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This is the Best Christmas Crack Recipe! It’s a saltine cracker layered with toffee and creamy chocolate, then topped with crunchy pecans for the ultimate sweet and salty treat. This recipe is so easy, delicious, and addicting!
Our family goes crazy for it every Christmas. If you love toffee as much as we do, try this easy Homemade Toffee, this Graham cracker-based Christmas crack toffe, or this Disneyland copycat churro toffee!
Best Christmas Crack (Saltine Cracker Toffee)
I’m not kidding when I say this is the BEST Christmas crack toffee recipe out there! It’s so easy to make, and it’s a great recipe to make with your kids. You use a crunchy saltine cracker as the base of the toffee, which gives it a nice salty crunch that is seriously addicting. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this perfect for Christmas treat!
I love making Christmas candy to share with friends and neighbors. I like that I can hand out a few plates of Grinch cookies and some divinity candy, and I know everyone will love it. Everyone in my family knows I just want fudge for Christmas! This Christmas crack makes the perfect addition to any treat plate or cookie box that you plan on sharing with loved ones this Christmas season.
Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make this addictive Christmas crack toffee! Next time you are at the grocery store, pick up your favorite salty crackers. You will have the perfect base for this toffee. You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.
- Saltine Crackers: The salty cracker adds a delicious crunchy base. It also helps to keep the toffee together and adds great flavor!
- Butter: This melts with the brown sugar to make the candy toffee topping.
- Brown Sugar: You melt the sweet brown sugar with butter to make the toffee topping for this toffe. Brown sugar has molasses in it which gives it a deeper and richer flavor.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: This is for topping your toffee mixture. You can use your favorite brand of chocolate chips. The better quality you use, the better your toffee will taste!
- Pecans: I like to chop them and sprinkle them over the top for an extra crunch! You could even toast them or candy them first to give them more flavor, or you could leave them off! Whatever you are going to like most is how you should make it.
Christmas Crack Recipe
Christmas crack is so simple to make, and is so easy to eat! I can’t get away without making at least two batches every year, because everyone always wants more. The best part is, you don’t have to be skilled at candy making to get this recipe right every time! It’s a simple recipe that the whole family will be able to make together.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10 x15 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Add Crackers: Place your saltine crackers in even rows and set aside.
- Make Toffee: In a saucepan over medium high heat melt the butter and brown sugar and whisk and let it boil for a few minutes.
- Bake and Add Chocolate Chips: Pour over the saltines and spread out and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips and let it sit.
- Smooth Chocolate and Add Pecans: Spread the chocolate over the Saltines and sprinkle with chopped pecans and let it harden. Cut into pieces and serve.
Variations of Christmas Crack Flavors
This recipe is so delicious as is, or you can switch up the flavors! You can make so many different kinds of toffee, here are a few that I’ve tried and loved!
- Add Other Toppings: I’ve added pretzels on top along with the pecans, and I’ve just added pretzels instead of the nuts. It was delicious! The additional salt on top was so yummy. You could also try M&M’s, toffee bits, your favorite candy bar crushed up, sprinkles, or candy canes!
- Use Different Crackers: I’ve used Graham crackers and Ritz crackers when I was in a rush and it was the only thing I had in my house. I think my kids liked the Graham crackers than the Saltine cracker version!
- Chocolate: You could use white chocolate, dark chocolate, or any flavor you like! I have even tried mint chocolate and cherry flavored chocolate, and it was all delicious.
- Try Different Nuts: Walnuts, peanuts, and almonds have all been a huge hit on top of this toffee. I mentioned earlier that you can also candy or toast the nuts to bring out different flavors!
Tips for Making Christmas Crack
There isn’t much to this recipe, but after making it for a few years I’ve picked up some helpful tips that will help your Christmas crack turn out perfectly every time!
- Use Aluminum Foil: Before you start, wrap your baking sheet in aluminum foil. This will make the cleanup so much easier!
- Making the Toffee: You will probably want your candy thermometer handy for this one. The toffee needs to reach 270-290 degrees Fahrenheit before you pour over the crackers. It should darken in color and thicken up!
- Let Toffee Rest: Your toffee will be really really hot once you pull it out of the oven. Let it rest for about one minute before you sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Be careful not to wait too long, or the chocolate chips won’t melt!
- Melting Chocolate Chips: If your chocolate chips don’t melt once you put them on the caramel, you can pop the pan back in the oven for a few minutes to help them soften up. Don’t let them get too hot, or they will seize and burn instead of melt!
- Spread the Chocolate: Softly and slowly spread the chocolate mixture around. If you push down too hard or move too fast, the crackers can slide around and it will make a mess!
