Toffee bars are easy to make shortbread cookie squares topped with milk chocolate and toffee bits.
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Toffee Bars are so easy to make and come together in only 10 minutes. A buttery shortbread base, rich melted chocolate, and Heath toffee bits on top.
English Toffee Bars
Our easy Toffee Bars recipe is a cross between cookie bars and toffee candy, with a shortbread crust baked below a layer of chocolate and topped with bits of toffee.
This simple chocolate toffee bars recipe begins by baking a tender, butter brown sugar crust. You immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the shortbread base, place the pan back in the oven, then spread the chocolate until smooth and cover with toffee candy.
This recipe for toffee bars is a cousin to two of my favorite toffee dessert recipes (graham cracker toffee bars and graham cracker toffee bark), but these toffee squares have a homemade cookie dough crust, so they’re thicker and softer yet taste just as buttery, but without the crunchy base and crispy texture.
Why We Love Toffee Bar Recipes
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Filled with toffee flavor without the feeling of candy being stuck in your teeth or causing a cavity.
- Not as brittle or hard as traditional toffee so you won’t break a tooth!
- Delicious cross between a shortbread cookie bar and English toffee that creates a homemade cookie-candy bar hybrid.
- Perfect for holiday parties, cookie platters, potlucks, or after-school snacks.
Toffee Bars Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- All purpose flour
- Milk chocolate chips
- English toffee bits: I used Heath brand but feel free to use your favorite.
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar in this toffee bar cookie recipe, but remember that the shortbread cookie base will look slightly darker due to the increased amount of molasses in the dark brown sugar versus the light brown.
- Change The Chocolate: I like these bars’ combination of milk chocolate and toffee bits. If you prefer the taste of darker chocolate, feel free to swap them for semi-sweet chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chips. This very forgiving recipe is easily modified to suit your preference.
- Top Your Toffee: Top your toffee with toffee chips, chopped nuts (such as pecans, almonds, or walnuts), chopped candy bars, crushed peppermint or candy cane pieces, M&Ms, sprinkles, or even some sea salt.
How to Make Toffee Bars
- Create The Cookie Dough: Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then add the salt and flour. Mix on low just until you form a dough. (Image 1)
Pro Tip: This will be a very thick dough. You may need to switch to a wooden spoon to mix all the flour into the dough. - Bake: Spread the dough into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Sprinkle And Spread: Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust as soon as you take it out of the oven (Image 2). Return the pan to the oven for a few more minutes to soften the chips slightly. Spread the melted chips over the surface (Image 3) and top with toffee chips (Image 4).
- Slice And Serve: Cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Toffee Bars
- Make sure you only use an egg yolk, not a whole egg. You do not want that much liquid in your dough.
- You may need to use your hands to spread the dough out and flattened in an even layer.
How to Store Toffee Bars
- To Store: These toffee bars can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: You can store these bars, tightly wrapped in plastic, in the freezer for up to two months. Be sure to thaw them in the refrigerator before serving.
More Easy Candy Recipes
Other Easy Dessert Recipes
- Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cups
- Rum Balls
- Take 5 Candy Bars
- Oreo Pound Cake
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Magic Bars
- Cream Cheese Mints
- Brownie Bites
- Cake Mix Brownies
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Toffee Bars
Serves — 12
Toffee bars are easy to make shortbread cookie squares topped with milk chocolate and toffee bits.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup English toffee bits Heath brand
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with baker’s spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until the egg yolk is fully incorporated.1 large egg yolk, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the salt and all-purpose flour to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. This will be a very thick dough. You may need to switch to a wooden spoon to mix all the flour into the dough.½ teaspoon salt, 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Spread the dough into the prepared 9×13 baking dish in an even layer. You may need to use your hands to get the dough spread out and flattened.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- As soon as you take the toffee bar crust out of the oven, you will sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the dough. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes. You are only looking to soften the chips slightly.2 cups milk chocolate chips
- Gently spread the melted chips to create a smooth surface using a small offset spatula.
- Top with the English toffee chips sprinkled over the entire surface of the melted chocolate.½ cup English toffee bits
- Allow the bars to cool completely on the counter and the chocolate to firm up before slicing and serving these toffee bars.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: These toffee bars can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: You can store these bars, tightly wrapped in plastic, in the freezer for up to two months. Be sure to thaw them in the refrigerator before serving.
- Make sure you only use an egg yolk, not a full egg. You do not want that much liquid in your dough.
- You may need to use your hands to get the dough spread out and flattened in an even layer.
- I like to buy the bag of English toffee bits in the baking aisle where the chocolate chips are sold. If your store does not carry them, you can finely chop up a HEATH brand candy bar as a substitute. You just need to note that the toffee chips from the bag DO NOT have any chocolate coating on them. However, the chopped candy bar will have chocolate on it. Both options will taste delicious.
- You can substitute dark brown sugar in this recipe, but you will need to note that the shortbread cookie base will look slightly darker due to the increased amount of molasses found in the dark brown sugar versus the light brown.
- You can substitute salted butter in this recipe, but you would want to omit the addition of salt to the dough if you make this substitution.
- I really like the combination of milk chocolate and toffee bits for these bars. If you are more of a darker chocolate fan, you can certainly swap them for semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips if you prefer. This is a very forgiving recipe that is easily modified to suit your preference.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 676IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
