No need to abstain from the Christmas candy if it’s low carb and gluten-free. This homemade sugar-free English Toffee has all the buttery goodness of the original.
English toffee is a holiday classic. It’s everywhere you look at this time of year. It’s piled high in store displays, in pretty tins or boxes with coloured bows. It’s the first thing to come out at the office holiday party. And chances are that you will receive some from someone this year, either homemade or store-bought. If you are good, you will be able to ignore that sugary temptation in the festive wrapping, calling your name with increasing persistence. If you’re smart, you will get that box out of your house as soon as humanly possible so it doesn’t continue to nag at your subconscious and undermine all your efforts to say on track with your healthy low carb diet. And if you are REALLY smart, you will battle that high carb Christmas candy with a homemade, sugar-free toffee of your own. Oh yes, it is possible and it is good!
I have called a couple of my other recipes “low carb crack” but this is one that is definitely deserving of that epithet. It’s so tasty that it calls your name even more persistently that the full sugar toffee. At least it did for me and I had some trouble not grabbing a bit here and there whenever I passed through the kitchen. That buttery, caramel-y, chocolatey goodness in a form that didn’t raise my blood sugar was such a delight, but I didn’t want to eat it to the utter exclusion of all healthy food. This is not a treat to be taken lightly, my friends. I suggest you make some with the intention of giving it away or bringing it to a party. Or find a place to hide it on yourself so you don’t eat it all in one go. Because even though it is low carb, it’s still supposed to be a treat!
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I topped mine with macadamias because I had some to use up before our move, but you can top yours with whatever nuts you prefer. Or leave the nuts out altogether if that suits you. I also only tried with this Swerve Sweetener because it caramelizes much better than others, so I can only stand behind the results using Swerve.
Please see my low carb English Toffee Recipe on the Swerve Sweetener website.
Serves 12. Each serving has 4.23 g of carbs and 1.87 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 2.36 g.
Food energy: 157kcal; Saturated fatty acids: 7.58g; Total fat: 14.77g; Calories from fat: 132; Cholesterol: 21mg; Carbohydrate: 4.23g; Total dietary fiber: 1.87g; Protein: 1.25g; Sodium: 96mg
Judy Morin says
Did you make a mistake in the directions? Seems that steps 5 and 6 are repetitions o fprevious steps.
Carolyn says
I don’t think I made a mistake but they might have typed it up incorrectly. Let me go check!
Kelly R says
I there 🙂 Swerve has taken down the recipe, will you please provide it? Thanks so much
Kenneth says
Hi Kelly, upon a simple Google server cache seach, I found the recipe and instructions in it’s entierity. Enjoy! Ingredients
¾ cup Swerve Sweetener
½ cup butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
½ cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips
½ tbsp butter
½ cup toasted chopped macadamia nuts (or other toasted nuts, if you prefer)
Instructions
Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil.
In a medium heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, combine Swerve and butter and stir until Swerve is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until mixture darkens to a deep amber, about 5 to 7 minutes (time may vary depending on the quality of your cookware).
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. If the mixture appears to be separating, stir in 2 tbsp of powdered Swerve Sweetener until it comes back together. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let cool completely.
In a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate chips and butter together until smooth. Spread over cooled toffee
Sprinkle with chopped nuts and refrigerate until set.
denise says
I prefer monkfruit would it be the same measurement as the swerve
Carolyn says
What brand are we talking about? Lakanto?
Ken Blackburn says
can another sweetener besides swerve be used? stevia? pyure? which is stevia, erythritol combination
Carolyn says
No, none of those caramelize properly. Sorry!
Carolyn says
Nope, turns out that was me! I am having them fix it. Thanks for the heads up!
Brandie Hart says
Yeah- the last 2 steps are weird… And why didn’t you get the recipe credit??
Lita says
this says Sarah Trumpet and Sweetie…how come they didn’t give you credit for your recipe? also did they make a mistake in the steps? Prob might be a good idea to double check that. Looks fabulous though.
Pamela says
Oh Carolyn, I love you! I was so wanting low-carb toffee but didn’t trust myself to experiment for fear of ruining too many good ingredients! Toffee is my all time favorite Christmas candy and I am so utterly thrilled to be able to make it! Bless you!
Linda says
I made this today but mine looked nothing like yours! The flavor was good, better than ever, but honestly mine looks very skimpy. How did yours turn out so thick? Mine is crispy like toffee but paper thin.
My dd makes “real” toffee every year (1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar and corn syrup too) and I can hardly stop eating it when it’s in the house! The pictures of your toffee look exactly the same as what my dd produces, which was a sharp contrast to mine…LOL
I’m a little reluctant to try again given the high cost of ingredients but I just may have to go for it! The very thought that I could have sugar free toffee is tempting enough to take the risk!
Vicki K says
Carolyn, you did it again!
