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December 14, 2014

Sugar-Free English Toffee

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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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.

Low Carb English Toffee RecipeEnglish 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!

Sugar-Free English Toffee Recipe

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

Low Carb Gluten-Free Christmas Candy Recipe

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Filed Under: Gluten Free, Low Carb, Other Desserts Tagged With: butter, chocolate, macadamia nuts

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

  1. Judy Morin says

    December 14, 2014 at 7:02 am

    Did you make a mistake in the directions? Seems that steps 5 and 6 are repetitions o fprevious steps.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 14, 2014 at 10:11 am

      I don’t think I made a mistake but they might have typed it up incorrectly. Let me go check!

      Reply
      • Kelly R says

        January 26, 2017 at 3:14 pm

        I there 🙂 Swerve has taken down the recipe, will you please provide it? Thanks so much

        Reply
        • Kenneth says

          July 26, 2017 at 9:24 pm

          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.

          Reply
          • denise says

            December 7, 2017 at 2:44 pm

            I prefer monkfruit would it be the same measurement as the swerve

          • Carolyn says

            December 7, 2017 at 6:25 pm

            What brand are we talking about? Lakanto?

          • Ken Blackburn says

            December 2, 2018 at 8:28 pm

            can another sweetener besides swerve be used? stevia? pyure? which is stevia, erythritol combination

          • Carolyn says

            December 2, 2018 at 10:15 pm

            No, none of those caramelize properly. Sorry!

    • Carolyn says

      December 14, 2014 at 10:21 am

      Nope, turns out that was me! I am having them fix it. Thanks for the heads up!

      Reply
  2. Brandie Hart says

    December 14, 2014 at 10:23 am

    Yeah- the last 2 steps are weird… And why didn’t you get the recipe credit??

    Reply
  3. Lita says

    December 14, 2014 at 11:32 am

    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.

    Reply
  4. Pamela says

    December 14, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    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!

    Reply
  5. Linda says

    December 14, 2014 at 8:55 pm

    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!

    Reply
  6. Vicki K says

    December 14, 2014 at 9:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 14, 2014 at 10:49 pm

      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!

      Reply
    • Kristen says

      February 13, 2018 at 8:36 pm

      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?

      Reply
  7. Chocolate Rose says

    December 14, 2014 at 9:43 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 14, 2014 at 10:50 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Chocolate Rose says

        December 15, 2014 at 9:54 pm

        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?

        Reply
  8. Julie says

    December 15, 2014 at 6:13 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 15, 2014 at 6:48 pm

      Did you use the powdered Swerve to pull them together again after the mixture separated?

      Reply
      • Marnell says

        October 19, 2017 at 6:36 pm

        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.

        Reply
        • Carolyn says

          October 20, 2017 at 8:07 am

          No, you won’t be able to fix it now unless you boil it all again.

          Reply
  9. Pam Forrester says

    December 15, 2014 at 10:52 pm

    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!!!

    Reply
  10. Pam Forrester says

    December 15, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 15, 2014 at 11:06 pm

      Please keep in mind that Swerve is not sugar. So it won’t work the way you are used to with sugar-based toffee.

      Reply
  11. Taste of Beirut says

    December 17, 2014 at 3:53 am

    This recipe looks like it could even work for people on the ketogenic diet. Very nice!

    Reply
  12. Kimberly says

    December 17, 2014 at 9:48 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Beth says

      January 4, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      Mine turned out awful…I cooked it twice… what did you do to get the toffee part right?

      Reply
  13. Deb says

    December 17, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    I don’t see any storage recommendations…fridge ? counter? And how long will it keep ?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 17, 2014 at 11:12 pm

      Counter for a few days. Fridge is fine too!

      Reply
  14. Kelli Green says

    December 18, 2014 at 10:10 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 18, 2014 at 5:01 pm

      I think they’d travel okay and would certainly last a week but they might be pretty crumbly once they get there!

      Reply
  15. Michelle says

    December 18, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 18, 2014 at 8:54 pm

      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.

      Reply
  16. Tabatha says

    December 21, 2014 at 12:19 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 21, 2014 at 9:40 am

      Sorry you didn’t love it.

      Reply
    • Kimberly says

      December 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm

      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!

      Reply
  17. Judy says

    December 21, 2014 at 8:16 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 21, 2014 at 9:39 am

      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!

