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.
Has anyone ever thought to make them as single cookies? I’m going to use Ritz crackers, coat them in the toffee and then have the chocolate set on them individually. Wish me luck
I love how easy and versatile this is! I had to make something quick for a work bake sale and made this with some cute Halloween sprinkles. Perfect! I can’t wait to do some for Christmas with crushed candy cane and other types of chocolate chips, the possibilities are endless! Thank you!
You’re very welcome and enjoy!
The absolute Best Christmas Snack for our staff Christmas Parties. The staff is always asking me for more and its always the first tray to clear the table.
This is our go to recipe for Christmas crack! We make it multiple times a year, it’s so easy, and turns out perfect every time!!
How can I cut it into squares!
Use a large chef’s knife to cut the it into squares.
Have not made these yet and can’t wait. Can I substitute ritz crackers for saltines?
Yes, you can:) Enjoy!
I’ve made this twice and it’s the best, my husband loves it!!
This is just frickin fantastick ! So easy and so good !
Have not made this recipe yet but planning to add it to my Xmas baking list. Can I use whole wheat saline crackers instead? They have such a nice flavor and crunch to them.
Yes, I think it will be great with whole wheat saltines. Enjoy and wow, you are organized!
I made this recipe at Christmas and it was a huge hit. Tomorrow is my sister in law’s birthday and she requested that I make some as her birthday present!
Yes, I made this. Very good and easy to make. But I’m wondering if regular margarine could be used in place of butter?? or Half magarine and half butter??
You can use margarine butter sticks like Earth Balance, Miyoko’s, or Country Crock’s
I had to leave a review for this because my husband, who hates sweets, won’t stop raving about the Christmas Crack! It is sooooo easy and amazing. I used chopped walnuts and milk chocolate for my first try. I am looking forward to experimenting with semi-sweet and other toppings.
I just made this a second time for a Super Bowl Party! It’s was a favorite at Christmas so I’m sure it will be again today!
Yum! Easy delicious… I added a teaspoon of Kalua! Will make again and again!!
The first time I made this it was perfect. The next time my toffee was grainy, what did I do wrong?
Interesting. Sounds like your toffee crystallized which can happen when you heat it up too quickly or from over-stirring. Try lowering the stove temp next time and stirring less frequently and see if that helps. Good luck!
Yes made it everybody loves it want more. So making more for family and friends. They all love it.
Skor bar chips on top?
Yes😋
Made this several times during the Christmas holiday and it was a “big hit” with friends and family
I had two recommendations to include Christmas Crack using pretzels as part of a box I make for the neighbours. I came across your recipe and followed it exactly. It was VERY simple, which is what I was looking for. Wow – what a hit! This will definitely be repeated in the future.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Steve! Thank you for your kind words and happy new year!
Made this for Christmas gifts for neighbors. Made exactly as directed. I sprinkled crushed peppermint candy on top after spreading the chocolate. It was a HUGE hit! Will definitely be a future favorite!