The holiday season is right in front of us and while it will almost certainly be different, I’m already thinking of special things I can cook to make the holidays feel normal. Toffee is on the list! I love having a big bowl of toffee during the holidays for snacking and treats. This Cashew Toffee version is my new favorite obsession.

Toffee isn’t particularly hard to make at home and requires just a few ingredients, but many people do have a mental block to making candy. If you have a decent thermometer though it becomes easy.

The thing that makes this recipe awesome though is the cashews. I toast them in a skillet and then finely chop half of the cashews. Those form an almost crust for the bottom of the toffee. The whole cashews are sprinkled on top for some mega crunch! Oh… and chocolate chips because, well, chocolate!

I loved being able to find all these ingredients at my local Safeway. They offer affordable and high-quality products on every aisle. Their exclusive Signature SELECT™ products (what I used for this recipe) are always high-quality and come at an amazing value compared to other brands

I buy my Signature SELECT products in my area exclusively at Safeway, but you can also find them throughout the Albertsons Companies family of stores including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway.

Safeway also offers Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop!

Visit Safeway.com to find a store near you and discover meal prep tips and recipe ideas.

How to Toast Cashews

Toasting cashews makes a big difference for this recipe. It brings out a lot of the delicious nutty flavors of the cashews.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add whole cashews and toast until cashews are fragrant and lightly browned, maybe 4-5 minutes. Stir regularly and ensure they don’t burn. Remove cashews from the skillet and divide into two bowls.

Finely chop half of the cashews.

Toasting Cashews for toffee.

How to Make the Caramel for Toffee

In a medium pot over medium heat, add the sugar, butter, and water. Bring mixture up to a simmer and stir to ensure sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy mixture reaches the soft crack phase for candy (about 290˚F).

Starting Caramel for Toffee

I like to use a digital thermometer to ensure the proper temperature. This will probably take 10-12 minutes of cooking at least. Take your time and don’t cook it too quickly or you risk burning the sugar.

This was my finished caramel sauce!

Caramel sauce getting made.

How to Finish the Cashew Toffee

Spread chopped cashews out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper along with half of the mini chocolate chips. This makes a great base for the toffee to stick to.

Making toffee with Parchment paper

Pour on the caramel and spread it out and then top with whole cashews and a few extra chocolate chips!

Easy Cashew Toffee

Let this cool completely in the fridge and then break it into big chunks!

Cashew Toffee Homemade

Storage Tips

It’s fine to keep the toffee at room temperature for a few days, but I prefer to keep it in the fridge for longer storage so it stays nice and crunchy.

This is a great thing to package up and gift to friends and family for holiday treats or add it to your annual cookie plates!

Cashew Toffee

Easy Cashew Toffee

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 10 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Homemade toffee! Perfect for snacking on or giving as gifts this holiday season. This easy toffee recipe is jam-packed with salted cashews!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups Cashews, divided
  • 1 ½ cups Sugar
  • 1 ½ cups butter
  • ¼ cups water
  • 8 ounces mini chocolate chips, divided
  • Parchment paper

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add whole cashews and toast until cashews are fragrant and lightly browned, maybe 4-5 minutes. Stir regularly and ensure they don’t burn. Remove cashews from the skillet and divide into two bowls. Finely chop half of the cashews.
  • Spread chopped cashews out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper along with half of the mini chocolate chips.
  • In a medium pot over medium heat, add the sugar, butter, and water. Bring mixture up to a simmer and stir to ensure sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy mixture reaches the soft crack phase for candy (about 290˚F). I like to use a digital thermometer to ensure the proper temperature. This will probably take 10-12 minutes of cooking at least. Take your time and don’t cook it too quickly or you risk burning the sugar.
  • When the candy reaches the proper temperature, pour it over the chopped cashews and chocolate chips on the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the toffee with whole toasted cashews and more chocolate chips.
  • Let the toffee cool for a few minutes at room temperature and then transfer to the fridge to cool completely and harden. Then break toffee into chunks and store in an airtight container.
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  • It’s fine to keep the toffee at room temperature for a few days, but I prefer to keep it in the fridge for longer storage so it stays nice and crunchy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 902IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Desserts, Snack Time
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crunchtimekitchen