Are you looking for the best Almond Roca recipe? This is it! Perfect every time. The rich caramel covered with smooth chocolate and smashed almonds is delicious and contains no corn syrup.
Homemade Almond Roca Recipe
Are you looking for the best Almond Roca recipe? This. Is. It! It’s taken years to perfect it, and I’m so thrilled to be able to share the recipe with you because it’s soooo good and always gets rave reviews.
In case you don’t know, Almond Roca is a delectable chocolate-covered, almond butter crunch, hard toffee with a coating of smashed almonds.
If you haven’t tried making homemade almond roca before, you DEFINITELY should. This candy has incredible flavor and texture – with its hard caramel crunchy middle that’s coated with creamy milk chocolate and topped with little pieces of smashed almonds, it’s delectable.
How to Make A Good Batch of Almond Roca
- Other recipes may call for chopped or blanched almonds. We prefer to simply smash the almonds because you get a good mixture of larger and smaller pieces for the topping.
- We have not used a candy thermometer for years, although it’s smart to use one the first several times you make almond roca to make sure you get it just right.
We love this recipe because it doesn’t contain any corn syrup, so tastes rich and natural.
IMPORTANT: Always look for a dark amber color when cooking the sugar and butter mixture. Expect the mixture to smoke a little bit as it becomes deep in color. That’s when you know it is done and ready for the smashed almonds.
You may need a Candy Thermometer
Steps to Make An Almond Roca Recipe
- Smash your almonds by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin.
- Turn cooktop to high. Combine butter and sugar in large saucepan over high heat.
- Stir butter and sugar until they come to a boil. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan and watch closely! Continue stirring until temperature reaches 310 degrees, then immediately remove from heat.
- Mix 1 cup smashed almonds into saucepan until thoroughly combined.
- Pour into ungreased cookie sheet. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips over top. Let rest until chocolate chips are melted enough to spread over top of the almond roca.
- Dust with 1/8 cup smashed almonds.
- Once chocolate has cooled (about 2 hours) and hardened, break apart with a tip of a knife to desired size.
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Homemade Almond Roca
Are you looking for the best Almond Roca recipe? This is it! Perfect every time. The rich caramel covered with smooth chocolate and almonds is delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup smashed almonds + 1/8 cup for topping
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Smash almonds by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a mallet or rolling pin.
-
Turn cooktop to high. Combine butter and sugar in large saucepan over high heat.
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Stir butter and sugar until they come to a boil. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan and watch closely.
-
Continue stirring until temperature reaches 310 degrees, then immediately remove from heat.
-
Mix 1 cup smashed almonds into saucepan until thoroughly combined.
-
Pour into ungreased cookie sheet. Let cool for 5 minutes.
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Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips over top. Let rest until chocolate chips are melted enough to spread over top of the almond roca.
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Dust with 1/8 cup smashed almonds.
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Once chocolate has cooled and hardened, break apart with a tip of a knife to desired size.
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This recipe makes about 2 lbs of candy and is perfect for gifts!
Recipe Notes
Always look for a dark amber color when cooking the sugar and butter mixture. Expect the mixture to smoke a little bit as it becomes deep in color. That's when you know it is done and ready for the smashed almonds.
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Truth be told, my husband is the one who has the gift to make the almond roca taste soooo good. I’m better at making Saltine Toffee. He’s been making this family recipe for years and gives it out at work and to family & friends during the holidays. However, it’s good year round in my opinion 🙂
We hope you enjoy this treat as much as our friends and we do!
You may also like this recipe for Saltine Toffee.
You May Also Like:
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
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I’ve always purchased the foil wrapped Roca but never attempted it. I’m so in, this looks heavenly and yes, great to bundle up for gifts!
This is way better than the foil 🙂 Perfect for homemade gifts or toppers for Xmas gifts!
I just love Almond Roca it’s my fav, pinning to make later. Thanks
Thanks for the pin! You’ll love this recipe! Enjoy!
Oh yum! How delicious is looks! Pinning for later!
Thank you for the pin! Appreciate it! Thanks for stopping by!
I love almonds, this sounds perfect. Yummy, thanks for sharing!
It is soooo yummy! Enjoy!
This looks delish and seems rather quick to make. Thanks for sharing at the MeetUp Monday Link Party!
Yes – it’s fairly quick – and so delicious! Thanks for stopping by, Krista!
Hi Erin, just letting you know that I’ll be featuring your Roca on December 31 on Best of the Weekend! Happy New Year!
Hi Erin, just letting you know that I will be featuring your Roca on Best of the Weekend on December 31. Happy New Year!
Ahhh, thanks! I appreciate it!
Hey Erin I was given a recipe exactly like this from 2 old ladies who got from a sheriff here in Montana in.the.30’state. No candy thermometers
Cool it until separates, then stir it back together and it is ready. Never fails and the best. I have started using Google a candy thermometer and it stops way before I normally would and is good also. But I still like the break down and stirring it back. It smells like it is burning get but it is not. Good stuff. Thanks
I totally agree that you need to cook it until it smells like it’s burning, but it’s not. The candy thermometer often says to take it off the heat before it gets to that point.
