Almond Roca Recipe

This homemade Almond Roca recipe is crunchy, sweet, super easy to make and perfect for wrapping up and gifting to friends and family. This buttery toffee with crunchy almonds and rich chocolate puts all other toffee recipes to shame!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Crunchy, Chocolatey Almond Roca Recipe
• What Is Almond Roca?
• What You’ll Need
• How to Make Almond Roca Candy
• Helpful Tips
• Storing Almond Roca
• Can I Freeze This?
• More Indulgent Homemade Candy Recipes
• Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Crunchy, Chocolatey Almond Roca Recipe

It’s finally candy-makin’ time! At my house, December is all about the cookies and candies. Here’s why you’ll love this Almond Roca:

• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Goodness: This candy is absolutely luscious. There’s nothing like rich, buttery toffee and crunchy almonds!
• Easy and Simple: Some desserts are a bit challenging to whip up, but not this! Almond Roca is a breeze to make.
• Share the Love: If you love giving away cookies and candy, seriously, you need to make this! It’s a fantastic gift.
• Can’t-Stop-Eating Delicious: One warning: this chocolatey treat is also addictively delicious. One piece is never enough!
• Get Creative: While it’s perfectly yummy as-is, feel free to add whatever finishing touches you like. Drizzle dark chocolate, sprinkle some sea salt, or add a few edible gold-leaf flakes for a beautiful presentation.

If you love this easy chocolate bark, you will also probably enjoy this classic pecan Christmas crack and this chocolate peanut butter bark.

What Is Almond Roca?

If you’ve never had Almond Roca, it’s so good! Made with almond butter toffee, almonds, and chocolate, it’s a bit like your favorite chocolate-covered English toffee. You’ll find all of the flavors of fresh, crunchy almonds, creamy chocolate, and sugary-sweet, buttery toffee in this easy Almond Roca recipe.

What You’ll Need

• Unsalted Butter: This is the base of the toffee mixture, and provides the rich, buttery flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar caramelizes during cooking, giving the toffee layer that classic caramel-y crunch.
• Water
• Molasses: Adds depth of flavor and helps with the texture. I use regular molasses here.
• Chopped Toasted Almonds, Divided: Some almonds are mixed into the toffee, while others are sprinkled on top for texture.
• Milk Chocolate Bars, Unwrapped: Milk chocolate adds a creamy, melting contrast, but feel free to use dark chocolate if you prefer!

How to Make Almond Roca Candy

This process is simple, but it does take a little bit of time, so make sure you budget enough time to make the toffee, assemble the bark, and let it cool down. It’s also helpful to read the directions once or twice, so that you have an idea of the process before you get started.

• Prepare: Line a 9×13 inch cookie sheet (or a 9×13 cake pan) with parchment paper or waxed paper and set it aside.
• Toffee: In a nonstick saucepan, combine your butter, sugar, water, and molasses. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon. Use a candy thermometer to cook it until it reaches 295°F, stirring regularly. (This should take about 20 minutes. Don’t turn up the heat or the toffee will burn!)
• Assemble: Once the toffee reaches 295°F, remove it from the heat and stir in a cup of almonds. Pour the candy into your pan, and line up the chocolate bars on top so that they melt over the candy. Use a spatula to swirl the melted chocolate to the edges, and then sprinkle the rest of the almonds on top.
• Cool: Let the candy cool and harden. You can let it sit overnight, or pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
• Enjoy! Break the bark into pieces and store or serve.

Helpful Tips

These helpful recipe tips are tried-and-true lessons that I learned while developing this recipe. I’m sharing them here so your Almond Roca turns out just right. Read on, and happy cooking!

