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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!

Christmas crack toffee on top of a wire rack with ornaments in the background.

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:ย 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.
Process photos showing saltine crackers laid out on a pan, then toffee being made in a pot and spread out on top of the crackers, then the chocolate chips melted and spread out.

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.

  1. Prep:ย Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10 x15 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  2. Add Crackers: ย Place your saltine crackers in even rows and set aside.
  3. Make Toffee:ย In a saucepan over medium high heat melt the butter and brown sugar and whisk and let it boil for a few minutes.
  4. Bake and Add Chocolate Chips:ย 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.
  5. 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.
A finished pan of toffee with pecans sprinkled on top.

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:ย 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:ย 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!
Christmas crack broken up and sitting on top of a wire rack.

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!

  • Useย Aluminum Foil: Before you start, wrap your baking sheet in aluminum foil. This will make the cleanup so much easier!
  • Making the Toffee:ย 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:ย 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!
Christmas crack stacked on top of each other with other pieces of Christmas crack around it.

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.

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Best Christmas Crack Recipe

4.93 from 26 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
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.ย This recipe is so easy, delicious, and addicting!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 16 people

Ingredients 

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

Video

Notes

Updated on Dec 18, 2022
Updated on November 20, 2019
Original Posted on November 10, 2012

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 174mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 366IUCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




82 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. 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

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! It has been my go to for this yummy treat. It’s a family favorite. Easy to make and delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    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!

  4. 4 stars
    Great recipe but I’d say do 3 mins in oven cause I did 5 like it said and my brownsugar started burning ๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐Ÿ˜ž.

  5. 5 stars
    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.

  6. Mine didnโ€™t come out right โ€ฆ it tasted a bit fishyโ€ฆ I followed the directions except I used vegan butterโ€ฆ
    ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
    I was so disappointed

      1. 5 stars
        I made this before and it was great! I tried making this for my work place bake sale tomorrow but it seems to melt very quickly outside the refrigerator. Any suggestions for keeping them from melting when itโ€™s being displayed on the table? And or packaging them? Our bake sale will be held outside. I guess I will have to put it in a cooler on ice. Please help! Thank you.

  7. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve been making this for years but this was the first time my chocolate chips didnโ€™t melt?! Any suggestions?

      1. 5 stars
        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.

    1. 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!

    2. 5 stars
      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!

    3. It’s best to use a candy thermometer. A Temperature range is mentioned in the recipe description. It’s 270ยฐF.and 290ยฐF.

    4. 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.

    1. 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.