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.
Someone left the top off the container and it got soft. Is there anything I can do?
Put it in the fridge and that should help.
So good! I crumbled bacon over half … phenomenal!!
OMG bacon? That sounds delicious!
Sooo good and so easy! Thank you.
Next time, I’m doing to do a chocolate drizzle instead of fully cover with chocolate, and add a sprinkle of salt!
Or add salted nuts…. Mmm the possibilities!
Very good! Very sweet!
This is so yummy everyone loved it. Love the salty with the sweet❤️
Wait – the caramel is supposed to absorb INTO the crackers? I’ve made these a few years in a row and I’ve never had them absorb into the crackers. I always cook on the stove for 5 minutes then bake for 5 minutes. They always bubble in 5 minutes. But I always have distinct crackers in it that don’t look like yours. Should I be leaving them in longer to allow them to “absorb”.
Hey Sara, the caramel completely coats the crackers all around whenever I make this. It’s doesn’t 100% absorb into the crackers, more like 50% if that makes sense. The 2nd picture from the top shows this really well. However yours turns out, as long as it tastes good, is what matters:)
Everything turned out great except the finished product the toffee was a little softer than I would like but overall turned out great
Thank you my family loved it. 💕
You’re very welcome and happy holidays!
Wow, this is as good and addictive as you promised, Lily! The boys are now making their second batch of the season, topped with red and green sprinkles. A new Christmas tradition, along with your peanut butter balls. Next up are your Nanaimo bars (now that we tracked down Bird’s Custard). Every recipe we’ve made from you has been amazing.
Aww, thanks Andrea – you’re too kind:) I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I wish you and your family a very merry and safe Christmas!
OMG! This did not last in my house. And it was so easy. I walked my children through making a second batch since they eat most of the first batch.
I used parchment paper to line the cookie sheet and it did not stick at all. I was VERY HAPPY with this recipe.
Thank you
You’re very welcome, Hill! I’m so glad you taught your kids how to make it. Now they can make it for you to enjoy every Christmas!
Hi I’ve been making a few years now but this time the chocolate separated from cracker..what did I do diff..
Hi Grandma D, what kind of chocolate did you use? was it different from the chocolate you use before?
No I use the semi sweet chocolate chips Great Value brand what I use always .. I’ve had it mess up a few times but never separate oh and why is the parchment paper sticking to bottom to thank you
Tough to say since I wasn’t there to see what was done differently. Perhaps Great Value changed something. Try using brand-name chocolate like Hershey’s Chipits and see if that gives you a better result.
I couldn’t get the chocolate to melt for anything. Followed recipe to the letter. Maybe it was the brand of chocolate chips I used.
First time trying it and it was perfect! Easy recipe and helpful tips.
Am I missing the measurements?
Hi Annette, the full recipe including ingredient amounts are just above this comment section. Enjoy!
Very, very addictive…delicious!
I just made this and it came out perfectly by your recipe and instructions, I used milk chocolate chips and poured them over as soon as the toffee crackers came out of oven, 5 mins later they spread beautifully, I will say they do have to stay in oven a little longer than 5 mins, perhaps about 8 or 9 mins but thanks for the kid friendly holiday snack. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for your kind words and Merry Christmas to you too, Lisa!
Great recipe! Everyone loved it, will definitely make it again and again!
Why is it always grainy?!?! I cook it exactly as recipe states and for 5 minutes. What am I doing wrong?!?
Hmm…try not to stir it as much and that should prevent the sugar from re-crystallizing and becoming grainy. I hope this helps and happy holidays!
I attempted this tonight and my butter/brown sugar did not mix well at all. It was separated and did not turn out right. Butter was at the top and brown sugar was at the bottom of the sauce pan. That and it did not thicken at all and did not have that caramel color. I did have it at about an 8, so boiling. What did I do wrong?
Did you let it simmer for 5 minutes? That should have thickened and caramelized it.
Yes, I let it boil for 5 minutes but it still didn’t fully mix together I guess you could say. It okay stayed separated and I used the right amount of butter and brown sugar.
Interesting. What kind of butter did you use?
This happened to me as well but I whisked it until it came together and then boiled it for the 5 minutes.
Same thing happened to me, except it was looking fine until I got about 3.5 minutes in to the rolling boil–then the butter and sugar started separating. I thought maybe it’s was too hot? I took it off at 4 minutes. The mixture was a bit clumpy when I poured it on the crackers, but it looked ok after baking. It’s chilling now, and I think it’ll turn out delicious, if not exactly like it’s supposed to be.
I made this yrs ago with graham crackers. OMG !!! 😋 I was looking for something different so this will make the Christmas list this year. Thanks for the reminder
You’re very welcome, Tracey! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!