Christmas Crack Recipe (video)
This cracker candy is chocolaty, crispy and highly addictive! That’s why it’s popularly known as Christmas Crack. This fool-proof Christmas Crack recipe is just 4 ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
What is Christmas Crack?
It is a type of candy made with saltine crackers coated in toffee and topped with chocolate. It is one of the easiest methods of making candy because you don’t need a candy thermometer or exact measurements. You just need to cook the toffee long enough for it to set. Please note that the toffee is not a hard toffee. It’s firm but when you bite into it, it’s got a soft-sugary texture to it.
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.
- It’s so good, you won’t be able to stop eating it! Anyone who has ever had Christmas Crack will tell you that you can’t stop at one. There is just something about the combination of sweet and salty, toffee and chocolate, and a crispy texture that makes it irresistible.
- 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
“So easy, so delish. I’ve made this several times, especially at Christmas, makes for a great hostess gift.” – Suzanne
“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
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 I wouldn’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 long can you store Christmas Crack?
You can store the cracker candy in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or 2 weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
You might also like:
- White Chocolate Christmas Crack
- Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treats
- Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Make sure you add this irresistible saltine cracker toffee to your holiday dessert tray and share in the happiness that a good treat can bring.
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintBest Ever Christmas Crack
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: about 40 pieces
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cracker candy is crispy and chocolaty with a sweet buttery toffee finish.
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.
- 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.
- Bake for 5 minutes in the oven. Turn off heat. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
- 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 2 hours to harden. Peel away the foil and break into pieces.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or 2 weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
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.
This post was originally published on Dec 2nd, 2016. It has been recently updated with new photos and more information.
My family & I LOVE Christmas Crack, and your recipe is awesome!! I have a question for you though….Although we love it just the way it is, my husband & daughter always say “Can you try to make it so the toffee is harder/crunchier?” I realize that it’s supposed to have more of a praline-like texture, but I DO wonder if there’s a way to make it more like a brittle or English toffee texture? Or, is there a specific reason why there AREN’T any recipes (that I’ve found, anyway) that have the end result of a harder toffee?
I just figured I’d ask you, because I never know how to answer them when they ask me ;). Thank you in advance!!
Hey Jen, yes you can make it harder more like English toffee by cooking it longer (about 10-15 minutes) to 300F (hard crack stage). Pour over the crackers and skip the oven stage. Let it cool for 2-3 minutes, sprinkle the chocolate on top, let it melt and spread. Please report back which way you prefer. Curious to know:)
Very easy to make, just make sure to spread gently. It is very addictive. I will make this every year and more. Stored well so can be easily made ahead.
I forgot to bake mine for 5 minutes but it’s still good. I’m doing it again and baking it this time. Good and easy! Yum!!!
Can I use margarine instead of butter in this recipe?
In theory you should be able to, but the taste will be different.
Great tasting and easy to make.
I made this last year and it was a great hit. Just made again today and after about four minutes of boiling and stirring it started to thicken up. I had to carefully scoop it onto the crackers, it didn’t pour. I haven’t tasted it yet but it smelled good. Any ideas?
That’s a tough one. I have no idea why it turned out differently this time. Also puzzling that it thickened so quickly (and so much!). Did you use a different type of butter or boiled it at a higher temperature?
I just made these, using Club House Crackers and crushed pretzels on top of the chocolate and they are AMAZING! I will make every year from now on. I still can’t believe how easy they are to make.
Great recipe- mine turned out great! So easy and delicious. This will be my go to every year now!!
excellent and so easy to make. Question though- can I double th toffee? Thank you
Tough to say as I’ve never done it myself but I don’t see why not. Maybe add a sprinkle of salt to balance the extra sweetness.
I have made this recipe a bunch of times and it usually turns out great, but this time it ended up with a grainy texture. I think the brown sugar didn’t dissolve into the butter, so the sugar stayed on top of the saltine crackers and made the chocolate layer all grainy. Any ideas on how to prevent this next time?
Sounds like it recrystallized which could happen from a single undissolved piece of sugar. I would whisk more frequently and make sure to scrape down the sides.
Another tip for assistance w/melting chips. If available, get the same size bag of mini-chips (semi-sweet). They melt faster bc they are smaller.
Can I use margarine instead of butter? I want to make this for a Christmas potluck at work, but am out of butter.
In theory you should be able to. The taste will be different.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked since last Xmas and finally made it today.
It’s the only recipe that gives clear instructions and reasons for why you need to do every step, which personally makes it so much easier to follow.
I absolutely love Xmas Crack and this hits all the spots.
Also, it lasted 5 minutes in my household lol testament to how good it is lol.
There are many variations of this recipe online, but yours is the easiest to follow, and the end result is perfect! Thank you for taking time to share this recipe. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you, Deborah. Merry Christmas to your and your family as well!
Definitely the best recipe!! Very easy only needed more time to set…we put it outside in the cold! It also disappears quickly, so addictive!! Hide!
This turned out excellent! Thank you so much for the helpful hints too. I have a family dealing with grief and I gave them a tin of this. I owe you EVERYTHING for making this gift extra special.
Aww, thank you so much for your kind words, Jill! That was very sweet of you and I’m glad it made it extra special.
It was so easy and turned out great! Giving as Christmas presents. Thanks!
You’re very welcome! Enjoy:)
This sweet delicious treat is both sweet and salty!
I make it throughout the year……. Not only at Christmas!
It’s delicious and so easy and quick to make
I store mine in the refrigerator and it’s a great gift for anyone with a sweet tooth
What is the best way to freeze this?
In a freezer-safe container and wax paper in between each layer to prevent sticking.
Shoot, I already left the store and don’t have much room in my freezer. Does freezer bag work and wax paper inbetween? I could try to do that
Yes, that will work too:)
Thank you for your quick replies! So sorry one more question, I don’t have wax paper at home. Could I use parchment paper to freeze instead of wax paper?
No worries and yes, you can use parchment:)
TY so much for explaining each step! I didn’t know to wait until the chocolate chips turned shiny. It turned out perfect!
You’re welcome, Roberta! So glad you like it:)