This simple recipe for easy cracker toffee is out of this world good! Call it Christmas Crack, saltine cracker toffee, Christmas cracker candy, Christmas crack candy, toffee bark or saltine toffee candy. Whatever you call it it’s a delicious treat for the holiday season. Four ingredients and 15 minutes cooking time. We’ve added some great toppings too!
Christmas Crack gets its name from its addictive quality. A salty sweet combo of crackers with a buttery toffee layer and chocolate on top. It’s the easiest candy recipe and perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday desserts.
No candy thermometer or fussy recipe steps are required. This is an easy last minute recipe using simple ingredients.
This recipe adds some wintery toppings of white chocolate, dried cranberries, candied ginger, pistachios and sea salt! It’s great with or without the toppings.
The hardest part? Not gobbling it up as soon as it’s ready.
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What is Christmas Crack?
An easy recipe that combines saltine type crackers, chocolate and caramel to make a version of English Toffee. It’s simple to make and fast.
The cracker toffee has a wonderful ‘snap’, crispy texture and dreamy chocolate caramel flavors of a sweet toffee with a hint of salty flavor..
This Christmas Crack recipe takes it up a notch adding some toppings to the cracker toffee though it’s perfect without them too.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Cracker Toffee
- Unsalted Butter
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Saltine-type Crackers. Traditionally Christmas Crack is made with Saltine type crackers. The salt on the crackers is fantastic with the toffee flavors. Regular or gluten-free crackers can be used.
Topping Ingredients (optional)
- White Chocolate Baking Chips
- Dried Sweetened Cranberries. These can be found in the bulk department of grocery stores or individually bagged in the baking supply area. Be sure to choose sweetened cranberries.
- Candied Ginger. Candied Ginger or crystallized ginger is a chewy form of ginger that has been cooked in simple syrup and coated in granulated sugar. You’ll find it with the baking supplies or with the spices in a jar.
- It has a strong, sweet ginger flavor and has a sparkly exterior covered in granulated sugar.
- Roasted, Salted Pistachios. Select shelled roasted and salted pistachio nuts for this recipe. Pistachios come in several forms pre-packaged or in the bulk section of the grocery store.
- Sea Salt
How to Make it Gluten-Free
Use gluten-free saltine-type crackers. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free. We recommend Schär’s Table Crackers. Light, delicate, with a buttery flavor and touch of salt, they can be used for anything.
How to make Christmas Crack – Step-by-Step
Detailed printable recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 18-inch by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with non stick cooking spray. Parchment paper can also be used.
Create a single layer of saltine crackers side by side in 3 rows of 8 crackers on the prepared pan. NOTE: the number of crackers may vary depending on the brand used.
STEP 2. Make & Bake the toffee
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar. Melt butter and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring to a low boil, stirring often and allow to thicken.
Pour the caramel mixture onto the crackers; gently smooth over the crackers with a pliable heat-proof spatula. Ensure they are all covered.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top of the crackers. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes until the chips begin to melt.
Gently spread the creamy chocolate to evenly cover the crackers without breaking them apart.
STEP 3. Add toppings (optional)
Sprinkle the ginger, cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips evenly over the melted chocolate layer, followed by the fleur de sel (sea salt). Allow to fully set.
How to cut it
Once the cracker toffee is fully set, remove the crackers with the foil from the cookie sheet.
Using a large, sharp knife cut into 42 squares.
Variations
- Try a different type of cracker. Swap in Ritz crackers (only if not gluten-free) or graham crackers for graham cracker toffee a different flavor combination.
- Use chopped chocolate. Instead of baking chips use a chopped chocolate bar. Try dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Leave off the toppings. You can stop before adding any toppings and the saltine cracker candy is delicious. If leaving off the toppings try milk chocolate baking chips.
- Change up the toppings. Try toffee bits for a double toffee flavor. Some people like to add coconut flakes. Experiment with ingredients you love.
Pro Tips
Number of Crackers May Vary. Depending on the type and brand of saltine or table crackers used, the quantity may vary.
Fill an 18-inch by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet (this size is known as a ‘half sheet’) with the crackers you are using.
Caramel While Baking. During baking the caramel will bubble aggressively, calming to a smaller bubbling by end. This is normal.
Space between Crackers. Some space may have developed between the crackers during baking the Christmas Crack. This is normal.
Spread Chocolate Gently. The crackers are more delicate just after cooking so spread the melting chocolate carefully.
Optional Chilling. The assembled Christmas Crack can be chilled in the refrigerator to speed up setting.
Cracker breakage. If your crackers break in the package, piece them together on the baking sheet.
Once covered by the caramel and chocolate, they harden into a slab to be cut apart so the cracker breakage won’t matter.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
Recipe
Christmas Crack
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/4 cup diced Candied Ginger
- 1/2 cup White Chocolate Baking Chips
- 1/3 cup chopped Dried (sweetened) Cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped Roasted, Salted Pistachio Nuts (shelled)
- 1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel (sea salt)
- 24 Saltine-style crackers (regular or gluten-free)*
- 1 Baker’s Half Sheet rimmed baking sheet (18 by 13 inches)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
- Line up crackers side by side in 3 rows of 8 crackers on the prepared pan (refer to photo with cracker package above). NOTE: the amount of crackers may vary depending on brand used.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar. Allow both to melt (about 2 minutes) then come of a low boil, stirring often. Allow to boil for 2 additional minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Pour onto the crackers and gently smooth over the crackers with a pliable heat-proof spatula to ensure they are all covered.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Note: during cooking the caramel will bubble aggressively, calming to a smaller bubbling by end; this is normal.
- Remove the pan from the oven (some space may have developed between the crackers) and sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top of the crackers. Allow them to sit for about 2 minutes until the chips begin to melt.
- Gently spread the chocolate to evenly cover the crackers without breaking them apart (the crackers are more delicate just after cooking).
- Sprinkle the ginger, cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips evenly over the melted chocolate, followed by the fleur de sel and allow to fully set (note: can be chilled to speed up setting).
- To Cut: once fully set, remove the crackers with the foil from the baking sheet. Using a large, sharp knife cut into 42 squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published: December 17, 2017
This post was originally sponsored by Schär.
Sara says
Love this recipe, tasty and simple to make, so the kids had great fun helping out (and eating it!!)
Andrea says
This is not my mothers cracker toffee. I love all the flavors and textures on this cracker toffee.
MEGAN STEVENS says
My favorite parts of these are the ginger, white chocolate, dark chocolate and fleur de sel! And yet, they come together pretty fast. So festive for the holiday season, thank you!
Teresa says
First time making cracker toffee and won’t be my last. Very easy recipe and the flavors are amazing. Everyone loved it.