If you stick around any conversation for more than a few minutes, the subject matter is going to turn to food. We are obsessed with eating, and rightly so because without eating, we wouldn’t live.

Some of the more popular ways of eating include eating a vegan diet or going low-carb, which is also known as the Keto diet. In either case, however, it involves some type of sacrifice and you may miss your favorite foods on occasion..

One of those foods that is popular, especially during the winter months of the year is English toffee. Some people refer to it as Christmas crack other people, toffee crack, but it doesn’t really matter what you call it, it is a delicious treat.

Those who are trying to wean themselves from all sugar or who are living a vegan lifestyle may miss having a good piece of English toffee on occasion. There is no need to miss it any longer, however, because we have a recipe that is both low-carb and vegan-friendly.

It’s not difficult to make this toffee, but you do have to have the right tools. This includes a candy thermometer, but it will be well worth it.

Are you ready? Here’s how to prepare English toffee the vegan and low-carb way.

Gather the following ingredients:

Butter. The quality of the butter you use makes a HUGE difference. I’ve used grass-fed butter and good quality traditional butter and they have been great. Some dairy-free butter will work too, but any of the cheaper ones tend to contain water and can affect the toffee.

Granulated Sugar Substitute. Homemade brown sugar substitute should be used. I cannot vouch for any other sugar substitutes. If you can tolerate sugar, table sugar and brown sugar will work.

Chocolate chips. Chocolate chips to top the warm toffee with and melt beautifully to form a gorgeous layer.

Chopped nuts of choice. Optional, but I love adding a handful of finely chopped almonds or pecans for some added crunch.

Here’s how you put it together:

1. Line a small loaf pan or square pan with parchment paper. Place some of the optional nuts over the bottom and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine your butter and sugar. On low heat, heat up the mixture, stirring regularly. Once it starts to bubble, add your candy thermometer and keep an eye on it. Stir every 30 seconds, until it reaches 300F.

3. Remove from the heat and whisk very, very well, to ensure the mixture doesn’t separate. Gently pour into the lined pan and let sit for a few minutes.

4. After the toffee has sat for several minutes, top with chocolate chips in an even layer and cover with tin foil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate over the top.

5. Refrigerate until firm, before breaking up into pieces.

After making this toffee, you can store it in a sealable container for at least a week. If you refrigerate the pieces, it will last for a month.

It is also possible to freeze the toffee but you will not be happy with the texture when you thaw it. Just wrap the toffee in parchment paper and put it in a Ziploc bag.