This Christmas crack recipe is saltine toffee made with crackers, brown sugar, butter, chocolate and holiday sprinkles. A sweet and salty treat that’s addictively delicious and perfect for feeding a crowd!
I love to make homemade treats around the holidays like reindeer chow, peppermint patties, and this unique and unexpected Christmas crack toffee.
So right about now you may be wondering, what exactly is Christmas crack? It’s saltine toffee. I think the name relates to the fact that it’s made with crackers and is also super addicting. This salty sweet combo is SUPER easy to make, and it’s a unique treat that will have all of your guests begging for the recipe.
This is one of my favorite Christmas recipes along with rum balls, Grinch cookies, caramel popcorn and peppermint bark.
Table of Contents
Christmas Crack Ingredients
To make Christmas crack you will need saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips and sprinkles.
How Do You Make Christmas Crack?
To make this Christmas crack recipe start by placing your crackers in a single layer on a sheet pan or baking sheet. Put butter and brown sugar in a pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the crackers. Next, bake the crackers in the oven until the sugar and butter bubbles. Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers and toffee mixture. Put the pan back into the oven to melt the chocolate. Take the crackers out of the oven and use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate in an even layer. Add sprinkles, then let everything cool to room temperature. You can also refrigerate the Christmas crack so it will set up faster. Break into pieces, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- This recipe is simple to make, but you do need to watch the toffee mixture carefully as it boils. You want to boil it for exactly 3 minutes or you run the risk of it burning. If you watch the toffee carefully, you won’t need a candy thermometer.
- You can make Christmas crack up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. Store it in the fridge, then break it into pieces and enjoy.
- I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee and chocolate layers. It makes the job so much easier.
- You can use a baking mat or parchment paper to make the toffee easier to take off your sheet pan or baking sheet.
- You can easily double this saltine cracker toffee recipe if you need to feed a crowd. Simply double the ingredients and spread the crackers over two sheet pans instead of one.
Quick Tip
Use high quality chocolate chips for the best results. My favorite brand is Guittard because it has a rich flavor and melts smoothly.
Recipe FAQs
You can make Christmas crack with just a handful of simple ingredients, including saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar, chocolate and toppings such as sprinkles.
This dish gets its name from a few sources. It’s called “crack” because it’s made with crackers, makes a cracking sound when you cut or break it, and also is addicting in nature because it’s so delicious!
You do not need to refrigerate Christmas crack for food safety purposes, but I do prefer to store mine in the fridge in an airtight container. If you store it at room temperature, it can get soft if your kitchen is warm. I typically keep it in the fridge, then let it sit out for about 10 minutes before serving so that it comes up to room temperature for eating.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can easily change up the ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Chocolate: Not a fan of semisweet chocolate chips? Milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips will also work well. You can even use two types of chocolate and swirl them together!
- Crackers: While saltine crackers are traditional, you can use other types of crackers such as Ritz crackers or graham crackers with good results.
- Toppings: Swap out the sprinkles for a different toppings. Try using nuts like chopped pecans or chopped walnuts. You can add other toppings like shredded coconut, crushed candy canes, small pretzels or mini M&M candies.
You may want to plan to make a double batch of this Christmas cracker candy because this stuff goes fast! You can also check out my favorite Christmas cookie recipes to make an amazing dessert platter.
More Holiday Treats
Peppermint Brownies
1 hr 10 mins
Rocky Road Fudge
12 mins
Crock Pot Candy
1 hr 35 mins
Candy Cane Hearts
16 mins
Buckeye Balls (Peanut Butter Balls)
1 hr 2 mins
Christmas Crack Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Christmas Crack Recipe
Ingredients
- 40 saltine crackers
- 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips I recommend Guittard or Ghirardelli. DO NOT USE NESTLE!!!
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles or 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray or alternatively you can use a nonstick silicone baking mat.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.
- Pour the brown sugar mixture over the crackers and spread with a spatula to coat.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until bubbling.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the top. Place the pan back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top.
- Place the sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Let the toffee sit until completely cool, either at room temperature or you can refrigerate.
- Cut into pieces and serve.
Notes
- Christmas crack can be made up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. Store it in the fridge, then break it into pieces and enjoy.
