Reply
  3. lynn

    April 02, 2022 at 8:26 am

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! My whole family loved this recipe!

    Reply
  4. Lara

    June 04, 2022 at 9:47 am

    5 stars
    We made this for a fun project and it came out great! So easy to make and so tasty!

    Reply
  5. Jenn

    August 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm

    5 stars
    This is sooo buttery and delicious! I can't believe it's taken me this long to make it from scratch!

    Reply

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