Our boss, Maxwell, is on a hunt. He is looking for the very, very best toffee in the country. A recipe would be great, but we're also looking for a great commercial source — somewhere that makes artisan-quality, incredibly yummy holiday toffee. Do you have a tip for us?
We love toffee, and for a few different reasons we'd like to find the very best sort in the country. Do you have a certain brand you swear by or that you order every year? Do you have any recommendations for small, artisan-quality companies that make a batch we could order? Pictured above, from left to right:
• English Butter Toffee, from Lands' End
• English Toffee, from Carousel Candies
• Vosges Toffee, from Neiman Marcus
Related: Recipe: Mailing Toffee
(Images: Lands' End, Carousel Candies, Neiman Marcus)

Comments (76)
Inspired to buy some of our most excellent local dairy products and make some.
Me too Kate! I thought, buy toffee? I'll make some toffee. My favorite toffee when I don't feel like making it here in Milwaukee is from our local grocer, Sendik's.
My favorite toffee is from a small shop from my hometown called Elan Candies. They are incredibly delicious and reasonably priced. Their site is at http://www.elancandy.com/
My grandma used to send milk chocolate almond toffee from Enstroms (in Colorado) to us every year. It is absolutely delicious, and they ship anywhere in the country. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now! :)
This is their Web site: http://www.enstrom.com/
I think the Amish have the BEST toffee, hands down!!!!
Foodstuffs, a mini-chain of gourmet food stores outside of Chicago, has the best toffee. http://www.foodstuffs.com/ItemDetails.aspx?i=253&r=%2fExclusively.aspx
Crunchy, chewy, and delicious.
Hmm, there's a Foodstuffs near my house. I'll have to pop in and check out the toffee. Thanks for the tip, lsg6223.
The best best best toffee by far is from Enstroms in Colorado (they do ship). We get a box each of milk and dark chocolate covered almond toffee every year. I can't wait...
http://www.luckychocolates.com/toffee.asp
Enstroms!
I'm biased because they are my neighbors, but Terry's Toffee in Chicago is fantastic. Traditional and non-traditional flavors, all delicious.
http://www.terrystoffee.com/index.php
My absolute favorite toffee is from Alfieri farms--they take part in San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmer's market, and they had out small pieces of toffee to lure customers to their stand. Incredible. I always hand out packets as stocking stuffers.
http://alfierifarms.hostasaurus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?
Terry's Toffee in Chicago! I joined this group just so I could leave this comment. www.terrystoffee.com
I have a correction to my previous post: Alfieri's is technically a brittle.
Years ago, my mother would get her tin of chocolate candy from her mother in Cincinnati, their church made batches of candy, put them in tins and sold them. The toffee was amazing and I went for it every time.
I think, when the weather dries and gets cooler, I will make my own batch.
Littlejohn's at the Fairfax Farmers' Market in LA (they also do mail order)
Poco Dolce in the "Dogpatch" neighborhood of San Francisco produces dark chocolate covered toffees "on the savory side of chocolate" Toffees spiked with exotic spices are coated in the best bittersweet chocolate and sprinkled with French grey sea salt.
http://www.pocodolce.com
If I'm not making my own I'm partial to Brown & Haley's Almond Roca, which is from my hometown of Tacoma.
I live outside Charlotte, NC & the BEST toffee that I've found locally is made by HoneyByrd Sweets(TM). This "mom & pop" business has the motto of "Homemade Candy for People". Their toffee is offered with a variety of chocolate/nut combinations & it is heavenly! Their website is www.honeybyrd.com & their toffee has also been available at lots of local farmers markets this year. Unfortunately, it appears that the availablity of this wonderful toffee will be limited thru the end of the year & production will be suspended from January thru September 2010. I sure wish that I'd squirreled some away...
This is a great local maker:
http://www.nashvilletoffeecompany.com/
We buy their toffees as gifts regularly.
As much as I love homemade toffee, I love not washing dishes even more. I highly recommend toffee from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. You can find it all over Colorado. http://bit.ly/8kadUS
garrison confections in RI makes some pretty amazing toffee. i'm sad they switched their business to web-only, because it means i can't stop by their store after work anymore, but should be fine for your search.
Though I haven't tried the others on this list, See's Victoria Toffee and Toffee-ettes never fail to delight me. :)
www.sees.com
I've recently found the first toffee I've really loved, Toffee by Audra, at our local market. This is one case in which I prefer the milk chocolate to the dark chocolate.
http://www.toffeefaery.com/
The description: "Using an old family recipe and only the finest ingredients, Toffee by Audra is a sweet, crunchy butter candy brimming with whole almonds, double coated with gourmet chocolate and dusted with crushed pecans."