English toffee is my absolute favorite candy. I read your blog with my morning coffee and the toffee was ready to eat by the afternoon. I used almonds and it was very easy to make. It came out a bit “sandy” like many candies I make with Swerve but still delicious. A keeper.
Carolyn says
Yes, I agree. It has a slightly different texture than sugar-based toffee but it’s such a good substitute and matched my cravings perfectly!
Kristen says
Which sweetener will work WITHOUT being ‘sandy’. Maltitol is the only sweetener in toffee I’ve tasted and could not tell it from regular toffee. I’ve been diabetic since age 3 and learned long ago that Maltitol/Maltodextrine has the same glycemic reaction in me as sugar. I am really looking to duplicate flavor AND texture. To me, it is the combo that makes toffee like Lays potato chips! Any suggestions sweetener-wise?
Chocolate Rose says
I made this today and it turned out amazing!! Even my non-lc dh loved it and said it was probably the best lc item I’ve made so far (almost 3 years worth of lc cooking).
But, mine was also paper thin and I would love to know how yours turned out so thick. Did you use a smaller pan than listed in the recipe?
Carolyn says
No, I used that size pan but my toffee didn’t pour to the edges of the pan. I didn’t spread it at all, just poured it in and let it go to the thickness it poured into. Did you try to spread yours to the edges?
Chocolate Rose says
I started to spread it to the edges and then realized there wasn’t enough to cover the whole pan. Have you ever tried doubling the recipe?
Julie says
Love the concept but the size PSN makes them too thin…mine separated and all the grease sat on top…they hardened but did not get crunchy like toffee?? Help?
Carolyn says
Did you use the powdered Swerve to pull them together again after the mixture separated?
Marnell says
This happened to me too but didn’t see it separated until it was already poured into the other pan – now what? Can you mix the confectioners sugar into it on the pan once spread out? Help! It seems really grainy too – is this because it didn’t dissolve – I don’t think it could have cooked longer as it seems like it would be burnt.
Carolyn says
No, you won’t be able to fix it now unless you boil it all again.
Pam Forrester says
I haven’t even read this yet. but I have made English Toffee for years and I loved it but now don’t want to poison my loved ones. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Pam Forrester says
Wait, there is no temperature goal for the toffee. That makes me nervous…Also i just sprinkled the chocolate chips on the hot toffee and smeared them around once they melted then sprinkled on the nuts. Will this not work?
Carolyn says
Please keep in mind that Swerve is not sugar. So it won’t work the way you are used to with sugar-based toffee.
Taste of Beirut says
This recipe looks like it could even work for people on the ketogenic diet. Very nice!
Kimberly says
Holy cow, this is amazing!! Whipped up a batch last night and it was fast and easy (minus the cooldown time). One recommendation is to not make the chocolate topping until you’re ready to put it on. Reheating changes the texture. Btw, I only had unsweetened baking chocolate in the house, so I melted that and added some xylitol. Worked great! Cheaper, too, I think.
Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Beth says
Mine turned out awful…I cooked it twice… what did you do to get the toffee part right?
Deb says
I don’t see any storage recommendations…fridge ? counter? And how long will it keep ?
Carolyn says
Counter for a few days. Fridge is fine too!
Kelli Green says
I am wondering if these would last with shipping? I live so very far away from my family who would benefit from this recipe but do not have the means to make it themselves and would love to mail it to them… do you think they would last a week or so for mailing or no?
Carolyn says
I think they’d travel okay and would certainly last a week but they might be pretty crumbly once they get there!
Michelle says
I just made a double batch of your caramel sauce. Can I just use this in the recipe? If so, how much to get equal what is in the recipe.
Hope you are loving your new home town!
Carolyn says
You can’t…the caramel sauce is designed to stay soft and the toffee is designed to get hard. So they are very different in that respect.
Tabatha says
This is so sweet it makes my mouth hurt. It tastes exactly like browned butter with sweetener mixed in. I did not expect the texture to be like toffee but the texture is incredibly strange. I may use this as a topping for some other recipe, but it’s own it is inedible. The recipe came together without issue, it did not separate and mine came out as thick as the pictures. It looks a lot like toffee, but that is where the resemblance ends.
Carolyn says
Sorry you didn’t love it.
Kimberly says
Wow! I totally disagree! This is as close to toffee as you can get without regular sugar. Even my picky kids loved it. I can’t wait to make it again!
Judy says
Do you think it would be possible to use a small amount of coconut sugar in place of the Swerve? I like the caramel sauce because of the butterscotch tones that the coconut sugar provided. I was thinking about maybe just substituting 2 T of the Swerve for coconut sugar.
Carolyn says
No, unfortunately you can’t. Coconut sugar stays way to soft so your toffee will never harden up. I know this because I tried last year and that’s how I discovered my caramel sauce recipe!
Sherri says
Can you substitute erythritol for swerve? Do not have swerve and would have to order it. Want to make for Christmas
Carolyn says
I think so, but as I say in the post, I can’t guarantee the results with anything but Swerve.
