recipe box
twitter
facebook
subscribe
Almond Roca
I’ve been a busy little candy maker lately, anticipating the desire for holiday gifting. So far, I’ve made truffles, peanut brittle, fudge and this Almond Roca.
The almond roca is my favorite. My TOTAL favorite. My CRAZY-ADDICTING favorite! The best part is- you will NOT need a candy thermometer for this recipe! yahoo-easy!
Here’s how you make it…
Sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped and toasted almonds into the bottom of a buttered 7×11-inch glass pan. I realize everyone doesn’t have a 7×11-inch pan, so you can certainly use a 9×12-inch if you need to… it will just be more spread out and thinner. I used salted, roasted almonds (and then toasted them in a dry frying pan after chopping). You can use unsalted natural almonds if you don’t care for the salty-sweet combination in dessert.
Melt some butter in a medium saucepan.
Add brown sugar, and stir it up.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Not a wild, rolling boil… just enough of a boil where you see bubbles popping frequently.
Boil the butter/sugar mixture for 12 minutes exactly (stirring constantly). It should look all cool and golden and toffee-like when it’s done. I made mine without a candy thermometer with success, but since some readers have noted having trouble with this recipe- you might wish to stick and instant read thermometer in there just to make sure it’s about the right temperature. Pull it off the heat when it has reached the hard-crack stage (300 degrees F)- if it gets higher than 320, it will not remain solid.
Pour it on top of the almonds in the pan– drizzling it all over and and filling in all of the spaces with the toffee.
Place four chocolate bars on top of the hot toffee.
Let them sit there for a minute or so and get all gooey and melted, then use the bottom of a spoon to spread the chocolate around.
Spread all the way to the edges.
Sprinkle more almonds on top. Press them in gently. Now’s the hard part. You can either let this sit at room temperature overnight to set that chocolate completely, or you can refrigerate it until firm, or you can freeze it for about 20 minutes (until firm).
Once the mixture is firm and set, loosen the sides of the pan with a knife and the toffee should pop right out of the pan in one, big hunk. Break it apart gently with your hands, or set it on a cutting board and use a large knife to cut across the slab of candy–wedges will break off and appear in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Sample! Just to make sure everything is tasting okay and everything 
It’s best to get this out of your house as quickly as possible. On candy-making day at my house, this was the favorite of all of my taste testers… by far. SO good. And SO addicting and buttery and almondy and salty-sweet and delicious.
This should keep just fine in a sealed container kept at room temperature for a couple of weeks. Happy holiday gifting!
Almond Roca
Yield: 3 cups
Prep Time: 18 min
Cook Time: 15 min
So simple and delicious, but it can be a little tricky. Please read all of the comments and tips before attempting your first batch! We've been making this recipes for years for the holidays and we love it!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted almonds, divided
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
4 bars of chocolate (such as Hershey's Bars)Directions:
1. Butter a 7x11-inch pan (or 9x12 for slightly thinner roca). Sprinkle 1 cup of toasted almonds on bottom of the pan.
2. In heavy saucepan at medium-high heat melt butter and add brown sugar. Stir until gently boiling. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and boil 12 minutes exactly, stirring constantly. *Edited to add* I made mine without a candy thermometer with success, but since some readers have noted having trouble with this recipe- you might wish to stick and instant read thermometer in there just to make sure it's about the right temperature. Pull it off the heat when it has reached the hard-crack stage (300 degrees F)- if it gets higher than 320, it will not remain solid.
3. Remove the mixture from heat, give it a good stir to mix up that butter and sugar one more time, and immediately pour hot mixture into pan over almonds. (see *Tips below) Place chocolate bars on top. Let them sit a minute or so until melted, then spread chocolate around carefully. Sprinkle with remaining toasted almonds and gently press them into the chocolate..
4. Cool completely, and then break apart into chunks with a sharp knife. Store in a covered container.
Tips:
*This recipe is gluten-free adaptable- just be sure to use a brand of chocolate that is known to be GF.
*If you like the sweet-salty combination in desserts, use roasted almonds that are salted (then you can chop them and toast them lightly in a dry frying pan). If you don't care to have much salt, use unsalted natural almonds. I went for the salty kind and LOVED it.
