Name: Treacle toffee recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves: 10
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 350g salted butter, softened; 200g black treacle; 425g dark brown muscovado sugar; 397g can condensed milk

By Rosie Conroy

last updated 26 September 2023

in Recipes

Treacle toffee is ready to share in 50 minutes and is perfect for bonfire night or Halloween celebrations.

The combination of black treacle and dark brown sugar gives this treacle toffee a gorgeous dark colour and a delicious rich flavour. It’s not as sweet as classic toffee but has deep caramel notes. It’s a very traditional sweet for Guy Fawkes Night and is sometimes called plot toffee, or claggum in Scotland.

Ingredients

350g salted butter, softened
200g black treacle
425g dark brown muscovado sugar
397g can condensed milk

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Method

Gently melt the butter, treacle, sugar and milk in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. If you stir too often you risk the sugar crystallizing which will result in a grainy treacle toffee.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth turn up the heat to high and boil to 130C, stirring so the mixture doesn’t catch and burn on the bottom.
Once your toffee mixture has reached 130C, pour into a 24cm x 32 cm baking dish lined with buttered greaseproof paper and leave to sit for 10 minutes before putting in the fridge to set.
Once set, bash with a rolling pin to break up and serve, or alternatively pop into little bags as gifts for friends.

Watch how to make treacle toffee

Top tips for making treacle toffee

Once you’ve finished making treacle toffee, it’s best to clean the pan and thermometer straight away. Simply fill the pan with water and bring to the boil until the sugar lifts and dissolves. You should then be able to clean the pan with hot soapy water. Repeat if some bits remain.

If you'd prefer neat pieces of toffee, when it is cool but not completely set, use an oiled knife to score the toffee into squares. Don't cut all the way through. Once set you'll be able to snap into pieces. Continue reading for more treacle toffee tips.

Is bonfire toffee the same as treacle toffee?

Yes, treacle toffee is sometimes referred to as Bonfire toffee because it is traditionally eaten at this time of year.

Why did my treacle toffee turn out soft?

This happened when you undercook the toffee, leaving you with a much chewier texture. It will still taste nice - you just won't get the crack texture, so make sure to measure the temperature accurately with a sugar thermometer.

Can you overcook treacle toffee?

Yes, leave it bubbling too long and you can burn the toffee, leading to a bitter taste. Once it's overcooked, you can't rescue it, so make sure to gently stir it as you cook, and be ready to pour it out when it reaches the correct temperature.

Help! My toffee has separated - how can I fix it?

Sometimes toffee separates into two layers, either in the pan, or when you pour it into the cooling tin. The top layer will be oily (like melted butter) and the low layer will be thicker solids. Using salted butter helps to prevent this, but it can still happen. Make sure you stir the mixture regularly but not vigorously and being to rough can cause separation. To rectify, lower the temperature and keep gently stirring until it comes back together.

For the best results we recommend using a sugar thermometer such as this one from Tala so you can accurately read the temperature of the toffee.

For more seasonal inspiration and Halloween food ideas, check out our adorable Rice Krispie pumpkins. We also have some ideas for what to do with leftover pumpkin to ensure nothing goes to waste!

Rosie is an experienced food and drinks journalist who has spent over a decade writing about restaurants, cookery, and foodie products. Previously Content Editor at Goodto.com and Digital Food Editor on Woman&Home, Rosie is well used to covering everything from food news through to taste tests. Now, as well as heading up the team at SquareMeal - the UK's leading guide to restaurants and bars - she also runs a wedding floristry business in Scotland called Lavender and Rose.