Why buy it in a store when you can make Almond Roca at home?
Homemade Almond Roca is certainly a treat. Buttery toffee, rich chocolate, and crunchy almonds, what’s not to like? It’s so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted your time on a store bought batch.
Family Lore
“All store bought [almond roca] pales in comparison to this recipe” – My Dad
This recipe came from a friend of my parents who they used to play volleyball with.
“They needed a setter for co-ed nights so we’d all play together on Fridays in Oakland. They lived by Fentons (IYKYK) and would have game nights afterwards so we’d go drink beer, eat pizza, and play hearts or spades.”
That anecdote of course is unrelated to recipe but it embodies the same simple pleasures that eating almond roca inspires.
I actually was not a huge fan of nuts growing up so I probably didn’t have my family’s almond roca in it’s full glory until maybe my late 20s… yes I was a picky eater.
Instead, my mom would pour out a little bit of the toffee into a small container before adding the almonds and then top it with just chocolate so I could have my own serving of… I guess, just Roca? Regardless, it was delicious and I always loved having my own separate serving.
If you also have picky eaters or nut allergies in your household, you can easily make the whole batch nut free!
Original Recipe
The original almond roca recipe is written on a scrap of paper in my mom’s handwriting. The back of it has a “To-Do” list written by my father for some past holiday gathering.
Some fun observations:
- This is definitely a recipe that has been revised over the years. For example:
- We always make this in a 3-4 Quart pot instead of a skillet
- I’ve never seen it made in a cookie sheet, we always use a 13×9 glass baking pan
- My mom always uses slivered almonds stirred into the toffee (not layered) and chopped walnuts on top
- Additionally, you don’t need a double boiler to melt chocolate. Just microwave it (carefully!)
This is very much a recipe that has general guidelines but you really have to watch someone make it first before you can replicate it exactly. Hopefully my instruction help show how we *actually* make this each year.
Check out all of my Family’s Christmas Cookies here.
Almond Roca
Equipment
- 13×9 glass pan
- 3-4 Quart Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Unsalted butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Slivered Almonds
- 2 Cups Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
- Flake salt optional
Instructions
- Grease a 13×9 glass pan and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add salt and sugar, mixing to combine.1 lb Unsalted butter, 1 tsp Salt, 2 Cup Sugar
- Stir constantly until amber in color, about 10 minutes. To test if it is done, drop a little of the cooked sugar in cold water. If it forms a ball and is hard, it's done.
- Stir in slivered almonds. Pour the toffee into the greased pan and let cool.1 Cup Slivered Almonds
- Once the top starts to set, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave using 30s increments.2 Cups Chocolate Chips
- Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cooled toffee. Smooth with the back of a spoon or spatula and then sprinkle on the chopped walnuts and flake salt.1 Cup Chopped Walnuts, Flake salt
- Let cool completely and then use a knife to break the slab into bite sized pieces.