- As this recipe has become very popular over the years, I’ve had readers encounter issues with Nestle toll house chocolate chips. Nestle tends to change the formula of their chocolate chips and chunks, and sometimes they melt, and sometimes they don’t. I recommend avoiding Nestle chocolate for this recipe.
- I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee and chocolate layers. It makes the job so much easier.
I would like to include this in bags for the Christmas food goodie basket I give my nieces and nephews, if I put them in small bags – would they be okay for shipping, and until they open on Christmas Eve (if delivered on 12/22) Just wondering
if anyone has tried this.
Looks delicious!
How far in advance are the making it? It should ship fine but I wouldn’t make it more than a week in advance.
I just made these and unfortunately Hersheys chipits don’t melt either. 😕
Mint chocolate chips are nice mixed with the chocolate chips at Christmas time!
Do you have to spray parchment paper with cooking spray?
No parchment paper is nonstick!
Just finished sprinkling!
I used Tollhouse, but melted the chips in the microwave (30 second intervals, stirring between each) and then it was all ready to spread. Worked perfectly! Can’t wait for everyone to try it! Thanks so much!
Absolutely delicious! I used Nestle chocolate chips (because that’s what I had on hand) and they worked perfectly. What did not work for me was when I started to pour the caramel e over the crackers, it was just the butter pairing off the top at first. I suppose I should have stirred it before pouring. Live and learn.
Question!! How long in advance can I make this and how long does it last?
You can make it a week or two ahead of time, store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it!
You can make this 3 days in advance. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a week after making. Hope this helped! Merry Christmas!!!
I only have unsalted crackers..would sprinkling a little sea salt over the crackers work?
I hope i hear back as i’m making them today lol
Yes that’s fine!
Would it mess up the recipe if you melted some honey roasted peanut butter in the butter and brown sugar mixture after it’s done boiling?
I personally would not attempt that because the butter and sugar mixture forms a toffee and the peanut butter could prevent it from setting.
I bet you could melt it and spread it over the chocolate after it hardens
Thank you for this recipe! I remember my mom making something similar and can’t wait to share with the neighbors this year.
Just wanted to add that toll house chocolate chips worked just fine for us. In case, like me, anyone failed to read that part before hitting the grocery for ingredients 🙂
I used toll house chocolate chips and they spread great for me.
Me too and spread lovely
I use Toll House all the time and they spread for me
Did you have to melt the Tollhouse prior to baking? Or did they melt on the toffee without melting prior?
This Christmas treat would be so perfect for homemade gift!
Treat!!
Can I use parchment paper instead of foil
Yes that’s fine!
This is always a must! Love the festive sprinkles!
This looks so delicious and yummy! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!
This Christmas crack is fabulous I make it every year!
Light or dark brown sugar??
I prefer light brown sugar!
I made this for the first time. I was impressed on how easy it was. When I went to spread the chocolate chips it didn’t spread well so I put back in oven for about a minute then it was so much easier to spread. I will be making this every Christmas now. Big hit with my family.
I’m sorry I didn’t read your recipe first. The first recipe I tried I used toll house chocolate chips and they didnt melt. I had to try again BUT after I read some other recipes. Happy I came across this one! I used the ghirardelli chips and they melted perfectly. Thank you!
I was sure I used toll house chips before but I now I know why my chocolate didn’t melt, that’s what you get for doing it from memory.
I made these for years and always used Toll House. It melts fine. Give it a minute
I have found the toll house regular size chips melt but the minis definitely don’t as of 12/2020
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
I typically use salted butter but either will work.
I made this and my toffee is sticky on the bottom i have made it before it was good what went wrong?
The most likely scenario is that it didn’t cook for long enough!
I had the same thing happen. I boiled it for 3 minutes. Is there another way to tell it is ready?
Another recipe said it the butter/brown sugar should darken a little. I made a new batch and cooked it just a little longer. It wasn’t soft and sticky.
I have an almost exact recipe from a magazine from a couple of decades ago. Mine bakes for 15 minutes at 350 and uses half as much brown sugar and one 12 oz bag of chips. Maybe this would be an option to try. I agree with Sara about the chips that taste best. The Guittard are usually at Whole Foods or Fresh Market (at least in Miami). Try and get them on sale. I actually made two big trays yesterday. I call it crack too but the traditional name is bark. I think it is delicious any way you do it.