• Know Your Recipe: You might have heard that candy can be hard to make, but in this case, it’s only difficult if you don’t follow directions. (I know from experience! When I was learning to make toffee and caramel, there were definitely times where I decided to wing it without a candy thermometer… and wound up with a big pan of burnt toffee in my sink.) Make sure to measure and follow the instructions as written, and you’ll be golden.
• Stir, Stir, Stir: Make sure that you use a wooden spoon or spatula, not a whisk. You have to keep slowly stirring the toffee as it cooks, which makes this a good recipe to make with a friend. That way, you have someone to chat with while you stand there stirring – and they can take a turn stirring, too!
• Make Ahead: This recipe holds up great for about a week, which is great if you want to give it as a gift. Just wrap it up in your favorite tin with some parchment or wax paper. Make sure to cool it completely before packaging it.
• Chocolate Chips: I used Hershey’s chocolate bars because they work perfectly to lay right on top of the toffee layer, but chocolate chips will work just as well! Just scatter them evenly, let them melt, and spread into an even layer.

Storing Almond Roca

This easy candy does not need to be refrigerated – how cool is that? Just keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. You can use a cookie tin, a plastic food storage container, or just a zip-top bag.

Can I Freeze This?

Yes! You can freeze Almond Roca for up to three months. Place the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate, and freeze until solid (this should only take an hour or two). Once frozen, transfer the candy to an airtight container or freezer bag, using parchment paper between layers if needed. When you’re ready to serve, let the bark thaw for a few minutes at room temperature, and enjoy!

More Indulgent Homemade Candy Recipes

• Almond Joy Truffles
• Mazapan Candy
• Soft Rum Caramels
• Cocadas (Mexican Coconut Candy)
• Caramel Pecan Clusters
• Sponge Candy
• Peanut Butter Pretzel Crockpot Candy

4.6 from 7 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 16

Almond Roca Recipe

This buttery toffee with chocolate and almonds puts all other toffee recipes to shame! Homemade Almond Roca is perfect for Christmas or any occasion.

Prep Time5 minutes minutes

Cook Time20 minutes minutes

Cool Time20 minutes minutes

Total Time45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 ½ cup chopped toasted almonds, divided
• 6 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bars, unwrapped, or dark chocolate

Instructions 

• Line a 9×13 inch cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, mix together butter, sugar, water and molasses. Bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon. Do not use a whisk, as overstirring will ruin the toffee and make it separate.
• Attach a clip-on candy thermometer and continue cooking until the thermometer reaches 295°F, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking. Slow and steady will win this race. I kept my burner at medium-low heat, with a steady, slow boil, and it took me 20 minutes. If you try turning up the heat to speed it up, it will burn before it reaches the correct temperature.
• As soon as you reach 295°F, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 1 cup of the almonds and immediately pour toffee mixture onto prepared pan.
• Lay unwrapped chocolate bars evenly on top of the toffee. Wait a few minutes to let the heat melt the chocolate and then, using a spatula, swirl the melted chocolate to the edges of the candy. Sprinkle the remaining almonds along the top and gently press into the melted chocolate.
• Let candy cool and harden completely and then break candy into pieces and serve. (To speed up the cooling time, you can place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes.)

Notes

Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. You can use a cookie tin, a plastic food storage container, or just a zip-top bag.

Freeze: Place the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate, and freeze until solid (this should only take an hour or two). Once frozen, transfer the candy to an airtight container or freezer bag, using parchment paper between layers if needed. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, let the bark thaw for a few minutes at room temperature, and enjoy!

Know Your Recipe: You might have heard that candy can be hard to make, but in this case, it’s only difficult if you don’t follow directions. (I know from experience! When I was learning to make toffee and caramel, there were definitely times where I decided to wing it without a candy thermometer… and wound up with a big pan of burnt toffee in my sink.) Make sure to measure and follow the instructions as written, and you’ll be golden.

Stir, Stir, Stir: Make sure that you use a wooden spoon or spatula, not a whisk. You have to keep slowly stirring the toffee as it cooks, which makes this a good recipe to make with a friend. That way, you have someone to chat with while you stand there stirring – and they can take a turn stirring, too!

Chocolate Chips: I used Hershey’s chocolate bars because they work perfectly to lay right on top of the toffee layer, but chocolate chips will work just as well! Just scatter them evenly, let them melt, and spread into an even layer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 5mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 355IU, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg

© Jessica – The Novice Chef

Cuisine: American

Category: Desserts

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