Sponge toffee, also known as honeycomb toffee, is one of the most delicious goodies around! It has a light, airy texture and rich, caramelized flavor making it a delectable holiday treat. Whether you're making it for a special occasion or just to satisfy your sweet tooth, this homemade sponge toffee recipe is easier than you might think. In this post, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to create your own batch of this classic, melt-in-your-mouth candy - just in time for the holidays!
Jump to:
If you love candy recipes that are perfect for the holidays you have to try my almond and cashew buttercrunch toffee or this popular Christmas crack recipe, my ultra caramel filled polar bear paw cookies and also my peppermint candy cane bark, too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Homemade honeycomb is actually very easy to make and only requires six simple ingredients.
- This sponge candy recipe tastes just like the real thing from an old-fashioned candy store.
- Crispy, airy chunks of sponge toffee are the perfect addition to a Christmas cookie box or cookie exchange party.
Summarize and Save This Recipe Using:
The Real Thing
This stuff is legit. It tastes exactly like the sponge candy I used to get from the candy store when I was a kid. You know what I'm talking about, those huge bricks wrapped in a thin plastic wrapper.
I lived for those bricks of sponge toffee. Now I can't decide if it's a good or a bad thing that I can mass produce it in my own kitchen…
Raise your hand if you were just as obsessed with this stuff as I was 🙋🏻♀️.
Sponge Toffee Ingredients
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the free recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Sponge Toffee
First, line a 9"x13" glass baking dish with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper using a little bit of butter.
These next two steps are just getting things ready for when the hot sugar mixture comes off of the stove. It is absolutely essential that you have everything prepared and ready to go before you start to make the toffee.
In a small bowl sift together the baking soda and cream of tartar, then set aside. It is important to actually sift these two ingredients together. This seems small and insignificant, but this is the mixture that is going to cause a chemical reaction with the hot sugar mixture. It needs to be well combined and clump-free because the reaction happens fast, and you don't want to end up with clumps of baking soda in your sponge toffee!
Then, measure out the pure vanilla extract and place it in a small bowl.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
A Safety Note Before We Begin
Working with candy can be dangerous.
If at any time the toffee bubbles over the edge of the pot, do not add water. Adding water to a hot sugar mixture will cause it to rapidly boil and spatter. If it does bubble over the edge of the pot, you are best off leaving it where it is and cleaning it up when it has cooled off fully, be careful as it can burn you.
Do not touch the toffee before it is set, as it will be hot and sticky. It will instantly adhere to your skin and can cause serious severe burns.
- In a large saucepan (use a larger saucepan than you think you need, the mixture bubbles up very quickly and you will need the extra room) add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir it together and place it over medium/high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it just starts to bubble. When the mixture starts to bubble, stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer. Let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F on the candy thermometer.
- After it has reached 300°F, remove the candy thermometer and remove the sugar mixture from the heat, transfer the pot to a large flat surface (put down a wooden cutting board or a large trivet on the surface as the pot will still be burning hot) in an area that is close to the lined baking dish. (If the sugar mixture bubbles over during the chemical reaction, it is A LOT easier to clean it off of a counter after it has hardened than the stove)
- Add the vanilla extract, and using a whisk, stir vigorously for 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble rapidly during this time. Immediately after the vanilla is incorporated, sprinkle the sifted soda/cream of tartar mixture over top and whisk vigorously again for 5-10 seconds. The mixture will start to expand and bubble very quickly during this step.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Do not touch or move the pan after the toffee mixture has been poured in, touching or moving it risks deflating the bubbles created in the mixture. You will notice that the mixture continues to expand for a couple of minutes until it is puffy. Remember to not touch it until it has cooled completely.
Allow The Sponge Toffee To Rest And Set
Let the sponge toffee rest for at least 2 hours until it is fully cooled and set. The sponge toffee is fully set when it is firm and you can knock on it gently and it sounds hollow.
- This is what the sponge toffee will look like when it is still hot, straight out of the saucepan. It will bubble and expand for a couple of minutes before settling. Do not touch the toffee during this stage.
- This is what the sponge toffee will look like when it has fully set after about 2 hours. The toffee will look slightly sunken and dull on top.
To tell if it has fully set, pop it out of the baking dish and gently knock on the back, it should sound hollow.
- After the sponge toffee has set, melt the chocolate in a small microwave-safe container, stirring every 30 seconds until it is fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the sponge toffee and use a spatula to spread it out.
- Let the chocolate set by refrigerating the sponge toffee for around 15-30 minutes.
- After the chocolate has set, remove the sponge toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
- Place the block of toffee on a large cutting board and using a butter knife firmly insert the butter knife vertically into the candy, twisting slightly to break it apart. Repeat in random spots until the honeycomb toffee is all broken up into pieces.
Easy *Magic* Clean Up
When you are done making this toffee you will notice that the saucepan, the thermometer, and anything else you used will be covered in rock-hard toffee candy. Don't fret, there is an easy way to clean this all up!
