These old fashioned Toffee Squares with nuts are a nostalgic treat! They’re easy to make, and perfect for sharing.
This is my Grandma’s recipe for Toffee Squares. Now they aren’t true hard toffee, nor are they saltine toffee. They might be more accurately called something like “Toffee Cookie Bars”, as they’re made with a shortbread cookie-like base and topped with chocolate and nuts.
The use of exclusively brown sugar in this recipe likely gave the Toffee Squares their name, similar to the use of the word “butterscotch” or “praline” in baked goods from that era that contain brown sugar. That, and the use of chocolate chips and chopped nuts on top, similar to a traditional chocolate topped toffee.
Whatever you call them, they sure are tasty!
The recipe may have come from a bag of Gold Medal flour—I found a recipe in a church cookbook for these that called specifically for that brand, so perhaps it was copied straight from the bag (either that, or someone was very brand loyal!).
Grandma made these every Christmas, so it was a fun treat to taste these again after I found the handwritten recipe in her recipe binder. I may just have to add these to the Christmas cookie line-up at our house! They would join recipes like Chocolate Drop Cookies, Snowball Cookies, and Grandma’s Rum Balls that we make every year. <3
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Ingredients
Nothing fancy here! Just some classic baking ingredients. Scroll down to the “Variations” section below for more ideas to replace the nuts, if you like.
how to make Toffee Squares
Start by creaming the softened butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, add the egg yolk and vanilla, and stir to combine.
Finally, add the flour and salt, and stir just until combined. Pat into a 13×9-inch baking dish. I like lining the dish with parchment paper so I can lift the whole thing out to cut the bars easily.
Tip: crinkle the parchment paper into a ball, then unfold it and place it in the pan. It’ll sit nicer in the edges of the pan that way.
Bake the cookie base for 20–22 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on the edges.
Top immediately (while hot) with the chocolate chips, and allow the chocolate chips to melt for five minutes. Use a offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cookie base, then top with pecans.
Allow the bars to cool ALMOST until the chocolate is hardened. Cut into squares before the chocolate gets completely hard. This will ensure that the chocolate stays on the cookie bar base and doesn’t crumble off.
Enjoy these Toffee Squares with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of milk!
Variations
The classic recipe calls for chopped nuts on top, but you can top the Toffee Squares with anything you like! Here are some ideas to use in place of the nuts:
- Chopped toffee bars (for even more toffee flavor!)
- Crushed candy canes or peppermints—you can get an idea of what they’ll look like with this similar recipe for peppermint shortbread)
- Festive sprinkles
- Chopped pretzels for a sweet & salty treat
- Any other chopped nuts you like (pistachios, walnuts, slivered almonds, etc.)
You can also swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or white chocolate chips.
Storage and freezing instructions
Store the Toffee Squares in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature. You can also freeze the bars for up to two months in a tightly sealed container or resealable freezer bag. Let the chocolate harden completely before stacking the bars for storage.
More Nostalgic Cookies & Treats
- Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
- Grandma’s Rum Balls
- Corn Flake Candy
- Special K Bars
- Pecan Tassies
- Mini Marshmallow Fudge
- Church Window Cookies
📖 Recipe
Toffee Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup chopped nuts (such as pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Add the flour and salt, and beat just until combined.
- Press into a 13×9-inch pan. Bake for 22–24 minutes, or just until lightly golden brown on the edges.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let side for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate, then spread the chocolate evenly over the cookie base.
- Sprinkle with nuts and let cool until the chocolate is mostly set, but still slightly glossy on top. Cut into squares.
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