Christmas Crack Recipe: Easy Saltine Cracker Toffee

This Christmas Crack recipe is the ultimate holiday treat! Featuring a buttery toffee layer, melted chocolate, and crispy Saltine crackers, it strikes the perfect balance of sweet and salty, making it incredibly addictive. This recipe is ideal for holiday gifting, Christmas parties, or simply enjoying a festive snack at home. The best part? It’s easily customizable with your favorite toppings, from colorful sprinkles to crunchy nuts and crushed candy canes.

A tall stack of Christmas Crack in front of holiday ornaments — Delicious Christmas Crack ready to be enjoyed!

What Is Christmas Crack?
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Christmas Crack
Recipe Variations
Storage Instructions
Common Questions
More Christmas Treats to Try
Christmas Crack Recipe

I’ve never met a sweet and salty snack I didn’t adore, especially when you add “crunchy” and “chewy” into the mix. It’s a winning combination! Every year, as the holidays approach, I eagerly begin the baking season with my family’s cherished sweet treats. From Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths to Candy Cane Cookies, and the ever-reliable Best Cutout Sugar Cookies, our holiday traditions are filled with deliciousness.

This year, the tradition continues with the exciting addition of Christmas Crack, also known as Saltine Cracker Toffee. This treat has earned a cult following, and for good reason! It’s surprisingly easy to make, making it a perfect choice for both beginner and experienced bakers alike. You’ll be amazed at how simple ingredients can transform into an irresistible holiday delight.

What Is Christmas Crack?

Christmas Crack is a beloved holiday confection consisting of a layer of Saltine crackers topped with a rich, buttery brown sugar toffee. Baked to achieve a delightful caramel-like consistency, it’s then crowned with a generous layer of melted chocolate. Once cooled and broken into delectable pieces, this sweet and salty, crunchy, and chewy treat has earned its catchy nickname, “Christmas Crack,” due to its addictive nature.

This Christmas Crack recipe is the perfect treat to bring to a holiday gathering. It is simple to make, even for beginner bakers, yet impressive enough to wow any crowd. The beauty of this recipe also lies in its versatility, allowing you to customize it with an array of your favorite toppings, from festive holiday sprinkles to chopped nuts or crushed candy canes. Consider adding a dash of sea salt for an enhanced sweet and salty profile.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a list of the essential ingredients to create this delectable Christmas Crack:

Saltine crackers: These readily available crackers form the foundation of Christmas Crack, providing that signature salty crunch. Aim for crackers that are uniform in size and shape for an even bake.
Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the level of saltiness in the toffee layer, ensuring a rich and caramelized flavor without overpowering saltiness. High-quality butter will contribute to a more luxurious toffee.
Brown sugar: This crucial ingredient combines with melted butter to create the irresistible toffee layer that defines this candy. The molasses in brown sugar adds depth and warmth to the flavor.
Semisweet chocolate chips: While mini chocolate chips melt quickly, any size or variety of chocolate chips will work beautifully in this recipe. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate can be used to tailor the flavor to your preferences.
Vegetable or coconut oil: A small amount of oil is added to the chocolate chips to ensure a smooth, glossy finish when melted. Vegetable oil offers a neutral flavor, while coconut oil introduces a subtle coconut essence that complements certain toppings.
Sprinkles: Optional, but highly recommended! Festive sprinkles add a delightful finishing touch to your Saltine toffee, elevating its visual appeal and holiday spirit.

Refer to the recipe card at the end of this article for complete ingredient information and precise quantities.

Broken apart Christmas Crack (Saltine Cracker Toffee) topped with red, green, and white sprinkles — Colorful and festive Christmas Crack, ready to be shared and enjoyed!

How to Make Christmas Crack

If you can open a package of Saltine crackers, you’re already halfway to achieving sweet and salty dessert bliss! During my recipe development, I experimented with various methods to find the most effective approach. Initially, I attempted to sprinkle the chocolate chips directly onto the hot caramel and spread them as they melted, but I found this process to be cumbersome and less than ideal. It proved more stressful than festive.