*If you don't have a 7x11-inch pan, it's okay to use a 9x12-inch pan. You probably won't want to go all the way to the edges with the almonds, toffee and chocolate or it will be thin. Leave about an inch all the way around.
*Speed up the cooling process by placing the pan in the refrigerator.*If you are in a place where it is very humid, you will likely have trouble getting your toffee to set. Toffee doesn't like humidity. Try it on a dry day!
*Edited to add that some people have trouble w/ the chocolate separating from the toffee. This is kind of normal in almond roca since the toffee is so buttery. I've been told that one way to avoid that is to give the toffee a light dusting of cocoa powder before placing the chocolate bars on top. The powder apparently acts as an absorbent for the butter and allows the chocolate to adhere more easily to the toffee. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm told that it works!
Source: RecipeGirl.com
Print Recipe
Save Recipe
I'm Lori Lange, recipe developer, food writer and Mom. I'm sharing over 2,500 of my favorite recipes and theme menus with you. 
Blog is the New Black — December 12, 2011 @ 3:49 AM
Love any type of “bark!” YUM!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga — December 12, 2011 @ 3:54 AM
This looks so good and yours is the first step by step of A.R. that I’ve ever come across…thank you!
Just made “christmas crack” this weekend, i.e. Saltine Chocolate Toffee. Same principle…and now I am thinking I need to make A.R., too
Delish pics!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet — December 12, 2011 @ 4:19 AM
This has been on my baking list for so long, I love how easy you just made it look!
Melissa — December 12, 2011 @ 4:35 AM
In the directions with photos, you say to use a 9×12 but then in the written directions/tips you say to use a 9×6. Which is it?
Bark looks delish btw, I will be making, just want to be clear on the directions!
Lori Lange replied: — December 12th, 2011 @ 5:31 AM
I adjusted the directions – thank you!
Julie @ Table for Two — December 12, 2011 @ 4:44 AM
omg, amazing!! they sell these at costco and i’ve always wanted to make these at home. so addicting!! i’m glad it looks so easy. i’ve always thought this was going to be hard!
Jessica @ How Sweet — December 12, 2011 @ 5:37 AM
Lori!!! I’ve NEVER had almond roca. What the heck?! I NEED this!
Maria — December 12, 2011 @ 5:46 AM
This would be dangerous in my house! Love it!
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray — December 12, 2011 @ 5:46 AM
Yum! I am with you 100%, it has to be salted almonds!
Katrina — December 12, 2011 @ 6:32 AM
Love this! If you say it’s your favorite I’m in! Can’t wait to try this
Marisha — December 12, 2011 @ 6:36 AM
Love it! My Mom and I used to make it every year when I was growing up and I miss it! Thanks for a great reminder.
Cookbook Queen — December 12, 2011 @ 6:50 AM
WHAT?! Omg this is soooo one of my favorite candies!!! Totally making this for Christmas. And no candy thermometer??? Can you tell I’m excited?
And I do have a 7 x 11 pan…one of my favorites!! If you bake Ghirardelli Brownie Mixes, I love them baked in that waaaay more than an 8×8..just gives a better shape/thickness.
Jenny Flake — December 12, 2011 @ 6:51 AM
These look so perfect Lori!! What a perfect treat to put on any Christmas plate!
Deborah — December 12, 2011 @ 7:25 AM
Oh my goodness – this would be SO dangerous to have in my house!!
Lisa — December 12, 2011 @ 7:31 AM
One of my mom’s favorites. Thank you, l am giving this a try.
Sara — December 12, 2011 @ 8:12 AM
Oh my, I love almond roca and this looks so easy! Cannot wait to try it.
Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray — December 12, 2011 @ 9:59 AM
I would never guess from looking at this candy that it’s this easy to make! This is definitely a treat where presentation makes it seem super fancy.
Kathy F. — December 12, 2011 @ 11:10 AM
This looks so delicious and easy too! I do have one question though, I love the fact you do not need a thermometer but I am so anal that I feel I need to use one so what temp would it require and for how long??
shelly (cookies and cups) — December 12, 2011 @ 2:50 PM
It’s one of my favorites too! I could eat the entire batch myself..I mean, I THINK I could, because I totally haven’t ever tried..ahem.
nicole {sweet peony} — December 12, 2011 @ 3:21 PM
holy yum this looks too good… i think i’d eat the whole pan!
