Indulge in the decadent simplicity of these Easy Chocolate Toffee Squares. Made with a brown sugar shortbread crust, melted chocolate and toasted pecans, each bite delivers a medley of buttery, sweet, and nutty notes. They are a cookie-candy bar hybrid that's perfect for the holidays and to give as gifts.
These bars are a cross between shortbread cookies and English toffee, with a layer of velvety chocolate. A sprinkling of toasted pecans adds the perfect nutty crunch..
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Essential Ingredients
Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work here. Dark brown sugar will give the crust a little more flavor.
Chocolate chips: I use semisweet chocolate chips, but you could also use dark chocolate, milk chocolate or butterscotch-flavored chips here as well.
Pecans: My choice is pecans for these bars, but you can also use walnuts.
How to make
1. In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and salt and beat until blended (A). The dough will look dry and flaky, but continue to mix until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball.
2. Transfer the dough to a 13-x 9-x 2-inch rimmed baking sheet and press into an even layer across over the bottom (B). Bake until lightly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top (C). Let the chocolate melt, then spread the chocolate over the entire top (D).
4. Put the pecan in a small skillet over medium heat to toast for about 3 minutes. Once they’ve started to slightly darken, remove from heat and chop into small pieces. Sprinkle the nuts over the top of the chocolate.
5. Cut the toffee into squares while still warm, then allow to cool for the chocolate to set.
Recipe tips
- Be sure to add the chocolate chips to the crust while it's still warm so the chips will melt.
- Toasting the nuts while the shortbread crust is baking, then chop them finely. This little extra step makes a big difference in the flavor of these cookie bars.
- Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate while it's still a little warm so they will stick.
- This recipe can be made gluten-free if you substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour in the crust. The texture of the crust will be a little softer, but will still have the same great taste.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, freeze the bars can in heavy-duty zipper type freezer bags or in a freezer safe container. Separate the layers with waxed paper so the bars don’t stick.
Yes, they can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store them in an airtight container, with waxed paper between the layers, at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.
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Easy Chocolate Toffee Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 8 oz. chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and salt and beat until blended. The dough will look dry and flaky, but continue to mix until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a 13-x 9-x 2-inch rimmed baking sheet and press into an even layer across over the bottom. Bake until lightly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let the chocolate melt, then spread the chocolate over the entire top.
- Put the pecan in a small skillet over medium heat to toast for about 3 minutes. Once they’ve started to slightly darken, remove from heat and chop into small pieces. Sprinkle the nuts over the top of the chocolate.
- Cut the toffee into squares while still warm, then allow to cool for the chocolate to set.
Notes
Nutrition
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