Almond Roca

This homemade almond Roca is a delicious no bake dessert made with a thick toffee loaded with crunchy almonds and topped with chocolate! 4 ingredients, 5 minutes, and guaranteed to impress! 

Homemade Almond Roca

When the festive season is looming, my favorite treats to get me into the spirit are candied pecans, peppermint fudge, and this homemade almond roca. 

I hate to admit how much money I’ve spent over the last few years on store bought candy. From fancy fudge, peppermint treats, and other sweets, you name it, I can guarantee you one of my friends or family received some as a gift. Eventually, I taught myself to make homemade versions of all of them and stopped with excessive spending. While I used to stick to cookies or fudge, I’ve recently started making my own Roca candy! 

What is almond roca?

You’ve probably seen Roca candy at ALL the major supermarkets, especially around the holiday season. Almond Roca is a thick and hard toffee, with chopped almonds mixed in and on top. It’s often also coated with a thick layer of chocolate.

Almond Roca differs from English toffee, as the latter does NOT contain any almonds, and is often a softer texture.

Now, this homemade version may look incredibly fancy, but I promise you it is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make, and it needs just 4 ingredients. 

The texture is exactly like the traditional Roca- thick, slightly chewy, and filled with plenty of chopped almonds. They taste sweet and slightly nutty, with the chocolate stopping the toffee from being too overpowering.

Perfect for edible holiday gifts or serving with a cup of hot cocoa at night, this homemade Roca candy can easily be adapted to most diets- I make them for both my keto friends and vegan friends!

How to make almond Roca

Making almond Roca is ridiculously simple and follows an easy 4-step process, and only needs 4 ingredients. 

The Ingredients

• Butter- Unsalted butter from a block, not a spread. 
• Sugar of choice- If you don’t follow any specific diet, white sugar or brown sugar can be used. I tried a keto version using golden monk fruit sweetener and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture. 
• Chocolate Chips- Good quality chocolate chips, or even a chopped up chocolate bar. 
• Chopped Almonds. Raw, unsalted almonds. Roughly chop them, for added texture. 

The Instructions

Start by preparing your pan. In a small loaf pan or non-stick square pan, place parchment paper and spread out half the almonds all over. Next, prepare the toffee filling. On low heat, heat the butter and sugar together in a small saucepan. Once warm and melted, regularly stir every 30 seconds, and then when mixture begins to bubble, place your candy thermometer into the center. Once it reaches 300F (hard crack), remove from the heat.

Now, pour the toffee mixture into the lined pan, over the chopped almonds. Let it sit for 5 minutes, before adding the chocolate chips over the top. Cover the pan with tin foil and let sit for a further 5 minutes, for the toffee to melt the chocolate. Remove the tinfoil and, using a rubber spatula, spread out the chocolate over the top. 

Finally, sprinkle the remaining chopped almonds over the top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, to firm up. Once firm, break apart into pieces.  

Dietary swaps and substitutions

• Make it vegan (dairy free)– Use vegan butter and dairy free chocolate chips 
• Make it keto (low carb)– Use golden monk fruit sweetener or swerve brown sugar. 
• Add fruit and nuts– Add extra nuts or swap out the almonds for something else! 
• Give a festive twist– Add crushed candy canes or dried cranberries. 

Tips to make the best almond Roca

• When you remove the toffee mixture from the heat, be sure to continually stir it well, to ensure the butter and sugar do not separate.
• If you are making the sugar free option (sugar substitute and sugar free chocolate chips), you will need to heat the toffee a little longer. 
• For thicker pieces of almond candy, use a loaf pan. For thinner portions, use a square pan. 

How to store Roca candy

• To store: Almond Roca can be stored at room temperature, in a sealed container. You can store homemade Almond Roca at room temperature for at least 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate it and it will keep for up to 2 months. 
• To freeze: Wrap pieces in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag or shallow container. They can be kept frozen for up to 6 months. 

More candy recipes to try

• Peppermint bark
• Chocolate almond bark
• English toffee
• Snickers
• Bounty bars

Homemade Almond Roca

This almond roca is a homemade candy that is BETTER than the original Roca candy! 4 ingredients and ready in 5 minutes!

5 from 27 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Arman

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar white sugar, brown sugar, or keto subs * See notes
• 1 cup chocolate chips any chocolate chips of choice
• 1/2 cup raw almonds Chopped roughly

Instructions

• Line a small square pan or loaf pan with parchment paper and spread out 1/4 cup of the chopped almonds over the bottom. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine your butter and sugar. On low heat, heat up until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stirring regularly, once the mixture begins to bubble, add your candy thermometer into the center of the mixture. Continue to stir every 30 seconds, until the thermometer reaches 300F (hard crack). Remove from the heat.
• Continue stirring continuously to ensure the butter and sugar do not separate. Pour into the lined pan and let sit for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, top with your chocolate chips evenly over the top. Cover the pan with tin foil and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the tin foil. Using a rubber spatula, spread out the chocolate evenly over the toffee. Once spread, top with remaining chopped almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Once set, use a sharp knife and slice into pieces.

Notes

TO STORE: Almond Roca can be stored at room temperature, in a sealed container. You can store homemade Almond Roca at room temperature for at least 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate it and it will keep for up to 2 months. 

TO FREEZE: Wrap pieces in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag or shallow container. They can be kept frozen for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Piece | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.5mg | NET CARBS: 3g

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