The optimal solution? Melting the chocolate chips in the microwave beforehand and then spreading them evenly across the slightly cooled toffee. This technique is not only significantly easier but also results in a shinier, smoother chocolate topping. Trust me, after several test batches, this is the easiest way to make Christmas Crack.

Prepare your pan and preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a jelly roll pan (a rimmed baking sheet) with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy removal.
Arrange the Saltines in a single layer. Ensure the crackers are closely packed together to maximize the coverage of the toffee and chocolate.

Saltine crackers in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet — Saltine crackers neatly arranged on the baking sheet.

Make the toffee. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook, undisturbed, for precisely 3 minutes. Accurate timing is crucial for achieving the perfect toffee consistency.
Pour and bake. Carefully pour the hot toffee mixture evenly over the layer of crackers, using a spatula to spread it into a uniform layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbly and golden brown. Keep a close watch to prevent burning.

Spreading toffee atop Saltine crackers with an offset spatula — Spreading the delicious toffee evenly over the Saltine crackers.

Melt and add the chocolate. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool slightly for a few minutes. While it’s cooling, melt the chocolate chips and oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Pour the melted chocolate over the toffee layer and spread it evenly with a spatula.
Decorate and cool. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle generously with your choice of toppings. Let the toffee cool completely at room temperature, which typically takes about 30 minutes. Alternatively, for a quicker setting process, place the baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes until the chocolate is firm. Once fully cooled and set, break the Christmas Crack into irregular pieces and serve.

Christmas Crack in a jelly roll pan topped with festive holiday sprinkles — Finished Christmas Crack topped with vibrant holiday sprinkles.

Recipe Variations

One of the great things about this Christmas Crack recipe is that it’s so versatile! Feel free to get creative with these variations:

Use different crackers: While Saltines provide the classic salty crunch, experiment with other crackers like graham crackers or Ritz crackers for a different base. Also, you can check out my Christmas Crack with Pretzels and Christmas Crack with Oyster Crackers recipes for more ideas!
Switch up the chocolate: For a sweeter twist, consider using milk chocolate. If you prefer a more intense chocolate flavor, opt for dark chocolate chips. You can even make it with white chocolate chips for a unique and delicious variation.
Try different toppings: Replace the traditional red and green sprinkles with crushed candy canes for a refreshing peppermint flavor. Alternatively, add crunchy toppings such as crushed pretzels, toffee bits, or colorful M&M’s. Chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds also add a wonderful texture and flavor dimension.
Top with large-flake sea salt: If you appreciate the combination of sweet and salty, a sprinkle of large-flake sea salt before the chocolate sets will elevate the flavor of this holiday treat. The salt enhances the sweetness of the chocolate and toffee, creating a truly irresistible experience, much like my salted caramel snickerdoodles!.

Storage Instructions

The secret to preserving the freshness of Saltine cracker toffee is proper storage. To maintain its crispness and prevent the sugar and chocolate from becoming sticky, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

To store, package the Christmas Crack in airtight containers or sealable plastic bags. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to come to room temperature slightly for optimal flavor and texture.

A top-down view of broken toffee pieces with Christmas sprinkles — Perfectly preserved Christmas Crack pieces ready for gifting or enjoying!

Common Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about making Christmas Crack:

Why did my Saltine Cracker Toffee turn out chewy?

Your toffee may be chewy if it wasn’t cooked to the correct temperature (300°F/150°C) or if it didn’t cool long enough. Ensure that you cook the butter and sugar mixture to the “hard crack” stage and allow it to set completely after baking.

Why did my toffee turn out grainy?

Toffee can become grainy if the sugar crystallizes due to over-stirring or cooking at too low of a temperature. Avoid stirring once the sugar starts to melt and be sure to cook it to 300°F (150°C) for a smooth texture.

More Christmas Treats To Try

Looking for even more festive holiday treats to make and share? Here are some delicious options:

3-Ingredient Homemade Fudge

Homemade Salted Caramels

Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats

Easy Homemade Lollipops

Cheesecake-Filled Chocolate Turtles

No-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls

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