Put everything that has hard candy on it into the saucepan that you made the sponge toffee in and cover it completely with water. Then, bring it to a boil on the stove. You will notice that all of that hardened candy magically dissolves and disappears. And now your utensils can be washed as normal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chewy sponge toffee means the candy wasn't heated to a hot enough degree. During boiling the sponge toffee has to reach what is called the "hard crack" stage, which is around 300°F. For this recipe, you will have to use a candy thermometer for the best results. All stoves, environments and variables are vastly different and judging the candy stage solely off of time is almost impossible.
Yes! There are a bunch of different names for this classic treat. Sponge toffee, or honeycomb is a candy that undergoes a chemical reaction creating large air pockets within the toffee, giving it's "sponge" or "honeycomb"-like appearance.
After you've initiated the chemical reaction in the candy, over-stirring it will cause the toffee to deflate and damage the air pockets that form within the candy resulting in a rock-hard brick of flat candy.
Sponge Toffee can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoyed for 1-2 weeks.
More Yummy Dessert Recipes
This honeycomb toffee is a part of our 12 Days of Christmas Series - Season 2. Check out Day 6: Holiday Chex! 🎄
If you made this sponge toffee recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Sponge Toffee (Honeycomb Toffee)
↑ click the stars to rate this recipe ↑
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Corn Syrup
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 4 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate for topping (optional)
Instructions
- It is important to read this entire recipe before you begin. The steps move fast, and you need to be ready to work fast with the candy.
- Line a 9"x13" glass baking dish with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper using a little bit of butter. In a small bowl sift together the baking soda and cream of tartar, set aside. Measure out the pure vanilla extract and place it in a small bowl.
- In a large saucepan (use a larger saucepan than you think you need; the mixture bubbles up very quickly), add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir together and place over medium/high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it just starts to bubble. Stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer. Let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F on the candy thermometer.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to an area that is close to the lined baking dish. Add the vanilla extract, and using a whisk, stir vigorously for 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble rapidly during this time. Sprinkle the soda/cream of tartar mixture over the top and whisk vigorously again for 5-10 seconds. The mixture will start to expand and bubble VERY QUICKLY.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Do not touch or move the pan after the toffee mixture has been poured in, touching or moving it risks deflating the bubbles created in the mixture. You will notice that the mixture continues to expand for a couple of minutes until it is puffy. Let the sponge toffee rest for at least 2 hours until it is fully cooled and set. The sponge toffee is fully set when it is firm and you can knock on it gently and it sounds hollow.
- After the sponge toffee is set, melt the chocolate in a small microwave safe container, stirring after every 30 seconds until it is fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate over top of the sponge toffee and use a spatula to spread it out. Let the chocolate set by refrigerating the sponge toffee for around 15-30 minutes.
- After the chocolate has hardened, remove the sponge toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place the block of sponge toffee on a large cutting board, and using a butter knife, firmly insert the butter knife vertically into the sponge toffee, twisting slightly to break it apart. Repeat in random spots until the sponge toffee is all broken up into pieces.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Video
Notes
- Working with candy can be dangerous. Do not touch the toffee before it is set, it will be hot and sticky. In this state, it will instantly adhere to your skin and can cause serious severe burns.
- Sponge Toffee can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoyed for up to 1-2 weeks.
- To clean: You will notice that the toffee in the pot, on the thermometer, and anything else you use will be covered in rock-hard toffee candy. To easily clean this, put everything that has hard candy on it into the pot that you made the sponge toffee in, cover it completely with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. You will notice that all of the candy dissolves, and then your utensils can be washed as normal.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Bonnie says
When I make sponge toffee, the baking soda does not get mixed in. This time I did stir more than usual and when I went to dump it out, there it was at the bottom. I know you aren’t supposed to stir much, what am I doing wrong?
Neil says
are you mixing the tartar and baking soda together first? is it foaming up still?
Patricia Bell says
I have been wanting to make this and your recipe sounds perfect. And even tho I’m a seasoned cook I appreciate your little pointers and tips. Never know when you will learn something new! If I sealed this in my seal a meal how long do you think it would still be good? I would like to make ahead for holiday gifts. Thank you for sharing.
Sam says
Help! What did i do wrong? It’s not crunchy its soft to bite and crumbly.
Neala Corbett says
Funny story about sponge toffee. I'm now 75. I'm telling you this to put the story into perspective. when I was around 14 a friend and I loved to make sponge toffee. we would alternate between her house and mine when making it. the last time we made it (the rest of the story will tell you why it was the last time) we were working at her house. we added the baking soda and everything seemed fine. we put it in the fridge to cool and I went home to have supper. I get a phone call about an hour later from my friend. she was laughing so hard I could barely understand what she was saying. it seems we did something wrong because the toffee exploded all over the fridge. she thought it was hilarious but as you can imagine her mother was not impressed. needless to say we never got to make toffee again and the two of us had quite a mess to cleanup. that was the end of our career as candy makers.
Jessica says
Oh my goodness! What a funny story! Thank you for sharing, and yes, I bet that was quite a challenging mess to tackle!
- Jessica