      Reply
  18. Sherri says

    December 21, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    Can you substitute erythritol for swerve? Do not have swerve and would have to order it. Want to make for Christmas

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 22, 2014 at 8:26 am

      I think so, but as I say in the post, I can’t guarantee the results with anything but Swerve.

      Reply
  19. Nancie says

    December 22, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 22, 2014 at 2:57 pm

      Sure, I think it would be great that way!

      Reply
  20. Dee Gee says

    February 9, 2015 at 10:21 pm

    Its wonderful being able to have toffee again! Thanks so MUCH!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      February 9, 2015 at 11:11 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  21. shana says

    March 10, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      March 10, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Not sure, I really think that Truvia doesn’t caramelize as well as Swerve.

      Reply
  22. Jackie says

    December 15, 2015 at 12:26 am

    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!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 15, 2015 at 12:28 pm

      So glad to hear it!

      Reply
  23. Hannah says

    April 16, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    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

    Reply
  24. Pao says

    May 7, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    Hi,

    I am curious, do you think this would work to make toffee covered nuts?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      May 7, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      I think it would be perfect and have actually been envisioning something similar…

      Reply
  25. KELLY says

    September 5, 2016 at 1:37 pm

    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.

    Reply
  26. Tracey PERRY says

    November 26, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    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

    Reply
  27. Sharon wohlt says

    January 13, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    Why , in the break down for carbs per piece says 4. ? In the one at bottom of recipe says 21 carbs.?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 14, 2017 at 8:36 am

      Because Swerve has to count the “carbs” in erythritol, even though it doesn’t affect blood sugar.

      Reply
  28. Anne says

    January 17, 2017 at 8:50 am

    The recipe has disappeared. Would you please send it to me

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 17, 2017 at 9:36 am

      The recipe is still there, just click the link. I had no trouble this morning.

      Reply
  29. Herm says

    January 28, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Hello Carolyn, The link doesn’t work. Would you please email me the recipe. I sure wound appreciate it.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 29, 2017 at 8:45 am

      I am looking into it!

      Reply
  30. Sugarboo says

    June 1, 2017 at 11:32 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 2, 2017 at 7:06 am

      It’s really hard to say.

      Reply
  31. Lou Ann Benson says

    July 25, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      July 25, 2017 at 8:10 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Lou Ann Benson says

        July 25, 2017 at 8:18 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Sally says

          July 26, 2017 at 10:03 pm

          I also tried to find the recipe. So disappointed! Please let us know when the recipe is available again!!

          Reply
  32. Cliff says

    July 28, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    The recipe seems to have disappeared!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      July 28, 2017 at 8:34 pm

      I am aware of it and working on it!

      Reply
      • Cliff says

        July 28, 2017 at 8:35 pm

        Can you just remind me: quarter cup or half cup of butter? I remember the rest…

        Reply
        • Lou Ann Benson says

          July 28, 2017 at 9:28 pm

          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.

          Reply
          • Cliff says

            July 28, 2017 at 10:20 pm

            Thanks Lou Ann!!

  33. Megan says

    November 20, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    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…

    Reply
  34. duh the third says

    February 5, 2018 at 11:36 am

    Toffee by definition is sugar, so if it is sugar free then it is not toffee! Check your dictionary.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      February 5, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      Who cares, my friend! Only you. The rest of us are simply enjoying the sweet flavour of toffee without jeopardizing our health.

      Reply
    • Paul says

      February 5, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
  35. bobbi says

    December 16, 2018 at 9:59 am

    Would Ghee work in place of butter?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 16, 2018 at 11:19 am

      No idea. Sorry!

      Reply
  36. Rosemary Rickard says

    December 28, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      December 29, 2018 at 9:53 am

      Sorry you didn’t like it, but most people really enjoy it. To each his own.

      Reply
  37. KELLY says

    October 20, 2019 at 6:15 pm

    I LOVE ENGLISH TOFFEE, BUT IT’S HARD ON MY TEETH, CAN I MAKE THE ENGLISH TOFFEE SOFTER AND NOT HARD?.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 21, 2019 at 7:47 am

      Not this kind but I think you will find the texture not that hard on your teeth anyway. Erythritol doesn’t harden that way.

      Reply

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Carolyn PortraitLooking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

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