Brandini Toffee!!! EXCELLENT Toffee!
http://www.brandinitoffee.com/
Hands down the best toffee I've ever had. The hazelnut is awesome!
http://twilastoffee.com
http://www.jomartchocolates.com/
My mom makes excellent toffee: www.queenskitchen.net
Alma is a couple blocks from my home, which may or may not be a good thing because their toffee is incredible:
http://www.almachocolate.com/
I highly recommend Littlejohn's in the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles. See's Candy also makes and excellent toffee.
The Chocolate Gecko's Komodo Crunch butter toffee. It is a local sweet shop (Albany, NY) and really, really good. Quality ingredients, made in small batches. We stocked it at the concession stand of the indie theater I used to work at, and people were super rabid fans.
http://www.chocolategecko.com/specialty_items.shtm
They also make a spicy toffee version that's on my must-taste list.
By far the best toffee I have ever tasted is made by this little company based in Beverly Hills (Truly Toffee). I first had their toffee while working on the set of my TV show, one of their people had provided us with free samples as part of the celebrity shwag we often get. The toffee caught most of our eyes because of the way it was displayed (very clean, elegant and enticing (big whole nuts jetting out of it, good color, etc)). I tasted it and must have put on 5 pounds that week as I filled my purse with the samples to take home. A few months later a friend told me that she saw Truly Toffee at a little shop in Sherman Oaks and so I went and bought some more (I forgot the name of the store, sorry :( ). I now buy it online from them, though I have to limit my orders as once it is open my family devours it.
I recently reached out to the owners to try and get them to sponsor a charity event of mine. They are very nice people and prepared a wonderful spread for us (and gave me a nice 10% lifetime coupon to satisfy my personal cravings!). I would strongly encourage you to reach out to them and have them send you some of their toffee for your own assessment, it is really great stuff...high class look but comfort-food-level comforting.
TrulyToffee.com. Contact info is on their site.
I don't know if I've ever had bad toffee-granted, some is better than others but all toffee is really good IMO.
Just went to their site Toffee and remembered the name of the store I bought it from in Sherman Oaks (Handmade Galleries). They have a press release about it on the site.
This toffee is made and sold in Austin - and stored in the freezer section. Delicious! http://austintoffee.com/
Nashville Toffee Company. Get it online or in Whole Foods by the chocolate counter.
See's!!!
I really like The Toffee Company in Houston, Texas. A nice little old man runs it, and the toffee is made with his recipe that he perfected over the years. It's delicious and practically melts in your mouth. It's not so crunchy that you have to break your teeth off trying to eat it... it's perfect. Literally.
Check him out.
The Toffee Company
359 N. Post Oak Lane, #126
Houston, Texas 77024
(713) 688-5531
http://www.toffeeco.com
Judy's Candy Co
www.judyscandy.com
1225 8th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710-1413
(510) 524-2430
Killer toffee, would love to duplicate it, but you can't buy it direct so I find it at local gourmet food shops.
Sees! http://www.sees.com/prod.cfm/Brittles_Toffees/Toffee_ettes
or Sees cashew brittle- white chocolate cashew toffee = Happy
The best toffee I know of comes from Vern's Toffee House in Fort Collins, CO. See www.vernstoffee.com for more info. My grandma used to buy boxes of it around the holidays when I was little and now that I have grown up and moved away I am still the lucky recipient of this amazing toffee now and then.
Cora Lee Candies in Glenview, IL, (northern Chicago 'burb).
www.coraleecandies.com
So good that my neighborhood squirrels were found dragging the box I was sent down my driveway. Thankfully my neighbor rescued it from the little beasties.
Giving a box to both of my co-workers for holiday gifts this year.
Hi,
My Dad and Step-mom make this English toffee by hand every day and sell it to local stores and direct from their website. Whenever they visit they bring a box and it literally doesn't last two days. It is so good. Please try some.
Seal Beach Toffee
A little bit unconventional, but absolutely delicious is Matzel Toff - toffee and chocolate covered matzah. The dark-chocolate version has a little bit of sea salt in the chocolate and is superb. www.matzaltoff.com
Engstroms. Always.
Terry's Toffee ftw!
http://www.terrystoffee.com/index.php
So many unconventional toffee flavors, and every one quite delicious. Toffee isn't my favorite, but I could eat a bucket of the stuff. (Not affiliated with them, but I live in Chicago, so I have to support the homeslice.)
Enstrom's toffee, which you can buy online here: http://www.enstrom.com/
My aunt bought my husband the toffee from The Red Apple Inn every year ... and I ate every piece.
http://redappleinn.com/candy.html
Tallgrass Toffee is the best! http://www.tallgrasstoffee.com
They've got lots of different flavors which are all crisp and delicious.
