These Take 5 Toffee pieces combine my family's classic English toffee recipe with all the flavors of a Take 5 candy bar. Buttery homemade English toffee is poured over crunchy pretzels, then topped with milk chocolate, peanut butter chips, and chopped peanuts for the perfect sweet-and-salty holiday candy.
If you love Take 5 candy bars, you're going to love this fun twist on traditional English toffee.
Love homemade toffee? Be sure to browse my Homemade Toffee Recipes collection, where you'll also find my classic English Toffee, Disneyland-inspired Churro Toffee, and Christmas Crack recipes.
What Is Take 5 Toffee?
Take 5 Toffee starts with my classic English toffee recipe—the same one my family has been making for more than 35 years.
Instead of pouring the hot toffee into a pan by itself, it's poured over a layer of crunchy pretzels and chopped peanuts. Once the toffee hardens, it's topped with milk chocolate, drizzled with melted peanut butter chips, and finished with more peanuts for all the sweet-and-salty flavors that make a Take 5 candy bar so popular.
It's still buttery homemade English toffee at its core—just inspired by all of the sweet-and-salty flavors that make a Take 5 candy bar so popular.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Built on my perfected English toffee recipe that's been made in my family for more than 35 years.
- Inspired by the sweet-and-salty flavors of a Take 5 candy bar.
- No candy thermometer required.
- Perfect for Christmas candy trays and homemade gifts.
- Crunchy, buttery, salty, chocolatey, and impossible to stop eating.
- No chocolate dipping required.
What People Are Saying
I made a dairy-free version for my daughter. I rolled the dice, halved the recipe, and subbed non-dairy butter and non-dairy chocolate so she could partake. Y’all - it worked!!!! She was over the moon! Since I’ve had the regular version and now this one: the non-dairy version is not as rich tasting on the bottom part bc, duh, no butter, but the texture is on point and it was still delicious.---Joy on Facebook
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Tips and Tricks
- Don't double the recipe. Single batches cook more evenly and are much less likely to separate.
- Cook over medium-high heat. Don't baby the toffee—this recipe cooks best over fairly high heat.
- Use the color as your guide. The finished toffee should resemble the color of a brown paper bag.
- Don't scrape the bottom of the saucepan when pouring the toffee. Spread the chocolate while the toffee is still warm so it melts smoothly.
- Drizzle the peanut butter chips after the chocolate has been spread for the prettiest finish. For more troubleshooting—including grainy toffee, butter separation, soft toffee, and pan cleanup—see my English Toffee recipe.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use salted butter for the richest flavor and best texture. I don't recommend margarine.
- Granulated Sugar: Creates the crisp buttery toffee base.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and enhances the caramel flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Mini Pretzels: The crunchy base that gives this recipe its signature Take 5 flavor.
- Peanuts: Unsalted peanuts keep the candy from becoming overly salty.
- Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate closely resembles a Take 5 candy bar, but semi-sweet or dark chocolate also work well.
- Peanut Butter Chips: Melted and drizzled over the top for the classic peanut butter flavor without making the candy messy.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Take 5 Toffee
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange pretzels in a single layer. Sprinkle with ¼ c. chopped peanuts.
Step 2: Heat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a nice sturdy saucepan on medium heat until butter is melted. Turn the temp up to med-high and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: Allow the toffee to cool until it has hardened. Spread the melted milk chocolate over the surface, then drizzle with melted peanut butter chips and immediately sprinkle with the remaining chopped peanuts.
Allow chocolate to set. Break toffee into small pieces. Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes 1 lb. of delicious Take 5 toffee.
Take 5 Toffee FAQs
No. English toffee must be made with butter. Butter is a key ingredient in any caramel or toffee recipe.
Every stove cooks differently. Continue cooking until the proper color develops, even if it takes another minute or two.
If your toffee doesn't have a hard texture (where you can snap it in half) you did not cook it long enough. Again, the 5-minutes is just a guide. Cook it until it is the color of a brown bag.
Fill your pan with hot water and set it aside. It will start dissolving the toffee left inside and make it easier to clean.
It's inspired by the famous Take 5 candy bar, which combines chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, peanuts, and caramel. This version swaps the caramel for buttery homemade English toffee.
No. This recipe uses visual cues instead of temperature. Cook the toffee until it reaches the color of a brown paper bag.
Butter separation is usually caused by cooking over too low heat, doubling the recipe, or not stirring constantly.
I don't recommend it. Peanut butter stays soft and sticky, while peanut butter chips harden after melting, making them perfect for drizzling.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, 1 month in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer.
More Toffee Recipes To Make
Love homemade toffee? This recipe is one of several variations in my Homemade Toffee Recipes collection. Once you've mastered my classic English toffee recipe, try turning it into Christmas Crack, Disneyland-inspired Churro Toffee, or this Take 5-inspired version.
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Take 5 Toffee Recipe
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
- 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.
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.