Description
This irresistible sea salt pecan toffee is a delightful homemade treat combining rich buttery caramel with crunchy pecans and a perfect salty finish. Made with simple ingredients and cooked on the stovetop, it’s an easy yet impressive sweet snack perfect for sharing or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Toffee Base
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nuts and Topping
- 2 cups whole pecans (walnuts or almonds can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon Maldon salt (for finishing)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet, add the butter, granulated sugar, water, and kosher salt. Place over medium heat and allow the ingredients to begin melting together while stirring occasionally.
- Cook the Toffee: Stir occasionally until the mixture boils, then stop stirring and let it cook undisturbed. Continue cooking for about 18-20 minutes until it reaches a rich caramel color, indicating it’s ready.
- Prepare the Pecans: While the toffee cooks, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly scatter the whole pecans across the sheet to create a base.
- Add Vanilla Extract: Once the toffee reaches the golden caramel hue, carefully remove the skillet from heat and quickly stir in the vanilla extract to infuse flavor.
- Pour Over Pecans: Immediately pour the hot toffee mixture evenly over the pecans on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle Maldon salt over the toffee for a balanced salty contrast.
- Cool the Toffee: Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process, allowing it to harden and set.
- Break and Store: Once fully cooled and firm, break the toffee into bite-sized pieces and store them in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use salted butter to enhance the flavor of the toffee.
- Granulated sugar yields the best caramel texture.
- Be attentive when the mixture is cooking to avoid burning; caramel can go from perfect to burnt quickly.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- Maldon salt adds a gourmet finishing touch but can be omitted or replaced with another flaky sea salt.
- Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