Let me echo the fans of Terry's Toffee. It's based in Chicago but they'll ship. The original recipe is based on one used by Terry's grandmother. Delicious beyond belief.
http://www.terrystoffee.com/index.php
If you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area then you must get your English Toffee fix from Chocolat Celeste!
http://store.chocolatceleste.com/
Enstrom's in Colorado. Absolutely.
Brandini Toffee is SO good. My favorite toffee!
Another vote for Enstrom's in Colorado...hands down the best toffee I've ever had.
Another great toffee from the Milwaukee I bring back to New York is from Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel.
http://www.qcbs.com/
Great thick chocolate and rich toffee that does not stuck to your teeth.
Enstrom's is it!
http://www.elbowchocolates.com/ The Roasted Almond or Toasted Pecan Toffee are to die for. So is everything else ;)!
Enstrom's in Grand Junction, CO--hands down!
Nashville Toffee Company
Brandini Toffee! www.brandinitoffee.com The only toffee company in the country to ever to win the Gold Sofi for outstanding chocolate by the NASFT. It has also been recognized by both Oprah & Martha. Oh...and it was created by teenagers.
OOOH! PLEASE try Terry's Toffee. terrystoffee.com - in Chicago. It's all handmade by a recipe Terry's grandmother created.
I recommend the Asian Accent and Peppermint Pistachio Crunch, oh and the original toffee....ah it's all delicious. :)
Best of luck on your hunt!
the best is the almond fleur de sel milk chocolate from valerie confections in los angeles
its what all the a listers order for favors and parties.
http://www.valerieconfections.com/flavours.php?fid=1
Another vote for Enstroms!
Roni-Sue's Chocolates in NYC, hands down! go try it, it is absolutely the best.
www.ronisue.com
Sweet Margy's toffee outshines Enstrom's, Terry's, Cora Lee without question! Tiny company, EVERYTHING is handmade by Sweet Margy herself. Toffee isn't tacky, doesn't stick to your teeth, and itsn't overly sweet. I dream about the dark chocolate toffee! http://www.confectiondiva.com/
extereme chocolates in Salem, OR makes wonderful chocolate dipped almond toffee!
http://www.extremechocolates.com/index.html
My vote goes to Terrys Toffee in Chicago. They have the best flavors and biscotti too!
Terry's Toffee in Chicago is the absolute best I've ever had. The classic McCall's dark is my fave. But I love the Peppermint Pistachio too.
Another vote for Terry's Toffee! This toffee started with a family recipe and has evolved into a line of exotic flavors that have been included in the celebrity swag bags at the Academy Awards. Some of my favorites are the Chai-cago Spice and Peanut Butter Chocolate. If you live in Chicago and stop by the store, you can taste a sample of the many flavors -- it makes the visit extra special (and sweet!). The toffee is "out of this world" delicious, and Terry and Michael are amazing guys -- perfectionists about their product and the customer experience. They are also incredibly charitable, supporting numerous causes including breast cancer. We'll be serving Terry's Toffee at our wedding in June, and we can't wait to spoil our guests with a spread of these scrumptious bites. Order Terry's Toffee today...you'll never look back!
Terry's Toffe in Chicago rocks!!!
Another vote for Toffee by Audra! They sell at the local farmers' market and at a bunch of stores around Central Illinois. Rumor has it they're going to internet sales this spring, too. I can't wait! I didn't really care for toffee until I had Audra's. Now, she can count me as one of her "addicts"!
www.toffeefaery.com
Tootski's Toffee is the best toffee made in Madison, Wisconsin. It is carried in stores around the state but also on Foodzie.com. It is a hand.crafted artisan toffee made in small batches with real Wisconsin butter and honestly the best toffee you will ever taste. It is truly amazing. Milk and dark chocolate almond...the originals!
www.tootskistoffee.com
Heavenly Treats Toffee! best ever...made one batch at a time! People can't get enough once they start eating it!
Nuts Over Toffee, located on the Gul Coast, is by far the best!! People swear they're addicted after the first bite...hence the tag line "Feed Your Addiction." Only the freshest ingredients are used and it's made one batch at a time, insuring top quality flavor. Nuts Over Toffe is a must to check out!
www.NutsOverToffee.com
OMG..Nuts Over Toffee at http://www.nutsovertoffee.com is to die for. The Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Dark Chocolate Cranberry and White Chocolate toffee are all delicious, and made only with Ghiardelli chocolate. It's a new candy company but a real up and comer, located in NW Florida.
I just received a box of Tootski's Toffee and it was the absolute best! Chocolate and nuts on both sides and it did not stick to my teeth. The butter flavor and roasted almonds made all of the difference. They get my vote!
http://www.tootskistoffee.com