These popular sweet snacks all look alike and taste very similar, but are they the same thing?
The Short Answer:
No, butterscotch, caramel, and toffee are similar to one another but have different ingredients and preparation methods.
The Long Answer:
I love Caramel. I love it in candy bars, in café lattes, on ice cream, you name it. Recently I started wondering if caramel had snuck its way into some of the other confections I’ve come to enjoy under varying names like butterscotch and toffee. Thus, a new ITTF article was born!
I was surprised to find out that there are some major key differences between these three similar tasting sweets.
All three of these confections are made from melted sugar, but they vary from there.
Caramel is made by mixing white granulated sugar together with heavy whipping cream, butter, and a small bit of vanilla. When it comes to butterscotch and toffee you’ve got a lot of the same ingredients.
They also use butter, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream, but it’s the sugar that differentiates these two from caramel. While caramel uses white sugar, both butterscotch and toffee use brown sugar.
So, does that mean that butterscotch and toffee are the same thing?
Nope.
First off, let’s discuss butterscotch. Originally, this was just a hard candy. That was long before the days of gooey butterscotch sauce. I’ve seen a lot of people online incorrectly assume that because the word scotch is in the name, butterscotch must originate in Scotland, much like Scotch Whiskey. That’s not the reasoning for its name. The term scotch is actually related to the manner in which they would cut the hard candy. Since it was difficult to break into clean pieces the candy would be scored or “scotched” while it was being made to make it easier to cut when done.
Toffee is virtually the same thing as butterscotch, but with one major difference. It’s cooked a lot longer. Toffee is purposely overcooked until reaches the hard-cracked stage. At this stage there is almost no water left in the original syrup. Most hard-cracked candy is hard and brittle and has a sugar concentration of 99%.
What’s your favorite between caramel, butterscotch, and toffee? Do you prefer these sweet treats in candy? Topping ice cream? Or in your caffeinated beverage? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know.
FAQs
When it comes to butterscotch and toffee you've got a lot of the same ingredients. They also use butter, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream, but it's the sugar that differentiates these two from caramel. While caramel uses white sugar, both butterscotch and toffee use brown sugar.
Are caramel and toffee the same? ›
The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).
What is toffee made of? ›
Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 149 to 154 °C (300 to 310 °F). While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.
What is the difference between English toffee and butter toffee? ›
The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.
What does toffee taste like? ›
Toffee offers a rich, indulgent taste experience, characterised by a deep, caramelised sweetness and a buttery richness. The primary flavour profile of toffee is a blend of sweet and slightly burnt sugar, which comes from the caramelisation process during cooking.
What is the difference between caramel, butterscotch, and toffee? ›
When it comes to butterscotch and toffee you've got a lot of the same ingredients. They also use butter, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream, but it's the sugar that differentiates these two from caramel. While caramel uses white sugar, both butterscotch and toffee use brown sugar.
Is Werther's original butterscotch or caramel? ›
Werther's Original products are made of the finest caramel. We use the best ingredients to make every piece something worthy of being wrapped in gold!
What do Americans call toffee? ›
Historically, taffy has been considered an American term while toffee is the term used by the British. Those studying the history of the two believe that both gained popularity during the 19th century.
Is toffee just crunchy caramel? ›
Toffee vs Caramel
The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is taffy just toffee? ›
Is toffee the same as taffy? Taffy is in no way, shape, or form toffee. Taffy describes chewy fruit candies, whereas toffee is closer to caramel.
The term "butterscotch" is thought to originate from the confection's primary ingredients – butter and the process of "scotching," which in this context means to cut or score. The "butter" part of the name straightforwardly refers to one of the key components of the sweet.
What country invented toffee? ›
Toffee didn't appear in dictionaries until after 1825, making it something of a newcomer to the world of candy. Most food historians agree that the sweet treat likely originated in Wales and then rose to prominence across Britain and Europe where supplies of butter and eventually imported sugar were plentiful.
Why did my toffee turn out chewy? ›
Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.
Do you stir toffee or not? ›
It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.
Are taffy and caramel the same thing? ›
Caramel (middle column) is a similar but softer sweet with milkier flavours, and includes the dessert sauce. Taffy (right column) is also soft, but nixes the butter and caramelized sugar in favour of fruit or spice flavours. Your local terms are almost certainly different.
Should toffee be hard or soft? ›
Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .
What the heck is toffee? ›
Toffee is just sugar, butter, water, and vanilla cooked to a hard crack stage and caramel has added heavy whipping cream and cooked to a firm ball stage. While I like toffee, I think that if it's not done right it takes on a burned sugar flavor and I really prefer a richer flavor of caramel!
Is a toffee apple the same as caramel? ›
The sugar-coated apple confection we call toffee apples are known as caramel apples in the U.S and Canada, in France they are called pommes d'amour (apples of love) and can found at many autum festivals and fetes all across France.
Is Toffifee a caramel? ›
There is something in Toffifee for everyone: a delicious caramel cup filled with a crunchy hazelnut, nougat cream and topped with smooth dark chocolate. Launched in 1973 and now available in more than 100 countries: Toffifee is a real success story.
