Attention all bacon lovers! My Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee is made with layers of rich, buttery toffee, semi-sweet chocolate, toasted pecans, and crumbled bacon for the perfect sweet and salty treat.
Do you have a bacon lover in your household? Wait. What am I saying?? Who doesn’t have a bacon lover in their household! Heck, you’re probably a bacon lover yourself! Well…do I have the perfect treat for you!
This Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee is perfection in every way. It has a foundation layer of buttery, sugary, rich toffee topped with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate, topped with toasted pecans and…wait for it…bacon! Then the whole thing is drizzled with white chocolate just for good measure.
If I do say so myself, this sweet buttery toffee and chocolate combination with the rich, toasted pecans and salty, luscious bacon is something just this side of nirvana. It’s one of those bites that will make your eyes roll back in your head and keep you coming back for more…and more…and more.
— This post was originally published on February 11, 2014 and was sponsored by Smithfield.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop & Microwave
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 24
Primary Ingredient(s): Butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips, pecans, bacon
Skill Level: Easy
What Makes This Recipe Special
This recipe builds on what you already love about homemade toffee, then adds a few well-chosen layers that make it memorable. The buttery toffee base is deeply caramelized, topped with smooth melted chocolate and finished with toasted pecans. The bacon adds a salty, savory contrast that keeps the sweetness from feeling too heavy. It’s straightforward, balanced, and hard to resist, which is exactly what good toffee should be.
How to Make Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee
Be sure to do all your prep work before you start making the toffee. To toast the pecans, put them in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes. Take the pecans out of the oven and let them cool.
Pro Tip
I rarely cook bacon in a skillet on top of the stove. I learned years ago about the method that restaurants use to cook massive amounts of bacon in the oven and that’s the way I almost always do it.
Simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper (but that’s optional; I just do it because I’m lazy, and it limits the amount of cleanup needed later) and line the bacon up with the edges overlapping very slightly. Put it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, turning the bacon over halfway through the cooking time.
I know lots of people put a cooling rack in the pan and the bacon on top of that, but I don’t see the need. It works just fine for me without the rack. Plus, that rack is hard to clean after bacon has been cooked on it.
Roughly crumble the bacon into about 1/2-inch pieces.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set it aside for now.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter and sugar over medium low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees (crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
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Notes and Tips on Cooking Toffee
- Cooking toffee takes a while. As much as 20 to 30 minutes depending on your stove, atmospheric conditions, and the alignment of the planets. However, it’s not difficult. You just have to have a little patience and keep stirring. Whatever you do, though, do not be tempted to turn the heat up higher to shorten the cooking time. High heat will burn the mixture and you’ll have to start over.
- If you’re like me (i.e., really old-fashioned) you can use the ice water test for crack stage instead of a candy thermometer. I trust my ice water testing more than a thermometer any day. To do an ice water test, put a couple of ice cubes with maybe a 1/4 cup of water in a little bowl. While cooking the toffee, periodically dribble a couple of drops into the ice water. Give it a few seconds to completely cool and then feel and taste it. It will go through stages from soft ball (like a really soft caramel) all the way to hard crack (like peanut brittle). I stop cooking toffee just shy of hard crack when it still has a tiny bit of give but is not soft at all.
- This toffee mixture is really hot. It will burn you badly if you get it on your skin or try to taste it straight from the cooking spoon. Do Not Do That. Be very careful to keep your hands away from the hot, boiling, sugar and butter mixture, and for Pete’s sake don’t try to taste it until it’s completely cool. Okay?
Immediately pour the hot toffee onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out with a wooden spoon or spatula. Allow the toffee to cool for 3-4 minutes.
Distribute the chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the still warm toffee. Let the chips sit for 2-3 minutes until they begin to melt.
Using a knife or offset spatula, spread the chocolate over the toffee. I used mini chocolate chips because they melt faster, but the regular ones work fine, too. They’ll just take an additional minute or two to completely melt.
Sprinkle the chocolate layer evenly with the toasted pecans and crumbled bacon. Very lightly press the pecans and bacon into the surface of the chocolate.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the candy is completely chilled.
