Candy Topped Toffee Squares
Candy Topped Toffee Squares make for a terrific holiday cookie. This easy toffee recipe decks them out in red and green M & Mโs, so they are festive and irresistible.
These Toffee Bars are so much easier than making English toffee and are perfect for a tasty Christmas treat.
Why Youโll Love this Toffee Bars Recipe
- There are 3 luscious layers: a buttery dark brown sugar crust, a smooth rich, chocolate ganache, and a holiday topping of your choice (I like festive M&Ms, chopped Heath bars, or toasted pecans).
- They are super easy to make!
- Changing the colors of the M&Ms makes them perfect for any occasion!
- Or you can go half and half with the toppings as I did. I went with Heath bars to give a double dose of toffee flavor on half of the bars. Being the considerate wife that I am, I sprinkled holiday-colored M & Mโs over the other half. As hard as it is to believe, Bill does not like toffee. Crazy man.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Toffee?
Toffee or Toffy is a candy made by cooking sugar, water (or cream), and often butter to the molten hot temperature of 260-310ยฐ. The temperature will vary depending on if a chewy or crisp toffee is desired. Itโs often topped with nuts, chocolate, or both.
Why is Toffee so hard to make?
The process of candy-making can be daunting. Using an accurate candy thermometer and a good recipe is key since there are a number of ways that toffee can fail. But once youโve been successful, making toffee will be worth the effort!
The procedure cannot be rushed. With patience, mastering English toffee can be achieved! Making toffee bars is an easy way to get similar flavors without the pressure!
Chocolate Toffee Bars
I know it seems early to be sharing holiday cookie recipes, but if youโre anything like me, the season will creep up on you, and then panic will set in. So go ahead and start collecting recipes early. These bars and all the tasty recipes from my blogger friends are delicious options. My family goes nuts for anything chocolate, so these toffee squares were a hit!
Then youโll just need to set aside an afternoon to bake. Make sure your pantry is stocked with the basics, flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and a variety of chocolate. I love to share tins of various cookies and candies with my neighbors at Christmas. Even though I make some old favorites over and over, Iโm always on the hunt for new inspiration.
PRO-Tip: Did you know you can make dark brown sugar out of regular brown sugar by adding a tablespoon of molasses to the latter? Itโs an easy trick when you donโt have dark brown sugar on hand.
More Holiday Cookies
Welcome to day 3 of Cookie Week, hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen! Weโve teamed together with 10 other talented bloggers to bring you 5 fantastic days of cookie recipes to get you into the holiday spirits. If you are feeling a mid-week slump, then there is no better way to beat it than a big dose of cookie love! Please make sure to check out and enter our fantastic giveaway and check out our #CookieWeek Pinterest board full of all the cookie recipes youโll see here this week!
UPDATE: The giveaway is over and the entry form has been removed from this post.
- Maple Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Sโmores Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Banana Walnut Biscotti by Chocolate Moosey
- Brown Butter Pecan Toffee Cookies by The Cooking Actress
- Candy Topped Toffee Squares by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies by Hungry Couple
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Savory Cheddar Coins by Crumb
- White Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies by Jenโs Favorite Cookies
PRO-Tip: To make cutting bars easier, chill thoroughly, then use a sharp knife to score, then cut into squares. These are trickier than some to cut because of the chunks of candy.
Candy Topped Toffee Squares
3 decadent layers in these holiday bars!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A dash of salt
- 2 cups flour
Topping:
- 12 ounces semi-chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup M & M's or chopped Heath bars
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil (or regular foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt and mix till combined. Add flour and mix till combined, then pat the stiff dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake till golden, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cool to room temperature on wire rack.
- Combine chopped chocolate, butter and heavy cream in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stop, stir and repeat till chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over cooled crust and spread to cover crust using offset spatula. Sprinkle top with candies.
- Chill in refrigerator till chocolate sets. Cut and serve.
Yield: 24 bars
Total time: 1 1/2 hours
Notes
Vary your toppings depending on the season or holiday!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
41 Comments on “Candy Topped Toffee Squares”
Fabulous ! Have many versions of this bar………..and love them all !
I have made one for literally decades (that they used to serve at my grade school as a kid) with corn flakes and peanut butter Base…..then topped with chocolate.
Anything like this with a layer of chocolate is so wonderful.
My favorite cookies to bake during the holidays are snickerdoodles.
My ideal dessert, no doubt about that ๐
Delicious toffee squares!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Perfect colors for the holiday in those squares. What a great idea. Kids especially will love those!
My favorites to bake are windmill cookies and lemon sugar cookies.
My favorite cookie to bake during the holidays is lightly spiced cut-out sugar cookies in all shapes and sizes!
These probably wouldn’t leave the house or last very long.
Lizzy,
Love these bars. They would be perfect as a gift too. Pinned.
Annamaria
Dear Lizzy, these look rich and delicious!!!! Perfect for the holidays. Blessings dear. Catherine
Love using dark brown sugar in baking and like the topping option of a holiday or just generic.
These colors remind of Christmas.. nice ๐
These cookies look like the perfect holiday treat. Probably the cookies everyone e asks me to bake are my Chocolate Brickle Sensations but they aren’t festive. If I had to go festive they’d be gingerbread men/women cookies or pumpkin whoopie pies.
Those would make a perfect holiday treat! for me ๐
oooh wow these look amazing! i bet they’d be perfect for chopping into little squares and wrapping up as christmas presents ๐ so excited for the festive season!
the hobbit kitchen x
I thought your M & Ms 3rd layer was fantabulous and then I scrolled down to see the toffee topping! Double yum! But I’d take either choice in a heartbeat…You can’t go wrong with shortbread and chocolate or toffee!
This is so Christmasy and beautiful!
I have so many that I make only during the holidays..many passed down from my mom and Grandma…but I have to say that I think my favorite are “Cream Wafers”. A delicate little cookie with a butter cream filling ๐
My favorite cookie all year round is chocolate chip.
Moms homemade Christmas cookies is my favorite.