My handsome hubby gave me a fancy-pancy thermometer for Christmas and I think I may just have to use it to make this! He LOVES Almond Roca. THANKS for the recipe.
We give this Almond Roca out as gifts every year…people love it…so does the family! Enjoy! Happy New Year!
This almond roca looks and sounds great, i never made it before, I love almonds and use them in many recipes. # way wow link party.
Thanks for stopping by, Sadhna! You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Buttery and delicious!
I’ve actually never heard or roca before, but it looks really tasty. I assume it’s quite brittle from the pictures, so it is like a snappy caramel?
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
Oh, my gosh! It’s so good! Sometimes it’s call English toffee, but either way it’s a treat! Yes, it’s a buttery and brittle, so like a caramel brittle.
Wow this looks great!I have pinned and shared! I have never tried making roca before xx
Thanks for checking it out, Charlotte! And thanks for the pin and share. It’s delicious! XO
Erin, I had never heard of Almond Roca before, and now I can’t get it out of my mind! LOL It looks so good, and it’s gluten free. Right up my alley! I see so many things that look delish but most of them have hidden gluten, somewhere, and yes I can make substitutions, but it’s not as easy as a one-to-one swap. Usually it involves 3 or 4 different items. This is the best recipe and I’m sure that my daughter will love to make it (and eat it) with me!!!!
This is my kind of candy- it looks amazing! Pinning!
It’s get amazing reviews from anyone who tries it! Thanks for the pin!
Ok, just made this, not sure if this makes a difference or not, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, and we just had 6 inches of rain in the last 48 hours, and the toffee set up like ole gum. I would have liked it to be crunchy, but that did not happen. This is why I never make candy, I can never go by someone else’s recipe! Very disappointed after a pound of butter, and I can’t gift it away.
So sorry, Shannon. That’s frustrating. We live in the NW too and the weather has been something lately! My guess is your recipe didn’t cook quite long enough. You really need to wait until it starts to smoke and turn an amber color….it almost seems like it’s burning. Sometimes candy thermometers don’t let it cook until it gets to this point so it’s too soft and gummy.
So I made this today for family gifts for Christmas. It was super easy and I was able to convert it to dairy free. Everyone loved it and it was very yummy. Thank you
I’m so glad, Kellie! And kudos to you for converting the recipe to dairy free and making it come out great! Wish you a very a Happy Holiday!
My dad has been bugging me to make him almond Roca for months!! Being that I’ve never made it before I was really nervous. But my dad is so very special to me I decided to give it a wack! This recipe is the best so easy to make!!! I’m so excited to surprise him with this stuff! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world!!!
That made my day, Courtney! Thanks for your comment. What a great daughter for trying something new and making a recipe your dad loves. So glad it turned out well. We LOVE this recipe…almost too much 🙂
OMG!! THIS LOOKS AMAZING!! DOES IT MATTER WHAT KIND OF SEMI-CHOCOLATE CHIPS I USE?? I HEARD SOMEONE SAY ONE TIME THAT THE KEY TO PERFECT ALMOND ROCCA IS THE CHOCOLATE YOU USE. THANKS:)
Good question, Jolene. We use Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chips and it turns out wonderfully. If you experiment with another brand, let me know how it turns out.
Hi
How long can these be stored?
Planning on making them soon
They look yummm
Good question, Ayesha. I would say a couple weeks, but we have made them and eaten them throughout the holiday season and it’s still good. We just love this recipe!
Absolutely wonderful
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe
We think this is the best recipe out there 🙂 We just made a batch last night! Thanks for visiting!
By far the best and easiest recipe for almond roca! I can’t make it fast enough – disappears right away
You are so right, Manon!! This stuff disappears so fast you can never have enough!
What size cookie sheet do you use? Do you use a non stick cookie sheet?
Hi Cheri – We use just a standard size cookie sheet and it is non-stick.
Heavenly! This recipe was SO easy to make! I used Hershey’s chocolate candy bars for the top. It’s so rich and crunchy and buttery! Thank you so much for this recipe! It was hard giving them away as Christmas gifts!
I know what you mean, Maureen! It’s always hard to give this stuff away…you want to keep it all for yourself!
Hi there; just made your toffee and I think I overcooked it . I had a thermometer in there but when it reached 300, it moved a little, causing the needle to go under the 300 mark. I straightened it back up and it immediately got to 300 again . It’s really dark almost like chocolate dark and the bottom of the pot is burned. Is this normal or did I over cook it? Thank you.
Hi Jean,
Bummer! It does sound like you overcooked it. The sweet spot of the caramel is to get it just to the smoke point, and take it off the heat so it doesn’t burn. You are looking for it to become a dark amber color – that’s how you know it’s done. If the pan is burned, the toffee is likely burned, too.