This Christmas Crack recipe is the easiest treat you’ll make this holiday season! With just a handful of ingredients, this saltine toffee is ready to go in just about 15 minutes! Truly, the perfect combination of sweet and salty! A must make for Christmas!
Looking for more Christmas favorites? Make sure to try my Divinity Candy, Toffee and Grinch Cookies!
This post is sponsored by Challenge Dairy.
Christmas Crack Recipe
Christmas is just around the corner and today I’m sharing a Christmas classic that is so easy, anyone can make it! It’s one of my favorite last minute Christmas treats!
Years ago I shared my Better Than Anything Toffee recipe with you all and it quickly became one of my most popular Christmas recipes. This year, I wanted to share a toffee recipe that didn’t require a candy thermometer and was even easier to make than my toffee recipe.
This Christmas Crack recipe, also known as cracker toffee or saltine toffee is easily one of the most delicious recipes I make each year. Even better, it’s done in less than 15 minutes!
More Christmas Treats To Try
There is no better season for sharing and giving yummy treats to friends and family! These are some of our favorites:
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Toffee
- Christmas Peppermint Patties
- Kolaczki (Polish Cookies)
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
What You’ll Need
Six ingredients you guys. Six. And if you want toppings? A few more. This cracker toffee is delicious plain by I’m a sucker for toppings. They add a fun, festive flair to this Christmas Crack candy that makes it irresistible.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- saltine crackers – about 1 sleeve, may need a few more or less depending on your jelly roll pan (I used 35). You can also use graham crackers, Club crackers, Ritz crackers, etc. Graham cracker toffee is DELISH!
- unsalted butter – I like to control the salt in this recipe by using unsalted butter. If you don’t have it on hand, use salted but omit the salt in the recipe. I used Challenge butter for this toffee because they’re the brand I’ve used and trusted my whole life. Made with 100% real cream, it’s my butter of choice
- brown sugar – make sure it’s well packed!
- vanilla extract – use the best quality you can afford, it does make a difference
- salt – kosher or sea salt is preferred (omit if using salted butter)
- chocolate chips – I used milk chocolate but semi sweet also works. Use Guittard or Ghirardelli for best results.
- any toppings you want (nuts, candy, sprinkles) – see below for more ideas
How To Make This Christmas Crack Recipe
Like all candy recipes – even easy ones! – it’s best to read through the instructions a few times before starting. Pull out all your ingredients and make sure you know what to expect before beginning. This Christmas Crack Toffee takes only minutes to make but it also requires that you pay attention because things happen fast. Let’s take a look at the basic steps:
- Line a jelly roll pan with nonstick foil or a silicone baking mat.
- Place the crackers in a single layer.
- Melt brown sugar and butter together and boil for 3 full minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour caramel over the top of the saltines and spread evenly.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Caramel should be bubbling vigorously when removed.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and cover the pan with foil. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove foil and use an offset spatula to gently spread melted chocolate.
- Sprinkle on toppings if desired.
- Let toffee set up at room temperature until completely cooled, or chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Peel foil from the bottom of the toffee and then use your hands to “crack” it or use a knife to cut into pieces.
Top It Off
The sky is the limit when it comes to topping your saltine cracker toffee. I used M&Ms, pecans, and sprinkles for this batch but here are some more yummy ideas:
- any nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios
- mini Reese’s cups, chopped
- crushed Oreos
- roughly chopped pretzels
- toasted coconut
- sea salt
- toffee bits
- sprinkles
- broken up candy canes or Peppermint Andes baking chips
Variations To Try
- Swap in a half a cup of Reese’s peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips for a pretty swirl on top.
- Let the chocolate set up, melt a different kind of chocolate and drizzle over the top, add sprinkles if desired
- Try dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate for a richer chocolate flavor that’s less sweet.
Storage Information
Store saltine cracker toffee in an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper.
Saltine toffee will last up to 2 weeks in a refrigerated airtight container OR you can freeze for up to 4 months.
More Christmas Treats
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Martha Washington Candies
- Peppermint Fudge
- Buttermilk Pecan Pralines
- Divinity Candy
- Homemade Gumdrops
- Almond Joy Cookies
- M&Ms Marshmallow Dream Bars
- Coconut Macaroons
How To Make Christmas Crack Recipe
Christmas Crack Recipe (Saltine Toffee)
Ingredients
- 35 saltine crackers about 1 sleeve, may need a few more or less depending on your jelly roll pan
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar well packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt kosher or sea salt preferred
- 2 cups chocolate chips I used milk chocolate but semi sweet also works. Use Guittard or Ghirardelli for best results.
Instructions
- Line a jelly roll pan (10 x 15 inches) with nonstick foil (or heavy duty foil and and coat with cooking spray). You can also use a silicone baking mat.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the crackers in a single layer on the jelly roll pan. You may have a little space left over – that is perfectly fine.35 saltine crackers
- Melt brown sugar and butter together in a 3 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan, stirring frequently over medium high heat.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar
- Bring to a boil and boil for 3 full minutes stirring almost continuously. (If using a candy thermometer, you are looking for 270°F-290°F degrees.)
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour caramel mixture over the top of the saltines and spread evenly over the crackers.
- Bake for 5 minutes in the preheat oven. Caramel should be bubbling vigorously when removed. (If using a candy thermometer, you are looking for 300°F-310°F degrees.)
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and cover the pan with foil. Let sit for 5 minutes.2 cups chocolate chips
- Remove foil and use an offset spatula to gently spread melted chocolate.
- Sprinkle on toppings if desired. Let toffee set up at room temperature until completely cooled, or chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Carefully peel away the foil from the bottom of the toffee and then use your hands to "crack" it or use a knife to cut into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published December 14, 2019.
Ashley says
Are the saltines salted or unsalted?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can use either.
Helene says
Can you make the Christmas crack on a cookie sheet, I don’t have a jello roll pan.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes just make sure it has a rim/edge.
Pam says
Hi Trish! Absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! If I want more of the caramel mixture in this receipt, can I double the ingredients you have listed for the brown sugar and butter?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can but that would be a lot of toffee!
Marcia Little says
I love this stuff. You make yours pretty!
Ashley Cannon says
By far the BEST recipe! I have tried many different recipes and this one is a winner! I used 1 cup of buttermilk instead of whole milk and I used 2sticks of unsalted sweet cream butter (sat in freezer for a few days until I was ready to use them for this recipe) once the biscuits were done rising, I topped them with some honey and butter mixture and let them bake a few more minutes, when I removed them from the oven, I topped them off with the last of the honey & butter mixture.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much Ashley!