Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Full of rich chocolate goodness with nutty bursts throughout, thanks to the toffee.
TEXTURE: Chewy, gooey, fudgy brownies with delightfully crunchy bits from the toffee pieces and chocolate chips.
EASE: So easy! You don’t even need a mixer for this recipe.
PROS: A quick, delicious brownie recipe.
CONS: None.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? I’ve already made these brownies SO many times!
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Though I’ve published more than 50 (!!!) brownie recipes in the past 15 years, I still find inspiration to develop new flavors.
Little did I know just how popular this new recipe would be!
I originally published this Toffee Brownies recipe in 2013, but it needed a overhaul. So, I went to the kitchen! After a few tweaks, I sent a batch to Joe’s workplace, only to receive an empty pan with unanimous feedback demanding another round of “taste testing.”
I’m not exaggerating – I’ve made these brownies over 10 times since creating the recipe because people keep asking me to make them.
And I don’t mind one bit. These brownies are everything I want in a dessert!
They’re quick and easy to make. They’re chocolate-forward (a definite win in my book). They’re rich and chewy with crunchy toffee throughout – aka texture heaven.
Give these brownies a try the next time you need a chocolate fix (so, right now, right? 😉). You won’t be disappointed!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Toffee Brownies
What Type of Chocolate Chips Should I Use in Brownies?
Semi-sweet is my favorite, but feel free to fold in any variety of chocolate chips you prefer. Whatever you do, don’t skip the chocolate chips! They help to develop that shiny crust on top of brownies. Learn more about the shiny crust on brownies here.
The Toffee in Toffee Brownies
You can use store-bought or homemade! For extra gourmet brownies, use my Homemade Toffee Bits recipe. You can also use Heath brand English toffee bits (as pictured below), available in supermarkets by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.
Using Butter + Oil in Toffee Brownies
- With any cocoa powder-based brownie recipe, we need quite a bit of fat to prevent the cocoa powder from drying the brownies out and making them crumbly.
- These brownies use a combination of melted butter and oil for the best balance of taste and texture.
- I typically use vegetable oil, but any flavorless oil should work – just make sure your oil is fresh to avoid a rancid flavor.
- Check out my side-by-side baking experiments comparing Butter vs. Oil in Baking here.
Why is There Cornstarch in Brownies?
I have found that adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch makes brownies thick and chewy, like box mix brownies, and improves the shiny crust on top – so don’t skip this ingredient. Learn more about that shiny crust on the top of brownies here.
The Sugar in Toffee Brownies
We’re using a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar in this Toffee Brownie recipe. This creates a flavorful brownie with plenty of moisture, without adding too much moisture. It also complements the caramelized toasty flavors of the toffee perfectly.
Can I Reduce the Sugar in These Brownies?
- Don’t reduce the amount of sugar in Toffee Brownies unless you want dry and crumbly brownies.
- Reducing the sugar will also result in a dull (not shiny) crust.
- The sweetness will mellow as the brownies cool and set.
- If you’re worried these brownies will be too sweet for your preference, simply use dark or bittersweet chocolate chips to help balance the sweetness without ruining the texture of the brownies.
- Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here. (spoiler alert: sugar does so much more than just sweeten!)
What’s The Best Pan for Baking Brownies?
I highly recommend using a light-colored metal 8×8-inch baking pan like this one, lined with foil or parchment paper. Do not use glass, silicone, or ceramic pans for baking brownies. Learn why in my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article here.
Can I Double This Toffee Brownie Recipe?
Yes – simply double all ingredients and bake in a light-colored metal 9×13 metal pan, adding a few minutes to the bake time.
How to Cut Toffee Brownies for Clean Slices
For perfect slices, allow brownies to cool fully (chilled is even better!). Use a sharp knife and run it under hot water, carefully wiping it off in between each cut.
How to Store Toffee Brownies?
Toffee Brownies taste best the day they are baked but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. When chilled, they become even more fudgy!
Can You Freeze Toffee Brownies?
Yes! Brownies freeze beautifully. Freeze the whole slab or individual slices by wrapping in plastic wrap and storing inside a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature before serving.
More Brownie Recipes You’ll Love:
- Best Ever Chewy Brownies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Brown Butter Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Raspberry Brownies
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Toffee Brownies
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (74 grams) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder1
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips2, divided
- 1 cup (170 grams)
toffee bits3, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter. Microwave for about 1 minute, or until the butter is melted. Whisk in the sugars then let cool to just warm. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Whisk in the oil and cocoa powder.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits, reserving a handful of each.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with extra toffee bits and chocolate chips. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies are set and a cake tester inserted into the center has moist crumbs attached. If you prefer a less fudgy brownie, bake an additional 5-7 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center has only melted chocolate attached. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.4
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2024 with a new and improved recipe, photos, and more baking tips. Photography by Joanie Simon.
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I have a question- I don’t see any nuts in the recipe but the description says nutty taste. The toffee recipe sounds delicious but it doesn’t have nuts either. Am I missing something?
Hi Robin! You’re absolutely right; there are no nuts in this recipe. However, toffee is a mixture of butter and sugar that is cooked down until it caramelizes and hardens. Some describe the flavor of this caramelized candy as sweet and ‘nutty’, similar to butterscotch. Feel free to use some nuts in there, too, if preferred – I’d recommend substituting some of the chocolate chips for toasted pecans or walnuts – just keep the total amount of mix-ins about the same as listed in the recipe. I hope this, and I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! Happy baking! 🙂
I have a question about the thick and fudgy toffee brownies ingredients
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 sticks of butter or 6 ounces, sticks of butter are 8 ounces, so would you use 12 ounces of butter if the recipe calls for 1 1/2 sticks
Sticks of butter are 4 oz each. So, it was correct in the recipe.
These look amazing Tessa, but I don’t know what ‘toffee bits’ are. It’s not something I’m familiar with here in Australia.
Toffee is like a Carmelized sugar that is cooked at a high temperature so it’s like candy (you make it in a big sheet and break it into pieces. You can buy toffee bits here in the baking section where you buy chocolate chips.
Hi Tessa, would it be okay to put white chocolate chips/macadamias in the brownie mix before baking? Thank you!!
Is the recipe no longer available? I don;t see it here.
These look amazing!!! Want to make these today for a special after school snack for the kiddos (10 of them) I have The Pampered Chef 11×17 bar pan I want to use. Would doubling the recipe work for this pan?
I have made these brownies many, many times and they taste even better than they look! If you like fudge, you will never need to bother looking for another brownie recipe. I have used toffee bits but I’ve also used pecans or walnuts or crushed peppermint candy canes at Christmas.
Long-time baker here, who had to bake these a l-o-n-g t-i-m-e! 55 minutes, to be exact, and the toothpick was still tipped with liquid chocolate when I finally took them out (I was worried that the outside edges would be too hard… they were perfect). Consequently, they sank in the middle – but we all enjoyed one for dessert tonight. Think I’ll be freezing half of them, since they’re so very decadent. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Laura – I’m curious, can you tell me what kind of baking pan you used?
Hi Tessa, would it be okay to put white chocolate chips/macadamias in the brownie mix before baking? Thank you!
Can I make.these without the toffee bits?
Of course!