With just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes, this Christmas crack recipe is the best sweet and salty treat made with a layer of saltine crackers, sweet toffee and chocolate!
Grandma’s Saltine Cracker Toffee
This delicious Christmas crack is one of my favorite Christmas desserts at the holidays and it only takes about 15 minutes to make, much easier even than my toffee recipe or toffee cookies.
I have shared my grandma’s saltine cracker toffee before and this is a glorified version with chocolate and M&Ms on top. You could also top Christmas candy crack with crushed saltines, sea salt, toasted coconut, slivered almonds, pecans or Heath bits.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Sweet and salty. Two of my favorite flavors come together in this chewy and crunchy saltine cracker candy treat.
- Holiday tradition. Christmas crack toffee is always the first homemade treat to disappear on the cookie plate along with divinity candy and chocolate fudge!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Saltines: The saltiness of this beloved cracker works perfectly with the caramel and chocolate.
- Butter: I use salted butter to add a salty balance to the sweet. Real butter is key not margarine!
- Brown sugar: The deep flavor brown sugar provides is key to making this toffee really shine.
- Chocolate chips: I use milk chocolate chips to make the melted chocolate layer, but you can opt for white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or even chopped chocolate bar.
- Toppings: I choose red and green M&Ms to keep the candy festive, but nuts, candy canes, toffee bits, pretzels or sprinkles are also really great!
How to Make Christmas Crack
Beware…this candy crack toffee is seriously addicting! You may want to make two batches as it will disappear fast.
- Prepare: Line a pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Then spread saltine crackers out in an even single layer.
- Make the caramel: Boil the brown sugar and butter for 3 minutes.
- Bake: Pour evenly over crackers and bake for 8 minutes.
- Spread: Once it’s done cooking sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let melt. Spread out until smooth and top with M&M’s or nuts. Then try not to eat all in one sitting.
Expert Tips
- Candy thermometer. Though it isn’t necessary, if you are worried about getting the caramel right and avoid chewy Christmas crack, you can use a candy thermometer to make sure it reaches a temperature of 270°F to 290°F.
- Pan size. A large jelly roll pan works best for this recipe, but any type of large, rimmed baking sheet will work.
- Prevent separation. If your caramel layer has cooled down when adding the chocolate, it will separate into layers. Ensure the caramel is still warm.
- Melting chocolate chips. If your chocolate doesn’t melt once you place it on the caramel layer, place back in the oven for a few minutes just until they start to melt.
Christmas Crack Flavor Variations
This Christmas crack is so versatile and can be modified so many different ways! Below are a few of my favorite ways to make it.
- Peppermint graham cracker: Graham crackers with white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
- Chocolate Ritz Christmas crack: Ritz crackers with chocolate and sliced almonds.
- White chocolate pretzel: Pretzels crisps with white chocolate and Rudolph candies or sprinkles.
- Graham cracker toffee: Graham crackers with chocolate and chopped almonds.
- Vanilla: If you would like to add vanilla extract to the caramel layer it would add even more depth of flavor to the brown sugar.
Storage
- Room temperature storage: Store saltine cracker candy in an airtight container at on the counter for about a week. Just ensure your house isn’t too hot or the chocolate will start to melt.
- In the refrigerator: If your house is warm, store Christmas crack in the refrigerator for up two weeks. If you live in a colder climate, you could also just keep it in the garage or covered porch!
- Freeze: Break into pieces and store in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the freezer up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick.
More classic holiday cookie recipes include my soft molasses cookies, traditional Christmas sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms.
More Holiday Candy Recipes
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Christmas Crack Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 48 saltine crackers , 1 1/2 sleeves
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter , cubed
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ – 1 cup M&M’s , or chopped nuts or sliced almonds
Optional toppings: m&ms, sprinkles, chopped nuts or sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large jelly roll pan (15×10) with parchment paper or foil (spray foil with non stick spray).
- Line the bottom of the pan evenly with 48 saltine crackers. You may need a break a few on the sides to fill in the gaps.
- In a medium pot, combine 2 sticks butter and 1 cup sugar over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally, bring to a rolling boil and cook 3 minutes, or until bubbling and amber in color. Remove pan from heat and pour evenly over saltine crackers. Spread brown sugar mixture quickly with a spatula.