Barbara — December 12, 2011 @ 4:09 PM
Oh my. That is a killer recipe, Lori. I don’t make a lot of candy (the cookies are bad enough) but you’ve hit on one I love.
Marty — December 12, 2011 @ 6:06 PM
Never made anything like this but it seems so easy! May package this in little baggies and ribbon to give to the other teachers in my grade level. Perfect treat for gifting!
theblindbride — December 12, 2011 @ 7:23 PM
Wish I had seen this earlier! Would have used it for tomorrow’s swap! Looks so good!
Susie — December 12, 2011 @ 9:07 PM
That looks fabulous! I may need to make some to send to MT.
Robyn | Add a Pinch — December 12, 2011 @ 9:07 PM
Oh my goodness, Lori! This looks gorgeous! I’m drooling!!!
Lauren — December 13, 2011 @ 7:14 AM
You just make this look so easy!! And, teaching me how to make this can only result in me having to buy bigger pants. FYI.
Steve @ the black peppercorn — December 13, 2011 @ 7:55 AM
Oh CRAP! I am freaking out right now. I have had and love almond roca! I buy Skor chocolate bars cause it is kinda close to them. This recipe looks so easy! I am seriously going to make these maybe even this week. I am excited now!
Krissy @ Krissy's Creations — December 13, 2011 @ 9:31 AM
What a great to candy to make for homemade Christmas gifts
. Looks incredible!!
Asmita — December 13, 2011 @ 4:21 PM
Simply delicious and gorgeous pictures!
paula — December 13, 2011 @ 5:19 PM
i have made Almond Roca for years – my fave too! But, you did a few things different that I am going to try this year – toast the almonds and use candy bars instead of choc. chips. Thanks for the ideas!
Erin — December 13, 2011 @ 10:08 PM
Oh my gosh! The timing on this couldn’t be better. I made a family recipe recently and it didn’t turn out… the chocolate separated from the toffee and the almonds didn’t really stick.. it was a mess. Thank you for sharing this – I’ll be cooking this tomorrow with my gramma
Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen — December 14, 2011 @ 11:36 PM
How i wish i could be somewhere nearer to you, so you can gift me those candies you’ve been making… I absolutely loved how it looks… And when i read the steps, i couldn’t believe something this beautiful and complicated is actually so easy
Sharon — December 15, 2011 @ 12:44 PM
Sold! I have a batch in the fridge right now. Almond Roca was my favorite “treat” candy when I was little. Eating it made me feel grown up, but now making it has made me feel like a kid again. Thank you!!
ginaD — December 16, 2011 @ 4:02 AM
I have made this 3 times so far. It is probably the single best recipe I have tried in a very long time. Amazing. Thank you!!!!
Michele — December 16, 2011 @ 8:11 AM
Love it! Though a quick question. My chocolate seems to come away from the toffee. Any ideas why ??
Lori Lange replied: — December 16th, 2011 @ 6:07 PM
I did a little bit of research on this and came up with this recommendation: Since toffee tends to be so buttery, you might try sprinkling a bit of cocoa powder onto the toffee before you place the chocolate bars on top. I’d do this with a sieve or a sifter so you could get a nice, even powdering. The cocoa powder apparently acts as an absorbent for the fat so that the chocolate is able to adhere better. I haven’t tried this yet, but it seems like it’s worth a shot to me! Hope this helps!
Erin — December 16, 2011 @ 1:37 PM
Okay…. saw it… had to make it… did make it but one problem…. when “cutting” it up on about half of the bars, the chocolate layer seperated from the toffee layer…. what happened? It is delicious though – going to chop up all the seperated bits and use as ice cream topping, cake topping, etc… but just curious for next time!
Lori Lange replied: — December 16th, 2011 @ 6:08 PM
Please see my response to Michele re: the same issue.