Storing Leftovers
Christmas crack is a great treat to make ahead of time because it is really easy to store and tastes great for days when stored correctly. You will be so glad you gave this Christmas candy a try, it is one of our all-time favorites!
On the Counter: Place in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 4 to 5 days at room temperature. Just make sure your house isn’t too warm, or the chocolate will start to melt again.
In the Refrigerator: You can also store your Christmas crack in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 2 weeks.
In the Freezer: You can freeze Christmas crack! And trust me, it’s so nice to be able to pull this out of the freezer when you need a quick treat. Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Make sure to layer a piece of parchment in between layers so they don’t end up frozen together in a big clump.
Other Christmas Treats
Giving a neighbor a plate of cookies or treats is one of my favorite ways to ramp up the holiday cheer. It feels so good to get to know the people in your neighborhood a little better, and to share something homemade. Here are a few Christmas recipes that your friends and neighbors will love!
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Best Christmas Crack Recipe
Ingredients
- 35-40 saltine crackers
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10×15 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place your saltine crackers in even rows and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium high heat melt the butter and brown sugar and whisk and let it boil for a few minutes.
- Pour. over the. saltines and spread out and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips and let it sit.
- Spread the chocolate over the Saltines and sprinkle with chopped pecans and let it harden. Cut into pieces and serve
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
400 was way too hot and burned my chocolate chips. My oven is very nice and only 3 years old so it is calibrated accurately.
Kelly,
Next time add the chocolate chips after taking the crackers out of the oven. When you spread 2 cups over the very hot mixture, it starts to melt the chips. Then you spread it all over the cracker mixture. I added green and red sugar and pretzels broken up over the melted chocolate chips.
Merry Christmas
You don’t put the chocolate on until after you remove it from the oven. Residual heat melts the chocolate
I have made this at least three times this season.
Everyone loves it.
I love this recipe! It has been my go to for this yummy treat. It’s a family favorite. Easy to make and delicious!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It was amazing. I made 3 different kinds-Heath bar, pretzels, and plain red and green M&Ms! Great treat for my Christmas snack exchange with the neighbors and of course we kept some for the family!
Sounds delicious!! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe, Sonya!
Great recipe but I’d say do 3 mins in oven cause I did 5 like it said and my brownsugar started burning 🔥 😞.
This is such a super easy recipe. One sleeve of crackers is 40 crackers so it was perfect. I used 1 stick salted and 1 stick unsalted butter. I cooked mine for 3 mins but had a timer for 4. It was starting to pull together and not sticking to the sides and had a nice brown color so it was perfect for me! Everyone loved and I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve ever made this. Definitely on the rotation.
super good just melt 1/4 cup white choclate and drizzle over top nuts for Christmas decorations.
Mine didn’t come out right … it tasted a bit fishy… I followed the directions except I used vegan butter…
🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
I was so disappointed
You can’t use any other butter on this recipe. I can guarantee the Vegan butter was the fail.
I make it every year with vegan butter. Comes out great. I use Miyokos butter.
Probably the butter…was it Earth balance by any chance.
Should this be refrigerated to help cool?
Yes, you can definitely pop it in the fridge to speed up the process.
Too much butter and too much time to bake
I top mine with Heath bits and extra thin stick pretzels broken into small pieces.
I love this recipe!!! So easy and I made it vegan!!!!
So happy you liked it! I’d love to know what substitutes you used. 😊
I’ve been making this for years but this was the first time my chocolate chips didn’t melt?! Any suggestions?
Crappy recipe!!!
No actual time for cooking butter & sugar total disaster
Crappy recipe eh? Maybe you’re a crappy cook?
Came out great!I made the nut one with hazel nuts and used white chocolate topped with crushed candy canes. Brought to my coffee group , all raved over it.
You need to bring your sugar and butter to the boiling stage which makes it about
3 minutes, I hope this helps you.
I willsay I had a bit of trouble with toffee, only because I dont make candy. Next time I will adjust and this willl be a keeper for me!
It says a “few minutes”, I assumed that to mean 3-4 minutes, i did 3:30. Made it last night and it came out great, but some additional specificity would be nice!
It’s best to use a candy thermometer. A Temperature range is mentioned in the recipe description. It’s 270°F.and 290°F.
Yes, it would have been helpful to have more specific instructions than to cook the toffee “for a few minutes”. I don’t have a candy thermometer so I guess I need to buy one.
This recipe has gone viral in my friend group. Quick and easy to make!! A crowd pleaser.
How much easier can something be. Really if you think it was even a little hard you shouldnt be in the kitchen. The best recipe ever.
Fantastic ! Thanks!