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My homemade Almond Roca recipe is made with only 4 ingredients and needs NO baking! It’s a foolproof copycat recipe!
Looking for more copycat candy bars? Try my homemade Kit Kats, Twix, or Almond Joys next.
I think Almond Roca is the most underrated candy. Blame the candy makers, not the candy.
My almond roca recipe is ten times better than the classic candy bar. That’s because I use real toffee and NOT corn syrup. Pair that with crunchy almonds and a thick layer of chocolate, and you’ve got a dessert no one can resist.
What is Almond Roca?
You’ve probably seen Roca candy at ALL the major supermarkets, especially around the holiday season. Almond Roca is a hard toffee with chopped almonds mixed in and on top. It’s often also coated with a thick layer of chocolate.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made with 4 wholesome ingredients. I can’t claim this is ‘healthy,’ however, it is made with a shortlist of easy-to-pronounce ingredients. Nowadays, that’s a big deal!
- Fun to customize. Since you’re the chef, you can use whatever nuts or chocolate you want. You can even make it vegan or add different mix-ins.
- Not just for the holidays. Almond Roca is usually reserved for gift-giving over the holidays, but once you learn how to make it from scratch, you’ll always find an excuse to make it.
Ingredients needed
- Butter. Unsalted butter from a block, not a spread. Spreads usually have water added, which can affect the texture of the toffee.
- Sugar. I tested white sugar and light brown sugar, and white sugar made the toffee more snappy.
- Chocolate chips. Good quality chocolate chips or even a chopped-up chocolate bar. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Chopped almonds. Raw, unsalted almonds. Roughly chop them for added texture.
How to make Almond Roca
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Add the almond layer. Line a small square pan or baking sheet with parchment paper and spread 1/4 cup of the chopped almonds over the bottom.
Step 2- Make the toffee. Melt the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly until the mixture reaches a low boil, and place the candy thermometer in the center of the pot. Stir every 30 seconds until the thermometer reads 300F (the ‘hard crack stage’), then remove it from the heat.
Step 3- Add the toffee layer. Stir continuously to ensure the butter and sugar don’t separate. Pour the mixture onto the lined cookie sheet in an even layer and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 4- Add chocolate layer. After 5 minutes, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Cover the sheet pan with foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, remove the foil and use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee. Top with remaining almonds.
Step 5- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Once set, use a sharp knife to slice it into pieces.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t worry about getting even slices. The beauty of Almond Roca is its uneven pieces. I think they call it ‘rustic.’
- Stir, stir, stir! I’m not kidding when I say you have to stir continuously. If not, the butter and sugar will separate, and you’ll end up with uneven, tacky toffee.
- Don’t use salted butter. If you prefer a salty-sweet flavor, sprinkle the candy with flaky sea salt after the chocolate has mostly firmed up.
Variations
- Make it vegan. Use vegan chocolate chips and vegan butter.
- Switch up the nuts. Use a mixture of walnuts, pecans, and peanuts.
- Use different chocolate. Try white, dark, or milk chocolate chips or a mixture of all three.
Storage instructions
To store: Store it in a sealed container at room temp for up to two weeks. Store it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks to keep it fresher for longer, but let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
To freeze: Freeze Almond Roca in a freezer-safe bag for up to six months.
Frequently asked questions
Almond Roca differs from English toffee because the latter does not contain almonds and is often softer in texture.
Yes, using a candy thermometer is necessary to ensure the toffee doesn’t burn or scorch. Trust me, it is worth the small investment to purchase one!
More homemade treats you’ll enjoy
- Vegan Snickers
- Peanut butter eggs
- Almond flour sugar cookies
- Chocolate pecan pie bars
- Or any of my holiday desserts
4-Ingredient Almond Roca
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup 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 the 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
Nutrition
Originally updated June 2022, updated and republished September 2024
I made this recipe today. I increased amount so that I can put in freezer more. Now I dont need to buy bars.
Wow only 4 ingredients for this amazing recipe. I want to try it.
Uu this recipe seems very caloric. Maybe too much sugar as almonds alone are sweet for me.
This was TOO good!
This is the recipe I had in the late 50’s. AND it’s the best also! I lost the recipe in a recipe box that was lost in move. Reading all the other recipes that include corn syrup was making me nervous, but finally found your recipe and making it for my fam and the fire house too! THIS IS BEST Almod Roca ever!
These were so yummy!!!
It’s really good! This is the closest thing to real candy 😋
Can this be made with a sweetener instead of regular sugar to make it keto friendly 😊
Just allulose 🙂
Seriously the best homemade almond roca recipe I’ve ever made.
Can you use coconut sugar for this? 🤔
Yes 🙂
I’m wondering if the keto sweeteners actually use the same measurements as the sugar since you didn’t list any variations?
Yes, only allulose
What sweetner do you recommend for keto?
Allulose 🙂
Hello, have you attempted to double the recipe? Some recipes just don’t work out when doubled. Thank you.
I experimented with Lakanto sweetener/regular butter. However I did not have a candy thermometer…used my best judgement with the cold water test. The texture was probably one step under hard crack, I should have let it cook a bit longer but the flavor was still great. Yum! Not sure if it had anything to do with the Lakanto, it was a bit more fudgy, but like I said it was a tiny bit undercooked. So if you’re wondering about using an alternative sweetener, it will work just make sure you have the thermometer!
Made this using the best ingredients: Kerigold butter, monkfruit and Lilly’s ch chips. It did set up, but had a soft texture. Didn’t harden like almond roca. I”m curious to know how it hardens up without Kyro Syrup? Has anyone made this and had it harden up?
Gennie, at the top of the recipe it says 12 servings! 😊👍🏻
I thought the notes were supposed to show info about keto sweeteners for this recipe.
I realize that, but, it doesn’t say “HOW many servings it makes”, a weight amount would be good to have, I am diabetic so it’s important for me to know how much a serving is. Seeing the different sizes is the reason I asked. You just said 1 piece is 16 carbs, but how many pieces it breaks into can be a wide range. So, I still need to have an idea. You have one recipe (non keto) a pile on top of one another and I counted 8 or 9 of those, but still no mention of how many people it serves. Pls help me! NOT A DUPLICATE COMMENT
I realize that, but it doesn’t say “HOW many servings it makes”, a weight amount would be good to have, I am diabetic so it’s important for me to know how much a serving is. Seeing the different sizes is the reason I asked. You just said 1 piece is 16 carbs, but how many pieces it breaks into can be a wide range. So, I still need to have an idea. You have one recipe (non keto) a pile on top of one another and I counted 8 or 9 of those, but still no mention of how many people it serves. Pls help me!
Can you please tell me how many pieces this makes. Hard to calculate carbs otherwise. Thank you.
Gennie
It depends on how big you break them up 🙂
This was good, but my toffee was softer than expected and didn’t have that nice amber color like yours. I followed the directions exactly.. should I have not taken it off the heat as soon as the candy thermometer read 300?
Hi! Did you let it firm up? 🙂
Mine was still very liquidy after 5 mins and the choc chips just kinda sunk in.. what did I do wrong?
Not sure, maybe it was the brand you used or you didn’t let the toffee sit long enough.
What do you substitute for butter to make it vegan?
Hi Donna, I tried out the Flora brand of vegan butter.
This looks delicious, but it isn’t vegan. It has butter in it.
Nope, it has a vegan tested option included in the post. Enjoy