Michele — December 16, 2011 @ 9:04 PM
Thanks for the suggestion. I will try that next time. Btw everyone I have given some to love it.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) — December 17, 2011 @ 8:26 AM
Someone @ work made this & it was amazing! I still have a little bag left, trying to savor every bite.
Loree — December 17, 2011 @ 10:41 AM
After two attempts I am throwing in the towel. I burned the first batch of toffee. The second batch was going well (at a lower temp), but separated around 9 minutes. Anyone else have this problem? Soooo disappointed!
Lori Lange replied: — December 17th, 2011 @ 10:51 AM
Shoot. It’s hard to say what went wrong
Pam — December 17, 2011 @ 2:11 PM
Hi Lori, I have always been intimidated with making anything like this, but after looking at your recipes and pictures, I was excited to try it!
My first attempt, not good, I was trying to go by the time and let brown sugar mixture go 12 minutes, however, it quickly went from caramel looking to burnt!
Second time around, went more by eye, and got a much better result! Finished product So tastey and delicious!
Thank you for the recipe. I am anxious to share the results with friends and family!
Pam
Roberta — December 17, 2011 @ 4:18 PM
The sugar crystallized, any ideas? I did it on a low boil?
Lori Lange replied: — December 17th, 2011 @ 4:49 PM
That happened to me on first try. I thought perhaps the heat was too low. If you keep it on medium to medium-high (depending on your stove), it should be good- just be careful of boiling too rapidly and pull it off if it turns a nice caramel color (as in my photos) before the 12 minutes is up.
Dawn — December 18, 2011 @ 8:01 AM
Made this just now. A HUGE disaster!!!!! The butter completely separated from the brown sugar at 7 min in and just pooled at the end of the pan that I didn’t fill. What did I do wrong?
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 8:11 AM
I would imagine it had something to do with the temperature. I made mine without a candy thermometer with success, but you might wish to stick an instant read thermometer in there just to make sure it’s *about* the right temperature for toffee. Pull it off the heat when it has reached the hard-crack stage (300 degrees F)- if it gets higher than 320, it will not remain solid.
Lacey — December 18, 2011 @ 9:34 AM
I made it the other day. It was so easy to make and so yummy to eat.
I didn’t have any chocolate bars, but I always have a stock of couverture chocolate chunks on hand. Once I made the toffee part, I melted 6.25oz of chocolate and poured it over the toffee. I did not temper the chocolate.
I let it sit for several hours and then popped it in the fridge for about 20 min just before removing it from the pan. The toffee did not easily release from the pan. I had to use a knife to break it up to get it out. As I broke the toffee up, much of the chocolate separated from it. I see that this happened to other readers as well.
If I make it again (I’m pretty sure I will), I think I will dip individual pieces in tempered chocolate and then sprinkle with chopped almonds.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 9:45 AM
Hi Lacey, For what it’s worth- I’ve read some other recipes for almond roca that recommend using a cheaper brand of chocolate (like Hershey’s bars). Premium brands – because they have different percentages of cocoa or cocoa butter, can tend to cause problems when paired with the toffee. Make sure your pan is well buttered- mine popped right out of the pan in one big slab!
Ruth Montgomery — December 18, 2011 @ 9:52 AM
I was thinking of making it with a dark chocolate, but am concerned now that I’ve read your comment about using cheaper brands whether it will work. Have you ever tried it with a dark chocolate?
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 9:59 AM
I haven’t- but Hershey’s makes a dark chocolate too!
Margaret — December 18, 2011 @ 2:20 PM
I’ve made mine with bittersweet chocolate – the batch I made earlier this week was great and I just finished making a batch for hubby to take to work tomorrow.
Johana — December 20, 2011 @ 6:43 AM
I made my first batch last night and it came out so good!!!! I didnt use a thermometer for the brown sugar and it came out fine I let it boil on med heat and pulled out right before the 12 minutes, the chocolate and the caramel did not separate at all and I used hershey chocolate bars, the one thing that it was kind of difficult wa getting the almond rica out of the container!!!! I put it in the freezer for about 30 mins and I just couldn’t take it out, after poking it for about 10 minutes finally some pieces started to come out, my advice is eat this after it has cooled completely or even the next day it tastes so much better the next day yuuuuuummmm!!!!
heather — December 20, 2011 @ 5:00 PM
I’m making this tonight! So excited!!
