Christmas Crack (Saltine Cracker Toffee)
This Christmas Crack candy (aka Saltine Cracker Toffee) is crispy, chocolaty, and unbelievably delicious. With just four simple ingredients and under 30 minutes to make, this classic holiday treat is fool-proof, festive, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Just 4 ingredients. All you need to make this Christmas Crack is butter, brown sugar, saltine crackers, and chocolate – that’s it! Who would have thought to add saltine crackers to toffee, but it’s brilliant. The crackers are what give the toffee its light and crispy texture.
- No candy thermometer required. You just need to boil the butter and brown sugar mixture for 5 minutes exactly. You don’t need to concern yourself with the temperature of the toffee in this recipe, especially since you’ll be baking it in the oven as well.
- Sweet-and-salty magic. The contrast of buttery toffee, crunchy crackers, and melted chocolate makes this treat irresistible — you probably can’t stop at one piece.
- Here is what some of my readers have to say:
“Best Christmas Dessert EVER!!!! I make this every year and it’s amazing and oh so easy! It usually goes in 10 min:)” – Violet
“Love this recipe! I made it for my office Christmas party and it was the first thing gone. People were raving about it and asking for more! I guess I’ll have to make a double batch next year, lol.” – Amanda
If you are looking for more Christmas candy recipes, try my White Chocolate Christmas Crack, Homemade Chocolate Truffles, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.
How to make Christmas Crack:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread the saltine crackers out in a single layer and fold up the edges of the foil to box in the crackers. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it continue to boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Quickly pour over the crackers and spread to cover evenly.
- Bake for 5 minutes (minimum) in the oven or until bubbling. The crackers will expand slightly and shift around a little.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Let stand for 1-2 minutes until about half of the chocolate chips look shiny (see picture above).
- Once the chocolate begins to look shiny, it is soft enough to start spreading over the toffee.
- Top with any additional toppings if desired and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours for the candy to harden.
- Once it has set, peel away the foil. Break the candy by hand or use a sharp knife to cut into pieces.
🌟 Expert tips:
- Pan size – A 10×15″ jelly roll pan works best for this recipe. However, any type of baking sheet this size or larger will work. My pan is actually 11×17″ so I just fold up the edges of the foil to keep the crackers in place and prevent the toffee from spilling out onto the pan.
- Lining the pan – Heavy-duty foil works best because it’s easy to peel away. You can use regular foil – just lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray to make it easy to remove. You can also use parchment paper. There is no greasing required if you’re using parchment paper, but just make sure to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Cooking the toffee. Once the butter and brown sugar reaches a boil, set a timer, and let it boil for 5 minutes. You want it to be a rolling boil to evaporate some of the moisture, so it becomes like caramel.
- Baking the cracker candy. Bake the saltine toffee in a 350F oven for a minimum of 5 minutes or until bubbling so that the toffee reaches its second boiling point and absorbs into the crackers.
- Melting the chocolate chips. As soon as you remove the tray from the oven, immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. The bubbling toffee should be hot enough to melt the chocolate. Once about half the chocolate chips look shiny, you can start spreading the chocolate to cover the saltine toffee. If you have trouble with this, you can use mini chocolate chips or melt the chocolate in the microwave then spread it on top.
Substitutions:
- Saltine crackers – Salted saltine crackers are best. You can use unsalted saltine crackers, but I would suggest sprinkling some salt on top to balance the sweetness. You can substitute with Ritz crackers or even graham crackers (add salt) if you wish.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar. I personally prefer dark for more flavor.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter sticks like Earth Balance, Miyoko’s, or Country Crock’s avocado plant butter sticks.
- Chocolate – I like to use milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can use dark chocolate chips, but don’t go any higher than 60% cacao or it might separate from the saltine toffee layer.
- Toppings – Christmas Crack is great on its own, but I usually do add additional toppings like chopped nuts, candy, or sprinkles. Some of my favorite toppings are chopped pecans, shredded coconut, crushed candy canes, and festive sprinkles.
How to store:
Store the candy in an airtight container to keep it fresh and crisp. It can sit at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If stacking the pieces, place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
How to freeze:
Christmas Crack freezes beautifully, making it a great make-ahead treat for the holidays.
- Place pieces in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag.
- Separate layers with parchment paper.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, let it thaw for about 10–15 minutes at room temperature — just until the chocolate softens slightly for easy biting.
Recipe FAQs:
Butter works best because it creates a richer, more stable toffee. Margarine contains more water, which can cause the toffee to separate or not harden correctly.
Graininess usually happens when the butter and brown sugar don’t fully melt together. Make sure to boil the mixture for the full 5 minutes, stirring often so it emulsifies into a smooth toffee.
This can happen if the chocolate gets too hot. Let the chocolate chips sit for 1–2 minutes on the hot toffee before spreading so they melt gently instead of overheating.
Chewy toffee usually means the butter–sugar mixture didn’t boil long enough. Be sure it reaches a steady bubble and cook it for the full 5 minutes so it sets properly.
If you’ve tried this Christmas Crack Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Christmas Crack (Saltine Cracker Toffee)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted or salted butter
- 1 cup (220g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 40 salted saltine crackers, about 1 sleeve
- 1 pkg (270g-300g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- additional toppings like nuts, candy, or sprinkles, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil (if using regular foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray for easy removal). Spread the crackers out on the foil in a single layer and fold up the edges of the foil to box in the crackers. Set aside.40 salted saltine crackers
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat on the stovetop. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil for 5 minutes (set a timer), stirring frequently. Quickly pour over the crackers and spread to cover completely.1 cup (227g) unsalted or salted butter, 1 cup (220g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- Bake for 5 minutes in the oven. Turn off heat. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.1 pkg (270g-300g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Let stand for 1-2 minutes or until the chocolate starts to look shiny and is soft enough spread evenly over the toffee. If the chocolate is still not warm enough to spread after 4 minutes, place it back in the oven for a minute to help soften it.
