What Are The Differences Between Caramel And Toffee?

The difference between caramel and toffee is a gray area. They taste similar because they have some overlapping ingredients. Caramel can be just sugar but may also contain butter, or cream — sometimes with vanilla extract and salt. Incorporating cream leads to milky undertones and a milder taste. Similarly, toffee uses butter, sugar, and often a pinch of salt. The result is a more intense punch of toasty flavor. 

While the tastes differ slightly, the texture is what really sets them apart, and it all comes down to the final temperature and concentration of the sugar in each candy. As it heats, that concentration increases. which determines whether the candy will be malleable (soft ball stage) or brittle (hard crack stage). 

For caramel to become a sauce, it only needs to reach the thread stage (215 to 235 degrees Fahrenheit), which is followed by the soft ball stage (235 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit) — perfect for caramel fudge. Simmering it slightly longer to the firm ball stage (245 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit) creates a chewy but soft confection. Toffee requires higher temperatures, skipping the next couple stages (namely, hard-ball at 250 to 265 degrees Fahrenheit and soft-crack stage at 270 to 290). Ideally, toffee should reach the hard-crack stage (300 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit), producing a brittle sweet with a discernable snap. You can also make toffee into a syrup, like in sticky toffee pudding, but it's much more common to see it as a brittle.

Due to their subtle differences in flavor and texture, both are easily incorporated into a variety of desserts. For example, add swirls of caramel sauce to buttercream to the ultimate chocolate cake. Or, make the perfect homemade buttery sauce to swirl a decadent taste into your favorite iced coffee, nitro, or cold brew. Make and wrap melt-in-your-mouth salted caramel candies for the ultimate homemade gift. Add spices at the end of the cooking process, like cinnamon for a warming treat or lavender for a springy, floral touch. Placing small cut-up chunks of soft caramel candies into cookie dough will make gooey pockets of caramel throughout. 

Meanwhile, tossing a cup of broken-up salted pine nut toffee brittle into your favorite cookie dough is a nutty, crunchy take. Toffee sweet also works as a base for spreading melted chocolate and chopped nuts on top to create homemade brittle – which is the perfect way to up your Passover dessert game. Incorporate more texture into soft desserts, like ice cream, by sprinkling on toffee bits for a surprise pop of rich flavor.