Toffee Dessert Bars – The Stay At Home Chef

When that salty and sweet craving strikes, these toffee dessert bars will be calling your name. Layered with just the right amount of toffee crunch, these indulgent treats are bound to become addicting (sorry, not sorry!). A little salty, a little sweet—it’s the best of both worlds, all wrapped up in one delicious bar!

You may also want to make a batch of our quick and easy homemade toffee too! Or use it to create your own toffee bits.

These dessert bars are the perfect example of a gift that keeps on giving. The shortbread crust alone is a treat, and with every layer, it just keeps getting better and better! And the best part? They’re made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, so you can whip them up in no time whenever you need a delicious treat.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter: Salted butter works best, but you can use unsalted butter with a pinch of salt. Make sure your butter is cold, as it helps create a more crumbly texture in the crust.
• All-Purpose Flour: Stick with regular all-purpose flour for the best texture. Gluten-free options can work, but they may alter the texture slightly.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar works best for sweetness.
• Chocolate Chips: Adds sweetness. You can use dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips for a fun twist.
• Toffee Bits: We prefer using our homemade toffee, finely chopped, but store-bought toffee bits (usually found near the chocolate chips) work well too.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Binds the layers together and adds creamy sweetness. Note that this is different from evaporated milk.

Caramelizing The Sweetened Condensed Milk

An important step to getting the best taste and texture in your dessert bars is ensuring the sweetened condensed milk caramelizes during baking. Make sure the condensed milk becomes bubbly and slightly browned (check around the edges) to guarantee it’s cooked enough and not syrupy. This will give your bars the perfect texture and prevent them from becoming soggy.

Allow Bars to Harden

One of the most important steps in making these dessert bars is allowing them to harden before cutting. If you try to cut your toffee dessert bars while they’re still warm, they’ll turn into a pile of goo. Let the bars cool completely and set up before slicing into evenly cut pieces.