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What is a Take 5 Candy Bar?
My husband loves Take 5 candy bars. Have you ever had one? I'm assuming you found your way to this recipe because you like them, but if not, here you go. A Take 5 candy bar is made out of pretzels, peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, and chocolate.
My Take 5 toffee is based off of those 5 basic ingredients. Instead of caramel, I used English toffee. Instead of peanut butter, I used melted peanut butter chips. Peanut butter would be delicious, but would also make this toffee a sticky mess. Peanut butter chips are like chocolate chips, and melt easily then harden once again, making them perfect for drizzling across this toffee recipe.
HOW TO MAKE Take 5 TOFFEE
Before you dive into this recipe, be sure to read through my entire post AND the helpful tips at the end!- We'll first start out by lining a baking sheet with foil. Then we'll add a single layer of peanuts and pretzels.
- I'll take you step by step through the process of making the toffee in the recipe below, but be sure to also watch my video for a better visual.
- The hot toffee is poured over the pretzels and peanuts then cools until hardened.
- Then we'll melt chocolate chips and spread them over the toffee and drizzle in melted peanut butter chips.
- Last, but not least, we'll sprinkle with more peanuts.
- Once the chocolate has had a chance to set up it will need to be broken into small pieces.
Take 5 Toffee: Toffee, Chocolate, Pretzels, Peanuts
Take 5 Toffee Recipe
Take 5 Toffee! If you like the candy bar, you'll love this toffee! Pretzels, peanuts, toffee, milk chocolate and peanut butter.
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Servings: 16
Calories: 295kcal
Equipment
- baking sheet
- foil
- sturdy pan
- wooden spoon
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- spatula
- plastic bag or frosting bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (salted) DO NOT USE MARGARINE
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1 cup mini pretzels
- ½ cup chopped peanuts divided
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange pretzels in a single layer. Sprinkle with ¼ c. chopped peanuts.
- Heat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a nice sturdy saucepan on med heat until butter is melted. Turn temp up to med-high and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
- Set your timer for 5 minutes and DO NOT let ANYTHING disturb you while you stir. You must keep stirring your butter/sugar mixture so that it does not burn. And you must use a WOODEN spoon.
- Keep stirring until your timer goes off. It may even smoke a tiny bit and that is ok. If you are really concerned, lift you pan off of the burner (while you are still stirring) to remove it from the heat, but still stir until your timer goes off. You are looking for toffee that is the color of a brown paper bag. Not tan or beige, but BROWN.
- Immediately pour hot toffee over pretzels and peanuts.
- Do not scrape the bottom of the pan. As you pour, the bottom will brown and you don’t want that in your toffee.
- Fill your pan with hot water and set it aside. It will start dissolving the toffee left inside and make it easier to clean.
- Let toffee cool. It should harden within a couple of minutes.
- Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Melt an additional 20 seconds. Stir.
- Spread across your toffee with a small spatula or butter knife.
- Melt peanut butter chips in frosting bag or plastic freezer bag (the plastic on freezer bags is thicker than sandwich or snack bags) for 30 seconds. Make a small cut in the corner of the bag for drizzling.
- Drizzle melted peanut butter chips over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts.
- Allow chocolate to set. Break toffee into small pieces.
- Store in airtight container.
Notes
Here are some more helpful hints for making this toffee recipe.
- Do NOT double the recipe
- You must use a WOODEN spoon
- Use a clean, dry pan for each new batch.
- Cook over high- medium/high. (My stove is gas and tends to cook really hot, really fast. So I usually drop the heat to medium for my toffee, but in years past when I had an electric flat top stove, med-high worked best.)
- The 5 minute cook time is just a guide. If you hit 5 minutes and your toffee still isn't the color of a brown paper bag, add an extra minute. Cook times vary on each stove.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal
TIPS, TRICKS, AND FAQ FOR MAKING THIS ENGLISH TOFFEE RECIPE:
Here are some more helpful hints that my aunt shared with me for this English toffee recipe.
- Do NOT double the recipe
- You must use a WOODEN spoon
- Use a clean, dry pan for each new batch.
- Cook over high- medium/high. (My stove is gas and tends to cook really hot, really fast. So I usually drop the heat to medium for my toffee, but in years past when I had an electric flat top stove, med-high worked best.)
Karen Ackerman says
I appreciate your detailed instructions (I am void of any talent/ vision/ creativity with new recipes). You,obviously, are the antithesis of those nouns. I am going to attempt to make your recipe---gad, I only hope my attempt does your recipe justice. I shall even buy a wooden spoon in honor of you. I must add, I have absolutely no luck melting peanut butter chips in freezer bags---note the aforementioned "void of...''. May I place the peanut butter chips in a glass measuring cup, add a tiny bit of oil/shortening to melt, and use a fork to drizzle the mixture over the pretzels and chocolate? I shall wait for your advice. I thank you in advance.
Brandy says
Hi Karen! You can absolutely add a small amount of oil to aid in melting the peanut butter chips smoothly! Good luck!
Charmaine says
Hi I totally failed at this recipe 🙂 I did my 5 minutes but it still wasn’t brown. I went longer but it ended up in a big clump and unable to pour it over the pretzels. Any suggestions?
Brandy says
Hi Charmaine! What was your stove set at? It might take a little longer than 5 minutes (every stove is different—-mine only takes 4 min.), but it shouldn’t take much longer. It sounds like you need to set the temp a little higher. Med-high. Not medium, but in between medium and high. And start the timer once it starts to boil.