- Top with any additional toppings if desired.
- Chill in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours to harden. Peel away the foil and break into pieces.
Notes
This post was originally published on Dec 2nd, 2016. It has been recently updated with new photos and more information.
I just made this and realized (after I put it in the fridge) that the instructions don’t say when to add the salt and vanilla. I’m assuming the salt should go with the butter and sugar and the vanilla should go in before you pour it over the crackers? I hope the crackers are salty enough to make it work even without the added salt, and I’m also hoping the vanilla isn’t essential.
Hi Emily,
You don’t need to add any salt or vanilla in this recipe. There is salt in the salted saltine crackers, but even if you use the unsalted kind, that’s fine.
I hope you enjoy it and happy holidays!
If you use foil, spray with pam really well, then it won’t stick. I use parchment paper and no spray.
I made this last night with my daughter. I had to use the “vegan” butter cause she has milk allergies. It stuck so bad to the foul and the toffee part is gooey in some areas. Therefore, Not fun to try to get off the foil. I also used club crackers.
So with that being said-what messed up?
The vegan butter. This recipe only works with real butter. Sorry the substitution didn’t work. Have a great weekend!
When you say “real butter” are you referring to stick butter?
Yes, stick butter made from cow’s milk. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Great recipe! I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome Erica and thank you for your kind words. Enjoy and have a great week!
I made this tonight and it worked very well. The chocolate melted nicely.
How long can these be stored? Have you frozen them? Just trying to space out holiday tasks. Thanks.
One week at room temperature, two weeks in the fridge and one month in the freezer. Thank you for your question and enjoy!
Can you use wax paper instead of foil
No because I’m concerned the wax paper will melt when you put it in the oven. I recommend using aluminum foil. Enjoy and have a great week!
you can use parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray
Thank you Laurel for your tip – much appreciated!
Do you need to spray the foil?
No you do not. Enjoy!
has anybody else given up on melting the chocolate chips? after 10 minutes of attempting to get them to melt down I’m starting to wonder if mine are made of plastic…
Just pop it back in your warm oven for a minute, or if your oven has cooled down by now, reheat it to 250F and place the tray in for a minute and that will help warm the chocolate enough to spread.
I gave up trying to melt the chocolate ON the crackers and just melt them in the microwave, then spread over..
I’m sorry you had trouble melting the chocolate on the crackers. Next time, you can place the tray with the chocolate chips back in the oven for a minute and that will help melt the chocolate enough to spread. I hope you stilled enjoyed it:)
Hi! I have made this recipe twice now and my sister is a classically trained pastry chef. The chocolate chips do not melt on top of the crackers! I heat them in the microwave in a glass bowl for 15-20 second intervals until melted completely. Spread the chocolate over slightly cooled crackers and they’re prefect! This is absolutely addicting and delicious, I can’t thank you enough for posting this recipe!
You’re very welcome Janelle and thank you for sharing your tip about melting the chocolate in the microwave with my readers. Enjoy and happy holidays!
How long does it take the chocolate to harden ?
About 2 hours in the fridge. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Can I use country crock to make this recipe ? I know it’s not real butter but it’s all I have. Will it work?
Hi Alexis,
I have not tried this recipe with Country Crock, so I don’t know if it would work. Country Crock is a hydrogenated oil product right? So I really can’t say what it would be like if you melted it. Sorry I can’t help:(
I can’t get the my milk chocolate chips to melt enough to spread! Any suggestion?.
Hi Shannon,
Just pop the tray back in the oven for about a minute to warm up the chip enough to spread. Enjoy and merry Christmas!
Would the recipe work with salted butter??
Yes, but then you should use unsalted saltine crackers. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you and yours:)
Can you make this with raw cane sugar instead of brown sugar?
I have not tried that for myself, but I don’t see why not since you are melting the sugar. The taste will be a little different, but other than that, it should work. Enjoy and let me know what you think of it with the raw can sugar if you get a chance:)
Help!! When I made this the toffee part is crumbly. Has this ever happened to you? Any suggestions?
Hi Kelly,
No, this has never happened to me. Can you provide me more details? At what stage did the toffee crumble apart?
It happened to me once. I think maybe I didn’t cook the sugar and butter long enough to make a candy? Just a guess, but it still tasted great! It just had a crumbly sugary texture instead of the more candy like texture I was expecting.
You stirred it too much, the added air makes it crumble because it heats and cools heats and cools heats and cools. That crystalizes the sugar rather than carmelizing.
Lily,
I have had these with graham crackers and cannot wait to have these with saltines! Sounds yum!
Oh I make this, too, Lily, at Christmas, but I use graham crackers. Next time I’ll try saltines instead. So addicting!! ?
Hi Sweet Baker. I made these for Thanksgiving but
Added some toasted coconut on some and
Heath bar crunch to the other …..I love all
Of your recipes …..the pumpkin pie was great.
Aww, thank you for your kind words Ann. I also love adding coconut to this recipe. Have a great week:)
It looks simple but absolutely delicious and addictive! Thank you for bringing this recipe to the Fiesta Friday! 🙂
Whoa! This is super easy to make. I might need to go to the store and get myself some saltine crackers! Good one, Lily. 😉 Thanks for sharing this recipe with us at this week’s FF! Have a lovely time! x