Pecan Bark Chocolate Recipe (Toffee)

Toffee Pecan Chocolate Bark Recipe

Today we are making a special treat: Toffee Pecan Chocolate Bark Recipe! Toffee was one of those desserts, that albeit pretty easy, I had never been able to perfect. I’ve been trying to make recipe for the last few years now, and every time this sweet treat came out either came out too liquidy, too chewy, the butter-sugar mixture separated so it wasn’t smooth, or some other problem. I decided to use graham crackers as the base, since you can’t go wrong with a cookie base coated with a butter-sugar mixture and topped with crunchy pecans! It turned out 100% OH SO GOOD and is like a make-your-own homemade candy bar!

Bake & Freeze

When you boil the sugar-butter mixture, make sure not to walk away from the stove! The ingredients can separate – rather, they WILL separate – and you’ll be left with a mess that you can’t fix. Trust – it’s happened to me multiple times, and apparently that’s the trick. Not so apparently anymore, because I did make sure to constantly whisk it, and my toffee turned out great. So maybe that was the trick!

Once you simmer the sugar-butter mixture, you pour it over the crackers and bake it. Once baked and removed from the oven, pour melted chocolate chips on top of the caramel-like layer, and sprinkle with crushed pecans. Freeze it to settle (the hardest part is the waiting!), then cut into chunks and E-A-T!

Why You’ll Love This Toffee Dark Chocolate Pecan Bark Recipe

Great Option for a Homemade Gift: This easy recipe makes for a great gift idea during that time of year! It can be stored in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for quite a while (see storage notes at the bottom of the recipe card), so the recipient of your gift will be able to snack on these all throughout the holidays!

Customizable: For an elevated holiday bark, top with chopped up flaky sea salt, crushed pistachios, desiccated coconut, chopped up small pieces of dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried blueberries or other dried fruit. Alternatively, change this into a peppermint bark by topping with crushed candy canes!

Substitutions

Pecans: Hello, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and multiple other nutrients found in pecans! Substitute with walnuts, macadamia nuts or slivered almonds to give a nutty flavor.

Dark Chocolate: The vegan dark chocolate compliments the sweetness of the toffee perfectly. Opt for semi-sweet chocolate (or even try out vegan white chocolate) for another option.

Feel free to add a spoon of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream into the chocolate while it melts. This is similar to using heavy cream, which is sometimes used when melting chocolate and makes it even creamier! Be aware that there may be a slightly coconut-ty flavor in doing so.

Vegan Butter: Refined coconut oil usually works well as a butter substitute in cookies, but I do not recommend any substitute here. Butter is one of the key ingredients in making great toffee! I like using Melt brand of salted vegan butter sticks.

Brown Sugar: Use coconut sugar for a healthier, less-sweet version.

Graham Crackers: The most common brands of graham crackers contain honey, which isn’t vegan. Check the ingredients to buy vegan graham crackers, which are usually in the natural aisle of the grocery store. Alternatively, buy vegan biscuits for the base. Choose ones that have square edges in order to line them up in a single layer without any spaces in the crust.

Toffee Pecan Dark Chocolate Bark Recipe Notes

• Use a baking sheet / piece of parchment paper / wax paper to line a baking tray before lining up the graham crackers for an even layer in the crust. This makes it way easier to remove from the pan once the bark is ready!
• Drizzle with a vegan caramel sauce to make this into a turtle bark (chocolate turtles use caramel, chocolate, pecans)! Or, make your own homemade caramel using the caramel from this Macchiato recipe!
• For best results with the chocolate layer, add water to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl on top of this saucepan, so the heat isn’t directly on the chocolate. Then use a rubber spatula to constantly stir the chocolate as it heats up. This is a double boiler method and gives the creamiest melt!
• The chocolate can also be melted in the microwave by melting the chocolate in 30-second increments in a microwave-safe bowl, giving it a stir each time. However, the safest method to avoid the chocolate from burning and keeping an eye on it at all times is on the stovetop.
• When melting the butter-sugar mixture, constantly stir it around as the recipe card states below. Otherwise, the butter and sugar begin to separate.
• Keep the chocolate and the butter at room temperature before using, for best results before heating them on the stovetop.

More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love

Peppermint Matcha Nanaimo Bars

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Tarte Tatin

O’Henry Candy Bar Cups

If you make this Toffee Pecan Chocolate Bark Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!