Most people think that caramel and toffee are synonyms. The truth is that both are sugar candies with the same light golden color, but that’s all they have in common. While toffee is usually hard and crunchy, caramel tends to be soft and chewy.
Table Summary
| Toffee | Caramel |
| Crunchy | Chewy |
| Used for brittle | Used for candies and sauces |
| Sugar and butter | Sugar, water and cream |
Getty Images / Moment / BURCU ATALAY TANKUT
Definitions
Toffee is a hard, crunchy candy made of sugar and butter. To reach its brittle consistency, it is heated to 300° F. It is then used in desserts such as apple cake and sticky toffee pudding.
Caramel is a soft, chewy sugar candy made of sugar, water, and cream or milk. Unlike toffee which is heated to 300° F, it is only heated to 248° F to keep its soft consistency. It can be used for baked goods such as cookies, cakes and apple pies.
Toffee VS Caramel
The main differences between toffee and caramel are their ingredients and cooking temperatures. While toffee is made of only sugar and butter, caramel requires sugar, water and cream. Besides, toffee is heated to 300° F until it becomes brittle, while caramel is heated to 248° F only to keep its chewy consistency.