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You’ll be the star of the holiday season when you make this Christmas crack recipe for your friends and family. Following my easy steps below, you’ll be able to make this salty, sweet saltine cracker candy in just 15 minutes.
Plus, I’m sharing two variations – one with nuts and one with sprinkles!
You’ll want to have this Christmas Crack Candy on hand all season long!
Christmas crack toffee is the type of candy that keeps you coming back for more, people just can’t get enough of it!
In this Christmas cracker candy recipe, I use saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract to create a sweet and salty treat, and then this sweet toffee cracker is coated with chocolate and topped with your preference of nuts or sprinkles.
This is the perfect Christmas treat to share as a gift with friends, family or co-workers. It’s also a great candy recipe to use if you need holiday treats for school events, bake sales or parties.
Saltine Cracker Toffee Ingredients
This saltine toffee candy uses simple ingredients that come together to make a delicious treat perfect for holiday gifts, parties, or just because you get a sweet and salty craving! Get the full recipe with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Saltine crackers
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans or ¼ cup Christmas sprinkles
- Coarse sea salt
How to make Christmas Crack Cracker Toffee
My easy homemade toffee only takes 15 minutes to make and a handful of ingredients. The best part, everyone who tries it is instantly hooked! Get the full recipe with ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Prep oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 18×13-inch (or similar size) baking sheet with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil extends over the edges of the pan to prevent spillage and for easy removal.
- Place crackers on pan. Place the saltine crackers in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. You may need to break some crackers to fit them properly, but try to cover the entire sheet evenly with a single layer of saltine crackers.
- Mix butter, sugar and vanilla extract. In a medium saucepan, melt the two sticks of unsalted butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. Set a timer and allow it to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens and turns into a rich caramel color. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour hot toffee mixture over crackers. Carefully pour the brown sugar mixture evenly over the saltine crackers. Use a spatula to spread it out, ensuring that all the crackers are coated in an layer.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the toffee is bubbling and has spread out to cover the crackers.
- Melt chocolate. While the toffee is baking, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or using a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted.
- Spread chocolate. Once the toffee and crackers are out of the oven, wait a few minutes (about 5 mins) then pour the melted chocolate over the hot toffee. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly, covering the toffee layer completely.
- Top with sprinkles or nuts. Sprinkle the chopped pecans or sprinkles evenly over the melted chocolate while it’s still soft, so they adhere to the surface. Wait a few minutes and sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired.
- Cool. Allow the Christmas Crack to cool for about 2 hours at room temperature. Then, transfer it to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until it’s completely set and hardened.
- Cut or break. Once the Christmas Crack is set and firm, use a sharp knife to cut or simply break it into bite-sized pieces. Irregularly shaped pieces are part of the charm!
How to serve this Recipe for Christmas Crack
This is such a simple recipe that can be used in so many ways – it’s truly a holiday staple! Here are some ideas for serving up Christmas crack:
- Christmas tins, boxes or bags. Serve pieces of Christmas crack in a holiday tin or clear plastic candy bag tied with a holiday ribbon. Give it as gifts this way, or use the tins or bags to help create a dessert spread between holiday cookie plates.
- Ice cream topping. Crush Christmas Crack into small pieces and use it as a crunchy topping for vanilla ice cream or my popular egg nog ice cream.
- Christmas Crack parfait. Layer crushed Christmas Crack with layers of homemade whipped cream and your favorite holiday-flavored pudding or custard. Repeat the layers and top with a sprinkle of toffee bits
How to store Saltine Cracker Toffee
Christmas crack should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. You can also freeze this Christmas candy for up to 3 months. Just place it in a freezer-safe bag and move it to the refrigerator to thaw when ready to enjoy.
Saltine Cracker Toffee Recipe FAQs
If your Christmas crack came out grainy, it most likely happened during the boiling step. Be sure to stir consistently, scraping the sides of the pan to prevent sugar from crystalizing, which leads to a grainy texture.
If your Christmas crack is too chewy, it may be because the brown sugar mixture wasn’t boiled long enough. Be sure to follow recipe instructions exactly to ensure the right texture.
Candy may separate as a result of the butter and sugar not combining correctly. Be sure to melt your butter and sugar on a medium heat so they melt together. If the heat is too high, the butter may melt before the sugar and therefore, separate from the sugar.
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Christmas Crack Cracker Toffee
Ingredients
- 40-50 saltine crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter, equal to 2 sticks
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans or ¼ cup christmas sprinkles
- Sprinkle of coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 18×13-inch (or similar size) baking sheet with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil extends over the edges of the pan to prevent spillage and for easy removal.
- Place the saltine crackers in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. You may need to break some crackers to fit them properly, but try to cover the entire sheet evenly.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the two sticks of unsalted butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. Set a timer and allow it to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens and turns into a rich caramel color. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Carefully pour the hot toffee mixture evenly over the saltine crackers. Use a spatula to spread it out, ensuring that all the crackers are coated.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the toffee is bubbling and has spread out to cover the crackers.
- While the toffee is baking, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or using a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted.
- Once the toffee and crackers are out of the oven, wait a few minutes (about 5 mins) then pour the melted chocolate over the hot toffee. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly, covering the toffee layer completely.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans or sprinkles evenly over the melted chocolate while it’s still soft, so they adhere to the surface. Wait a few minutes and sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired.
- Allow the Christmas Crack to cool for about 2 hours at room temperature. Then, transfer it to the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until it’s completely set and hardened.
- Once the Christmas Crack is set and firm, use a sharp knife to cut or simply break it into bite-sized pieces. Irregularly shaped pieces are part of the charm!
This was delicious, but the chocolate layer separated from the toffee and crackers. What did I do wrong?
Candy may separate as a result of the butter and sugar not combining correctly. Be sure to melt your butter and sugar on a medium heat so they melt together. If the heat is too high, the butter may melt before the sugar and therefore, separate from the sugar.