Place the white chocolate chips and oil in a small bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir until all chips are melted.
Spoon the melted white chocolate into a disposable quart size plastic bag. Press the chocolate down into one corner of the bag. Twist the top of the bag. Snip off a tiny bit of the corner of the bag.
Drizzle the white chocolate all over the cold toffee. Return the pan to the refrigerator until the white chocolate has set. Break into shards.
Storing the Toffee
Once the toffee has fully set, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Keep the container in a cool, dry place away from heat or direct sunlight. If your kitchen runs warm, the toffee can be refrigerated, but let it come back to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
For longer storage, the toffee freezes well. Layer pieces between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.
Questions About Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee
Graininess in homemade candies is usually caused by sugar crystals forming during cooking. This can happen if the mixture is stirred too much, the heat is too high, or if sugar crystals cling to the sides of the pan and fall back in. Using steady heat and avoiding unnecessary stirring helps prevent this.
The number one reason is using inferior chocolate. I’ve noticed some big, national brands (I’m looking at you, Nestle) have changed their recipe in the recent past, and their chocolate chips simply do not melt right anymore. I strongly urge you to use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips for the best result.
A second reason could be if the toffee cools too much before the chocolate is added, the chocolate may not melt evenly. Be sure to add the chocolate while the toffee is still quite hot.
Yes, of course. Almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts all work well here.
More Recipes You’ll Like
Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Bark
Saltine Cracker Toffee
Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy
Classic Homemade Peanut Brittle
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Recipe
Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips regular or mini
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted
- 6 slices crispy bacon crumbled
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Before beginning to make the toffee, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter and sugar over medium low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees (crack stage) on a candy thermometer.1 cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar
- Immediately pour the hot toffee onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Allow the toffee to cool for 3-4 minutes.
- Distribute the chocolate chips evenly over the warm toffee. Let the chips sit for 2-3 minutes to melt. Using a knife or offset spatula, spread the chocolate over the toffee.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sprinkle the chocolate layer evenly with the toasted pecans and crumbled bacon. Very gently press the pecans and bacon into the surface of the chocolate.1/2 cup pecans, 6 slices crispy bacon
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until completely chilled.
- Place the white chocolate chips and oil in a small bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir until all chips are melted.1/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
- Spoon the melted white chocolate into a disposable quart size plastic bag. Press the chocolate down into one corner of the bag. Twist the top of the bag. Snip off a tiny bit of the corner of the bag. Drizzle all over the cold toffee.
- Return to the refrigerator until the white chocolate has set. Break into shards.
Notes
- Please see the “Notes and Tips on Cooking Toffee” section within the post for lots of good information.
- If using a candy thermometer, cook the toffee to 300°F (hard crack stage). If you don’t have a thermometer, use the old-fashioned cold water test described in the post.
- Add the chocolate while the toffee is still hot so it melts and spreads easily.
- Store finished toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze with parchment between layers for longer storage.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Hi Lana. Greetings from Northwest Florida, Panama City Beach FL. I was just wondering if you have any Keto/Low Carb/Sugar Free recipes? If you have made this one that way or have any suggestions of conversions?
This toffee looks “to die for”. My favorite candy!! I will have to try this.
Oh wow, I know I would love these. Yum!
Do you have a small red heart shaped tin? If so, please fill and send to me for Valentine’s Day, or for next Tuesday. Just send.
Miss P
Ha! You should try this. It’s so, so good.
I love the way you explain how to make this candy. Step-by-step. Thank you for all of your recipes.
Thank you for saying that, Maxine! I sometimes wonder if I go into too much detail, but not everyone is familiar with candy making so I thought it useful.
THIS RECIPE sounds FANTASTIC!!! Would never have thought to put bacon on toffee. You are soooo creative. Can’t wait to make a batch of this.
This really is so good! That salty bacon taste with the chocolate and toffee is really something.
very fun! and this is a bacon dessert I might actually dare to try! ;)
I just bet you’d like this, Jane!
Sounds fantastic; perfect for munching on while you are snowbound!
It is just about perfect, Barbara. I rewarded myself with a little piece after dinner tonight :-)