Matt — December 21, 2011 @ 8:00 PM
I am by no means a chef, but a decent baker. I have never tried making a candy (nor do I have a candy thermometer laying around). But I must lay claim that my first batch of these came out near perfect. Not to mention, they were a HUGE hit at our Christmas dinner party this past Sunday.
I pulled the toffee off the stove right at 12 minutes while keeping it at a slight boil (perhaps 1-2 bubbles a second) and stirred it continuously throughout. I did have some difficulty getting it to spread evenly in the pan (I used a 12×10 round-ended pan with three large bars of Hershey); after pouring it in it immediately started to solidify. But I eventually got it to go. It left a nice sticky mess on everything!
The only difference I’ve noticed is that we need to keep our bars in the fridge, otherwise they lose their crunch. Also, refrigerating them brings out the salty flavor of the salted almonds, they are delicious like this.
Any suggestions for the next go-round so that I don’t have to keep them in the fridge? Perhaps I wasn’t at the right temperature for the toffee?
Lori Lange replied: — December 22nd, 2011 @ 6:23 AM
Perhaps… glad you were able to have success without a candy thermometer, but it might have been temp that is preventing the toffee from hardening completely at room temperature.
Sharon — December 23, 2011 @ 11:22 PM
One of my childhood favorites, too! I couldn’t believe this could be so easy, and I’m a convert now. Wish I’d seen the cocoa powder tip, because my chocolate layer did separate, but the candy tasted so good I didn’t care. Just posted my efforts with a shout out to you for the recipe. Thank you!
Kris — December 25, 2011 @ 6:05 PM
I made it, I love it, I can’t stop eating it!!!
Thanks Lori, a new Christmas favourite!
Kevin — December 26, 2011 @ 6:49 AM
Easiest recipe ever (candy thermometer made me 100% confident of the toffee) to make a killer favorite treat. Just made it today, 1st time, the pan is cooling outside. Taste tests are a success… “The waiting is the hardest part!”
vanillasugarblog — December 28, 2011 @ 2:44 PM
my hubbys’ all time favorite.
i’ve always wanted to do these with macadamia’s–expensive but so worth it don’t you think?
Leah — December 28, 2011 @ 8:05 PM
Huge score! Turned out great – I didn’t have any problems with the cooking and used cocoa as recommended to prevent separating. This was way yummy and super easy and will become a holiday staple at our house!
Angela — January 14, 2012 @ 7:51 AM
Without ever having eaten Almond Roca, I wanted to make this as soon as I saw the recipe. Since we didn’t leave our house for Christmas (shocker! but we live out of the country so no family to visit) I had to wait until I could make it and take it somewhere – yay for Bunco. This is like crack! Soooo good. I timed and used a thermometer for the butter/sugar mixture and it took me close to 15 minutes to get it to 300 degrees. Also, the butter here is a bit funky so my only problem was that my butter separated some from the sugar and rose to the top over the chocolate. It wasn’t as pretty as your pictures but tasted like heaven!!!!! Good thing you warned of how good it was and I’m glad the whole pan isn’t here with me. Thanks for this fabulous recipe! Making the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake for next months Bunco
LoraJ — January 22, 2012 @ 6:17 AM
“This should keep just fine ….. for a couple of weeks.”
yeah right – there is no way they will last that long! lol these are too yummy! i saw this recipe on facebook just before christmas and asked my daughter to make them for me as her gift to me – great gift idea. my only complaint is they are WAAAAAAYYY too good!!!
Lori Lange replied: — January 22nd, 2012 @ 9:38 AM
lol, glad you liked it so much. I had a tough time staying away from it too!
Jenni — February 19, 2012 @ 8:35 PM
any idea what the nutritional facts are? im diabetic and they look fabulous!!!!
Lori Lange replied: — February 20th, 2012 @ 6:53 AM
no idea on this one…
Sis — May 4, 2012 @ 8:12 AM
Could this be mailed during the summer and how would you recommend doing it?
Lori Lange replied: — May 4th, 2012 @ 10:16 AM
I don’t think I’d recommend it!