Toffee vodka is probably the most popular flavoured vodka – but why buy it when it is so easy to make? Create your own delicious toffee vodka to drink or give away with this simplest of recipes.
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Toffee vodka
Remember when the world seemed to go mad for flavoured vodka? The infusions available in vodka bars ranged from the delicious to the downright odd.
Toffee vodka is the one that seems to have stood the test of time while others fell by the wayside, and with good reason. It really is delicious.
Toffee vodka is so easy to make at home with this two ingredient, one step recipe, and a little time. There really is nothing to it. You just add your toffees to the vodka, shake them up and leave them to infuse. Let time do the rest.
You may read all sorts of ideas for hurrying this recipe along but there is really no need for a dishwasher (gimmicky and potentially messy), or smashing up and pre-dissolving the toffees (hassle). If you are keen to get things moving a little faster, all you need to do is leave the bottle on the radiator.
This tempting homemade vodka liqueur makes a lovely gift for Christmas or for New Year hosts, but you may just want to keep it to yourself and experiment with some truly delicious winter cocktails. And if yours is one of those homes where the hard toffees are always left at the bottom of the Christmas sweet tin, this is the recipe for you!
Why make toffee vodka
- Fast and easy to make!
- Toffee vodka is possibly the ultimate two ingredient recipe
- It is delicious – use your favourite toffees to customise your vodka
- Far cheaper than buying a commercial version
- Ideal for presents. I love homemade gifts that are edible or quaffable!
Toffee vodka ingredients
- Vodka – Everyday vodka is perfect here. Nothing too expensive, but nothing too rough. Supermarket own brand, or a medium quality branded.
- Toffees – Everyday hard toffees.
How to make toffee vodka – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can to make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Unwrap the toffees and add to a large jar. No need to smash them or anything else. Let’s keep this as easy and as fuss free as we can! Pour over the vodka and seal.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
I prefer a richer toffee flavour – for a lighter and sweeter toffee vodka, try a butterscotch candy like the Werther’s butter candies.
Step Two – Close the jar and give it a good swirl. Repeat the swirling several times a day until fully dissolved.
Step Three – Leave your vodka to infuse for about five days, swirling the jar every day until the toffees dissolve fully. The vodka will be opaque and creamy in appearance. At this stage it looks like an Irish cream.
You can choose to bottle the toffee vodka now or you can go one stage further and filter it for a clear spirit. I find that filtering produces a smoother drink.
Step Four – You can either filter your vodka through a coffee filter, or if you do not have one of these, you can use kitchen paper in a sieve. The filtration process will start off quickly but slow to a very gradual drip, and take several hours.
You will be left with a soft boozy toffee cream in the filter. This is delicious on top of coffee, hot chocolate or any dessert, and will keep in the fridge for a week.
Step Five – Decant your vodka into pretty bottles, ready to serve or to give away as gifts.
Serving suggestions
- Your homemade toffee vodka is delicious served from the fridge, either as it comes or on the rocks. I like to decorate the glass by dipping the rim in a little egg white and then into muscovado sugar.
- Blend with milk and vanilla or chocolate ice cream for a hard shake.
- Add to coffee and top with whipped cream for a toffee vodka Irish coffee.
- Pour over ice cream. Chocolate, vanilla, or coffee would all be delicious.
Toffee vodka cocktails
- Mix with Irish cream for a rich and potent cocktail.
- Try it in prosecco.
- Mix with apple juice for a toffee apple treat.
Storage
Store in a cool cupboard for up to 6 months.
Hints and tips
- I find that a hard toffee gives a better flavour than the soft ones. Quantities are flexible in this toffee vodka recipe. If you prefer, you can increase the amount of toffee to give a stronger, sweeter flavour.
- You can also use a chocolate coated toffee to make chocolate toffee vodka.
- For a butterscotch toffee vodka use Werther’s or a traditional butterscotch. Alternatively, try a Daim Bar vodka!
- Swirl rather than shake the jar, so as to avoid any mess. The rubber seals on preserving jars generally are not leak proof with spirits when shaken.
- To speed the infusion process up, stand the jar on a radiator or in a sink of hot water. Running it through the dishwasher is certainly a fun idea. However, you risk breaking the container and losing the drink. I don’t even want to think about the pain of picking all the broken glass out of the bottom. Or having the bottle leak. Don’t bother.
- If you bottle the vodka unfiltered, you may find that it separates over time. If this happens, simply shake before pouring. Likewise, if the vodka has not been very thoroughly filtered, you may see a slight separation. Again, just shake it up.
FAQs
You can, but I don’t want to risk smashing the jar. To speed things up, stand it on the radiator, in a sink of hot water or just give it a good swirl every hour.
All my jars go through the dishwasher, which has a sterilising effect, and they are sealed before they go in the cupboard. Remember that spirits are sterile anyway.
Unfiltered toffee vodka will separate. Just give it a good shake before serving.
Absolutely, if that’s what you like!
More homemade liqueurs and infusions
- Rhubarb and ginger gin – pretty pink and so so delicious.
- Sloe Gin – this British classic is so much better when homemade.
- Christmas Gin – All the flavours of a Christmas pudding makes this infusion perfect for presents.
- Christmas Vodka – rich spiced vine fruits and ready in less than a week!
- Cranberry Gin – Jewel coloured cranberry and orange gin – perfect for Christmas sipping!
- Bramble Whisky – packed with blackberries and sloes, this is an ultimate winter warmer.
Toffee Vodka
Ingredients
- 130 g toffees
- 500 ml vodka
Instructions
- Put all the toffees in a wide-necked jar. Then add the vodka.130 g toffees, 500 ml vodka
- Seal and swirl the jar to mix. Leave for 5 days to a week, giving your toffee vodka time to infuse. Swirl regularly to help the toffees to melt. You can stand the jar next to a radiator to speed up the process if you need to.
- When the toffees have dissolved, you will have an opaque vodka drink that looks a bit like Irish cream. You can bottle it like this or decide to filter it. I find that filtering produces a smoother drink.
- To filter, set either a coffee filter or a sieve lined with kitchen paper over a jug and pour the vodka in. This can be a slow process, and will take several hours. At the end, you will be left with a delicious soft toffee cream in the filter. Don't throw this away, as it is delicious on desserts or added to hot chocolate. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Bottle your vodka and store it in a cool, dark cupboard.
Dawn
Oh my, vodka and I had a falling out many years ago but this makes me want to rekindle that relationship! Looks so easy and sounds so delicious!
Helen Best-Shaw
so good! I love a homemade flavoured vodka!
Stephen
I haven’t had toffee vodka for yeas and this recipe is a winner. So much better filtered. thank you.
Belinda M
This homemade version is so much nicer, and far cheaper than buying from the supermarket. Making another batch for Christmas presents!
Hollie
Made a batch of this, which took my right back to student days. It really is delicious!
Henry
so nice to have an easy recipe that doesn’t need mucking about with the dishwasher. this is delicous.