Nancie says
I love the Lily’s brand chocolate chips, but wondered if I could substitute Lily’s sugar free milk chocolate (and break into pieces) instead of her dark sugar free chocolate chips? Would the creamier texture of the milk chocolate make a difference? It is still sweetened the same way with Stevia. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Sure, I think it would be great that way!
Dee Gee says
Its wonderful being able to have toffee again! Thanks so MUCH!
Carolyn says
You’re welcome!
shana says
I wonder if Truvia would work for this? I like swerve but not sure how the cooling menthol feel of it would rate to me?
Carolyn says
Not sure, I really think that Truvia doesn’t caramelize as well as Swerve.
Jackie says
Love this!!!! I just tasted a piece of real sugar, English Toffee, and this recipe tastes just as good. So easy to make and sooooo good. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Hannah says
Hi Carolyn,
Sorry to disturb. Have you ever been able to make low carb cinder toffee or honeycomb? Would really love some! Thanks for all the brilliant recipes,
Love Hannah
Pao says
Hi,
I am curious, do you think this would work to make toffee covered nuts?
Carolyn says
I think it would be perfect and have actually been envisioning something similar…
KELLY says
YOU HAVE SO MANY GREAT RECIPES!, WHAT ABOUT A LOW CARB JELLO RIBBON SALAD RECIPE MADE WITH GRASS FED GELATIN AND EITHER STUR FLAVOR DRINKS OR STEVIA FLAVORED LIQUID FOR THE JELLO PART AND USE THE CREAM CHEESE IN BETWEEN THE JELLO FLAVORS.
Tracey PERRY says
i have just found this im diabetic so would be fab for me but in the UK we do not have swerve so will it be ok to try something else one i use is german
Sharon wohlt says
Why , in the break down for carbs per piece says 4. ? In the one at bottom of recipe says 21 carbs.?
Carolyn says
Because Swerve has to count the “carbs” in erythritol, even though it doesn’t affect blood sugar.
Anne says
The recipe has disappeared. Would you please send it to me
Carolyn says
The recipe is still there, just click the link. I had no trouble this morning.
Herm says
Hello Carolyn, The link doesn’t work. Would you please email me the recipe. I sure wound appreciate it.
Carolyn says
I am looking into it!
Sugarboo says
I made this at Christmas and the toffee came out nice and delicately crunchy. This time it hit formed up like hard caramel candy but will not go beyond that. I’m thinking maybe if I added a little too much butter than this is what happens? Or is it because I didn’t cook it long enough?
Carolyn says
It’s really hard to say.
Lou Ann Benson says
The link doesn’t seem to go to the recipe on the Swerve site any longer. Can you post it or check and see if the link can be repaired? Thanks.
Carolyn says
They recently updated their site to https. All my links are broken so I am waiting for them to fix it on their end. You can go to their site and search toffee and it should come up!
Lou Ann Benson says
Already tried that with no luck. Guess I’ll hope they update their site soon! Love your recipes. I don’t think there’s a single thing I miss on my low carb diet now!
Sally says
I also tried to find the recipe. So disappointed! Please let us know when the recipe is available again!!
Cliff says
The recipe seems to have disappeared!
Carolyn says
I am aware of it and working on it!
Cliff says
Can you just remind me: quarter cup or half cup of butter? I remember the rest…
Lou Ann Benson says
Kenneth posted this earlier this week in response to Kelly looking for the recipe. Hope it helps!
Hi Kelly, upon a simple Google server cache seach, I found the recipe and instructions in it’s entierity. Enjoy! Ingredients
¾ cup Swerve Sweetener
½ cup butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
½ cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips
½ tbsp butter
½ cup toasted chopped macadamia nuts (or other toasted nuts, if you prefer)
Instructions
Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil.
In a medium heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, combine Swerve and butter and stir until Swerve is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until mixture darkens to a deep amber, about 5 to 7 minutes (time may vary depending on the quality of your cookware).
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. If the mixture appears to be separating, stir in 2 tbsp of powdered Swerve Sweetener until it comes back together. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let cool completely.
In a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate chips and butter together until smooth. Spread over cooled toffee
Sprinkle with chopped nuts and refrigerate until set.
Cliff says
Thanks Lou Ann!!
Megan says
Thanks for another great recipe.. I made last night and all good except for the overwhelming “cooling” taste.. any suggestions on how to minimize that?? Otherwise, it was very good…
duh the third says
Toffee by definition is sugar, so if it is sugar free then it is not toffee! Check your dictionary.
Carolyn says
Who cares, my friend! Only you. The rest of us are simply enjoying the sweet flavour of toffee without jeopardizing our health.
Paul says
I’ve notified the toffee-police… they’ll do a thorough investigation and Carolyn will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law! How dare she post a free recipe that thousands of people have enjoyed with a name that you don’t approve of! THE NERVE!