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.
I just made this and it turned out great! One thing though, I used a package of small chocolate chips and the final product takes too chocolately. There is no toffee/carmemelly taste. Do you suggest doubling the brown sugar and butter or lestening the chocolate chips?
Hi Lb,
If you find it too chocolaty, I would just cut back the amount of chocolate chips and not increase the brown sugar and butter or it will too sweet. Enjoy and happy holidays!
An I freeze them for later use?
Yes you can! They freeze very well. Enjoy and happy holiday!
Very frustrated…currently making this recipe and my chocolate chips just will not melt…I sprinkled them on after pulling the pan out of the oven and nothing happened, so I put the pan back in the oven. It has been sitting in the over for almost 10 minutes and they’ve barely melted but now the butter/sugar mix is bubbling and I’m terrified that I am burning it now. I gave up… 🙁
Hi Cassandra,
I’m sorry about your frustration. You must have chocolate made of steel, lol. Chocolate chips should not take that long to melt. I don’t understand how the toffee part can be at a boiling point and the chocolate still not be warm enough to spread???
I just wondered if you knew that chips will still hold their shape even though they are melted so if you were waiting for them to fall they do t do that. However if you use something to spread them they will spread with spatula. Having said this, when I did that once I discovered that in trying to get them to melt the longer cook time will over cook the chocolate and it will be impossible at that point to spread it so it sounds to me like it was over cooked.
You are very right! I just assume once the chocolate is soft, people would know it’s “melted”. I’m going to change my instructions to be more detailed. Thank you for pointing that out!
I can not wait to try this! Toffee is a big hit in our family so I just know all my kids will devour it! I am writing this post before we try it because I too had a hard time spreading the chocolate chips but I did use semi sweet mini, but I was trying to use a frosting spatula per another recipe I read was suggesting. I changed to using a knife to spread and it spread very easily. I just hope I did not burn the coating as long as I kept it in the oven
Hey, so I made this with semi sweet chocolate and I’m kind of thinking I should of went with the milk chocolate…What do you normally make it with? Also, is the toffee sections suppose to be hard like toffee, or is it like a soft/sugary texture? Mine doesn’t seem hard like toffee would normally be….Is that normal?
Hi Rebecca,
I normally make it with milk chocolate, and yes the texture is suppose to be soft and sugary. I hope you still enjoyed it and happy holidays!
I made this last night and had no problems with this recipe at all. My pan was a little bigger so I was able to fit more crackers on it. Because of the extra crackers, I used 1-1/2 cups each of butter and brown sugar. I always use salted butter in my baking, and I didn’t have a problem at all with it turning out overly salty. This was a huge hit and I will be making more of it tonight. For people having a problem with the chocolate melting, you may want to try the mini chocolate chips. I used them and they quickly softened up enough for me to spread the chocolate around. No complaints from me. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
You’re very welcome, Monét! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and for sharing your tips – much appreciated:)
Very good and so easy. I used parchment paper and sprayed it with cooking spray. Sprinkled with toasted pecans.
Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Jane! Thank you for your great review, and also for sharing your tip about the parchment paper and cooking spray.
what size pan did you use?
My pan is 16.5 x 11 inches which is close to a half sheet pan. Please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions, and I hope you enjoy the Christmas crack!
Made this for the first time today. It was super easy to make and very delicious. Absolutely loved it just one quick question — I had a heck of a time trying to get the crackers off the tinfoil; I had to use a butter knife!! Why did this happen?!!!
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for your kind review. Now, I’ve always been able to remove the foil with ease, but maybe that’s because I always use heavy duty foil (something for me to test out). You can spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray to make it easier to remove. I have seen people do that. I hope that helps and thank you for your question. Have a great week!
I just made mine tonight and I think mine stuck to the aluminum foil because it was not the heavy duty kind….my cousin suggested parchment paper and she’s had no problems….I will do my next batch with that….This was really good, thank you so much for the recipe….I also added pecans on top of the chocolate….
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for your feedback. You can also spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray and that will help as well. Enjoy and have a very merry Christmas!
Hi Lily
I’m afraid it’s gone before anyone in the house knew I made it! Sooooo good!
Lol, it’s called Christmas crack for a reason! So addictive in a good way:)
Hi! I was curious if you had a high-altitude tip for this with regards to baking time and temp? I am at 7000ft and candy is always a struggle!
Hi Lauren,
I’m not experienced with high-altitude baking, and have not received any reader feedback about it in regards to this recipe. However, here’s a great article about making candy at high-altitude https://www.thespruceeats.com/adjusting-candy-temperatures-for-high-altitude-cooking-520317 I hope that helps!
I make this all the time at high altitude and don’t have any problems with it (other than scarfing it down before I can gift it!) I don’t make any adjustments.
Thank you so much Tracy for your feedback and advice. Much appreciated and have a very merry Christmas!!!
so easy, so delish. I’ve made this several times, especially at Christmas, makes for a great hostess gift
I’m glad you like the recipe, Suzanne. Thank you for your kind words!
I made this for the first time today. My result was melted chocolate on cracker with gooey bottom of cracker. What in the world did I do wrong? Not toffee .
Hi Patty,
Sorry it did not work our for you. Sounds like the toffee was not cooked long enough on the stovetop and/or baked long enough in the oven. Did you time it for 5 minutes each?
This recipe is so festive and perfect for the Christmas season! I baked them a while ago to test them out and they tasted amazing! I am planning on making it for my family this Christmas 🙂
You’re family is guaranteed to love it! It’s my most popular recipe during the holiday season:)
Good morning! I’ve made Christmas Crack, Easter Crack and today it is Spring Crack ! As all your recipes that I’ve tried so far, this is easy and simple to make with fantastic results!
Aw, thank you for your kind words, Grace. I very much appreciate it!
This was one of the best recipes ever!! Came out super tasty and yummy. I will definitely make these again!! Thanks for the AMAZING recipe. I added in 1 tsp. of vanilla after cooking and make for a flavourful toffee.
You’re very welcome, Nicole. Thank you for your kind words and great tip about the vanilla. Have a great weekend!
This is for sure one of the best desserts ever! I can’t wait till I make it again! Thank-you
Wow these were delicious Lily. A coworker made this recipe as a Christmas gift for everyone. She has used brown sugar and regular white sugar. The brown sugar yielded a more chewy toffee whereas the white sugar made it more cracky (less chewy). She also topped it off with M&Ms.
Interesting, I’ve never tried it with white sugar before, but now you have me curious so it’s on my to-do list. Thank you for your kind words and have a happy New Year!
Can I use milk chocolate icing instead of the milk chocolate chips, I only have semi sweet chocolate chips (I thought I had them 😢)? And I want to make them for New Year’s Eve …. My sister made it & I absolutely LOVED it
You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you only have frosting, then I would chill the cracker toffee till it hardens before spreading the frosting on. Enjoy and happy New Year!
Can you use light brown sugar?
Yes you can use light brown sugar. Just simmer for an extra 2 minutes. Enjoy and merry Christmas!
A friend made this and shared some with me. It was fabulous. One question, instead of braking them can they be cut into shapes with a cookie cutter? Or will the crackers crumble?
Hmmm, good question. My only concern is because it is brittle that it might crumble when you try to cut it with the cookie cutters. You could try it and if it doesn’t work just break the rest of it. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Can this be doubled?
I have never doubled this recipe before, but I don’t see why not. I would simmer the toffee for another 2-3 minutes and bake until the toffee is bubbling. Please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions. Enjoy and happy holiday!