- Bake 8 minutes (caramel should be bubbling). Remove pan from oven and sprinkle 2 cups chocolate chips evenly over the top and let sit until chocolate chips are shiny (you can turn off oven and place inside for 30-60 seconds to speed up, but don't leave in long or it will burn). Remove and let sit a minute. Once the chips are soft, spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle desired toppings over the top and place in the freezer 15 minutes, or until hardened.
- Let sit 15 minutes on the counter. Flip over onto a cutting board and remove the foil. Break into pieces.
Notes
- Use ritz or graham crackers as the base
- Use a white chocolate or drizzle white chocolate over the top of the chocolate
- Add chopped nuts
- Add sprinkles for holidays or color
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Candy + Fudge, Chocolate, Christmas, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites, Sheet Pan, Stovetop, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This looks delicious and festive, but respectfully , why even make fun relating it to an illegal and dangerous substance?
Hi Ele! It is quite delicious. Not sure who was the first to call it that but it’s always stuck. I think it is more named that because when you pick it up you crack it into pieces. Enjoy!
Can you give the measurement/eqivelent for two sticks of butter…..as we don’t have ‘sticks’
Two sticks would be one cup of butter. Hope that helps.
This stuff is amazing with pecans on top! I make it every year!
Yum, sounds delicious Alexis! I love Christmas crack toffee!
I tried this last weekend…I let it cool for hours and I basically made caramel. Toffee is supposed to be hard, right? Did I over boil? Under boil? It was good but oh so messy!
Hmmm…it is supposed to be harder! I would try baking it a little longer and then refrigerating it longer! I hope that helps! :)
Oh, I had this problem too! It still tastes good, but the toffee didn’t harden. I worried I’d underboiled it (I actually burned the first batch by overboiling it!). Thanks for clearing that up! I’ll have to bake it an extra minute next time!
Mine seemed really runny too. I’m waiting on mine right now, it’s in the fridge! And my chocolate was mixing into the toffee as well! I’m beginning to wonder if it’s gonna sticki to the foil?!:/
This recipe doesn’t work for me. The toffee spreads to thin after baking and then choc chips melt INTO the toffee and are not spreadable… Any suggestions?
You might not have pushed your saltines close enough together, maybe try putting them closer. And try letting it cook a minute before you add the chocolate chips! Hope that helps!
Thank you. I think they were too spread out. I ended up cooking the choc chips for a minute and the. They spread a little better. The end result was not perfect but definitely still delicious! Luckily that was my practice batch and now with a little more confidence I am making them again time for thanksgiving. I am putting m&m’s and pretzels bits on the top :)
Do you try to break it into the squares keeping the crackers intact or do you just go to town breaking it? And I know this is specific, but do you lay the crackers salt side down or up? I would think down might be good so you get more of that salty taste? :) Sounds yummy!!
I try to break it into the squares and it usually breaks pretty easy! I’ve only done them salt side up…but you should give it a try doing salt side down! That would be yummy to have more of a salty taste!
:/ I can’t find Saltines here in Ireland!!! :( What is a girl to do????????
Hmmm…you could try using graham crackers, club crackers, or any kind of plain cracker! Hope that helps! :)
I’m going to try it with a graham wafer bottom. Do you have those in Ireland?
I would imagine there would be soda biscuits in Ireland… (That’s what saltines are.)
I only know it’s christmas when I go to the chocolate store and smell the toffee/caramel…Yes! The is the season! I can smell it now!
Yummy! I love the smells of christmas baking! :)
Can’t wait to make Christmas crack, we had some last night at a friends house and instead of M&Ms they use chopped up peanuts it was so so good and a very addictive!
Yum! Peanuts would be delicious too! Christmas crack toffee really is so addictive! :)
I love this, totally pinning to do this later. Thanks.
Hope you like this toffee as much as my family does! Thanks for stopping by Sandra!
I’ve tried the regular kind (ummm toffee crack, not crack crack). But never Christmas kind. Will have to try this asap. Pinning!
How fun and easy! Will be trying. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy it, it is so yummy and addicting!! :)
I want to try this!!
Yummy… YUMMY! I am pinning :)
love love love the stuff! pinned!
This is making my mouth water! This would be a great neighbor gift for Christmas.
looks amazing! pinning!
This looks so yummy! Plus its easy enough that my kiddos can help!