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!
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
KELLY says
I LOVE ENGLISH TOFFEE, BUT IT’S HARD ON MY TEETH, CAN I MAKE THE ENGLISH TOFFEE SOFTER AND NOT HARD?.
Carolyn says
Not this kind but I think you will find the texture not that hard on your teeth anyway. Erythritol doesn’t harden that way.
Rosemary Rickard says
I made this sugar free english toffee and this recipe is awful! It is so sickening sweet it is NOT edible nor does it taste anything like English Toffee. Sorry just telling it like it is.
Carolyn says
Sorry you didn’t like it, but most people really enjoy it. To each his own.
bobbi says
Would Ghee work in place of butter?
Carolyn says
No idea. Sorry!
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!
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…
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!!
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!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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…
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
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!
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.