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.
Watch the video showing you how to make Almond Roca, then scroll to the bottom of this post to print out the recipe so you can make it at home.
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!
How to make Almond Roca:
To make homemade almond roca, 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 use 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 make my almond roca without a candy thermometer with success, but since some readers have noted having trouble with this recipe- you might wish to stick an instant read thermometer in there just to make sure it’s about the right temperature.
Here’s a candy thermometer that has good reviews on Amazon.
Pull it off the heat when it has reached the hard-crack stage (300 degrees F) or when the mixture starts to separate (the oil starts to separate from the sugar). If it gets higher than 320, the mixture 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 the almond roca 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 almond roca 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 almond roca 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!
If you enjoy candy recipes, you might also like my recipes for Key Lime Fudge, Caramels or Fantasy Fudge. Homemade Snickers and Holiday Lollipops are fun choices too!
Almond Roca
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped toasted almonds, divided
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 4 bars milk chocolate (such as Hershey's)
Instructions
- Butter a 7x11-inch pan (or 9x12 for slightly thinner roca). Sprinkle 1 cup of toasted almonds on bottom of the pan.
- In a 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 make mine without a candy thermometer with success, but since some readers have noted having trouble with this recipe- you might wish to stick an 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)- or when the mixture starts to separate (the oil starts to separate from the sugar). If it gets higher than 320, it will not remain solid.
- Remove the mixture from heat, give it a good stir to mix up that butter and sugar one more time, and immediately pour the hot mixture into the pan over the almonds. (see *Recipe Notes below) Place the chocolate bars on top. Let them sit a minute or so until melted, then spread chocolate around carefully. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted almonds, and gently press them into the chocolate.
- Cool completely, and then break apart into chunks with a sharp knife. Store in a covered container.
Video
Notes
- 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!
I’m trying it again, its delicious but not cracking hard. I heard if it’s raining you need to cook it longer because of the humidity.
Yes, if it is raining or humid weather, that is not the time to make candy. It affects the outcome greatly!
I made this. to was delicious! the only problem was the oil started separating from the sugar at 6 minutes so I took it off the heat a little bit early. thank you! Should I store this in the fridge?
Sealed container at room temp!
I made this because I love Almond Roca. My grandmother would make it every Christmas and I have been trying to recreate her recipe for 50 yrs! I followed the recipe exactly and it looked right, I cooked it to exactly 300 degrees and poured it in the pan, But the texture didn’t come out at all! The candy sticks to your teeth and wasn’t brittle enough. I have no idea what I did wrong. Should I have cooked it to a higher temperature? I am so disappointed!! Please give me an idea of how to improve this!!!
Hi Roberta,
Candy making can be tricky. Cook to the “hard crack” stage (295 to 300 degrees F), whisking constantly and watching closely. This should take 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t rush the process. Low and slow is good. Syrup that does not reach temperature will be chewy instead of crunchy.
What is the difference between almond roca and butter toffee
Pretty much the same thing- Almond Roca is a brand name.
Can I replace the butter with something else?
I don’t think so!
I really liked this recipe. The instructions about reducing to medium low heat didn’t work for me, it took forever, and I ended up putting it at medium heat to get it up to temp (300). I’m trying again today to see if the 12 minute thing works on medium heat the whole time. They turned out great the first time though.
Do you think I can substitute macadamia nuts for the almonds?
I think that would probably work, but I have a recipe for macadamia nut brittle too >> https://www.recipegirl.com/macadamia-nut-brittle/
Hi! How long does this stay good for?
Probably about a week.
Where did I go wrong? I did the 12 min med low boil, but it didn’t harden. I didn’t use a thermometer to see if it was 300. It still tastes good, like a chewy candy bar!?
That’s hard to pinpoint- it can be tricky!
So disappointing! I used a candy thermometer and followed both the recipe and directions PRECISELY. After 20+ minutes at a medium heat with my thermometer, I was only at 260 degrees and the butter was starting to separate out. What a waste of effort!
Sorry you didn’t have success with this- making candy can be tricky!
Made two batches. Tasted exactlylike my favorite candy almond roca! The only difference w as I used white sugar instead of brown. Great and easy recipe.
How much butter to brown sugar?
Did you print the recipe at the end of the post? 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup butter.
Looks amazing!! Is the butter/sugar layer chewy or hard – just so I know if the old folks can eat it 😉
If made properly, it should be crisp. It’s definitely not supposed to be chewy.
I made this today, it worked well and was delicious. I boiled it for around 12 minutes, taking it on & off the hot plate so it didn’t burn- constant stirring. Thanks.
What size Hershey bars did you use (in oz)?
A regular sized Hershey’s bar is 1.55 ounces.
Excellent recipe. Almond Roca is my favorite decadent treat … who knew I could make it myself. Followed directions exactly but used a candy thermometer to measure hard crack stage. Have made it twice in 3 days (shared the first batch so I wouldn’t eat it all) … second batch is for me! Will include this recipe in my “Nutty About You Valentine” treats this year. And yes … I’ll share! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this today as a gift for someone – did a half batch to be sure I could manage it, and it turned out just great. I had a thermometer once upon a time but have since misplaced it, so having a no-thermometer recipe was very useful to me. I appreciate it! Hopefully the giftee also does. 😉
I’m thinking about making these for Christmas! I was wondering how well do these storage in a tin box or a tall glass? Can they be stored for a few weeks or are they best off fresh?
Well, candy is tricky because the texture can change so much with the temperature/humidity in the air, etc. I don’t think I’d make it more than a few days in advance.
Well, the 12 minutes didnt work for me but I’m wondering if I heated it too much or not enough… it ended up like a wet gritty batter.
This looks really amazing. I was just wondering if it would be the same if I use pecans instead.
I have never tried it with pecans, so I’m not sure!
Oh Boy!! This is the bomb! Super easy!!
I did use a 9×13 pan so I upped the butter and sugar to 1-1/4 cups each to get a little more for the larger pan. I also used dark chocolate since that is my fav. I used a candy thermometer to ensure I got the temp right.
Poor husband cannot stop “testing” it..
What brand of butter do you use? The water content in different brands may make the difference in the recipe turning out correctly.
I don’t use any particular kind.
Could you use white chocolate instead?
I don’t think it will turn out the same with white chocolate.
Can you use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate?
Should be fine!
Thank you Lori! This recipe is the bomb! Out of all the almond roca recipes on the internet, this is the one I chose because is easy, does not require a thermometer and does not add corn syrup. (Your tone is friendly and affirmative, too… no “don’t do this, don’t do that.”) I’ve done it twice now—both times it’s come out terrific! The first time it came out more crunchy. The second time not as crunchy but I didn’t mind at all; it had more (IMHO) authentic flavor of almond roca. I used way more almonds in the second batch and had chopped them in the blender a lot more. I use a butter flavored spray and layer with ground up almonds from the food processor. I used a non-stick coated saucepan and, yes, I did scrape the sides with my wooden spoon—other recipes explicitly advise against this––as I stirred constantly. I used unroasted unsalted almonds, and salted butter, and the roca turns out salty enough. I use semi-sweet dark chocolate chips rather than the candy bars and don’t really measure them… I just pour a layer and spread out. Then I stick them in the oven on broil for a few seconds to soften. The pan goes in the fridge overnight. The next day I break into small chunks, load up mason jars tied with a ribbon and store in the freezer. These make awesome gifts for Almond Roca lovers! Thank you for the super easy and awesome recipe!! I will be making more today.
I’m so happy to read your review! Glad you are enjoying this recipe!