This easy Christmas Crack recipe is one of my favorite holiday indulgences. I mean really, it is basically hardened caramel covered in chocolate with a slightly buttery and salty twist. How could you go wrong?
Why Is Our Christmas Crack Recipe Different?
With so many versions out there, how do you know ours is the best?
- Butter Crackers– Most recipes use a single layer of saltine crackers but I like using Ritz crackers. They are essentially a buttery version of saltine — still flaky and salty, but with loads more flavor.
- Festive Toppings– Christmas crack has historically been topped with shredded coconut or chopped nuts but any type of chopped candy also works well. M&Ms are a family favorite but I also like to top my saltine toffee off with a spread of chocolate.
- Year Round! As the name suggests, Christmas is the most popular time of year for this Christmas crack candy — it’s a holiday favorite and the perfect addition to your spreads of cookies. But it’s also ideal for making ahead and taking to potluck parties.
What Do I Need?
These simple ingredients can all be found at your local grocery store!
- Crackers – My favorites to use are either Ritz crackers or Saltine crackers. I haven’t personally used them, but I know some people have also used Club crackers.
- Butter – This is one of the few recipes that I will tell you it doesn’t matter if you use unsalted butter or salted. This is an inherently salty treat already, so I usually use unsalted.
- Light brown sugar – When mixed with melted butter and heated to a specific temperature, brown sugar makes a toffee that hardens into a delightfully crispy texture.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla helps to bring all of the flavors of this easy Christmas crack recipe together. You could use almond extract for nuttiness.
- Chocolate chips – I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips but feel free to use milk chocolate, white chocolate chips, or even dark chocolate for the chocolate layer if you prefer.
- Fleur de sel – This is optional but highly recommended! It adds an extra element of salty flavor, and if you’ve been around for a while, you know how much I love salt!
Variations on Christmas Crack
There are plenty of ways you can make this Christmas candy your own.
- Chocolate – As mentioned above, you can switch up the type of chocolate you use for the chocolate layer. If using white chocolate, you can even dye it red and green. Dark chocolate chips would give a richer flavor, while milk chocolate chips are sweeter. You could even try peanut butter chips.
- Topping – While the chocolate is still melted, top your saltine cracker candy with some crushed candy canes, coconut flakes or fun and festive holiday sprinkles!
- Candy – If not made for Christmas, you can add smaller pieces of any type of candy on top of the chocolate. Heath bits, toffee bits, or even M&M’s would all be a great addition.
- Nuts – You could add even more crunch and variety by adding chopped nuts on top. Try something like pecans, peanuts, or almonds.
- Crackers – Use any type of crackers you’d like to. In fact, you can even use graham crackers for a fun, sweet twist.
If you like this butter toffee, also check out my Candy Toffee and Bacon Chocolate Saltine Toffee.
How to Make Christmas Crack Candy
The best part of this Christmas treat is how easy it is to make.
- Prepare sheet pan and oven. Preheat the oven and line a baking dish with parchment paper, carefully folding the edges so you can easily lay the crackers flat.
- Line the baking sheet with a single layer of crackers. If using Ritz, the circles won’t line up perfectly, so break a few into halves and do a second layer to cover the holes. It doesn’t need to look pretty.
- Make a brown sugar mixture. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently until fully combined and smooth. Allow it to reach 285 degrees using a candy thermometer.
- Pour over crackers. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. The mixture will spit a little, this is normal. Pour over crackers while hot. It will start to set immediately.
- Bake. Bake, remove, and turn off the oven.
- Add chocolate chips. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips, then return to the warm oven (oven is off, but warm). Allow to sit in the warm oven until the chocolate melts starts to glisten slightly. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
- Top with fleur de sel. Remove, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and allow to cool slightly before putting the fridge to set. This will take several hours before the toffee is easily cut.
Common Questions About Christmas Crack
There could be a few reasons why your Christmas crack turned out grainy:
– Overcooking the caramel: If the caramel mixture is cooked for too long or at too high of a temperature, it can result in a grainy texture. It’s important to follow the recipe instructions carefully and cook the caramel to the desired consistency.
– Improperly melted chocolate: If the chocolate used for topping the Christmas crack is not melted properly, it can become grainy when it cools. Make sure to melt the chocolate gently and slowly, either using a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring frequently to ensure smoothness.
– Use of low-quality ingredients: The quality of the ingredients used can affect the final texture of the Christmas crack. Using high-quality chocolate, butter, and sugar can help achieve a smoother consistency.
– Insufficient stirring: Proper stirring during the cooking process is essential to prevent sugar crystals from forming and resulting in a grainy texture. Ensure that you stir the caramel mixture continuously until it reaches the desired consistency.
If your Christmas crack turned out chewy instead of crunchy, there could be a couple of reasons. Undercooking the caramel, not allowing enough time for cooling, and using low-quality ingredients are all possible reasons for chewy toffee bars.
The caramel must be cooked to the appropriate temperature — make sure to use a thermometer. Another reason could be that it’s not been baked long enough — bake longer for it to harden.
Storage
Now you’ve made it- how do you store Christmas Crack?
Make Ahead and Refrigerate
Christmas crack is make-ahead and freezer-friendly. To store, simply place it in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry and cool place. It can be refrigerated as well, but toffee tends to get a little hard.
Can You Freeze Saltine Toffee?
Christmas crack does freeze well. Wrap in freezer paper and then place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature and store like freshly made toffee.
More Easy Christmas Dessert Recipes
Enjoy even more delicious Christmas recipes!
Easy Christmas Crack
Equipment
Ingredients
- 50 Ritz Crackers or Saltine Crackers
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoons fleur de sel , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, carefully folding the edges so you can easily lay the crackers flat.
- Line the baking dish with crackers. If using Ritz, the circles won't line up perfectly, so break a few into halves and do a second layer to cover the holes. It doesn't need to look pretty.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently until fully combined and smooth. Allow it to reach 285°F using a candy thermometer and then let it stay at this heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. The mixture will spit a little, this is normal. Pour it over the crackers while hot. It will start to set immediately.
- Bake the Christmas crack for 8 minutes. Remove it and turn off oven.
- Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips, then return to the warm oven (oven is off, but warm). Allow it to sit in the warm oven for 1-2 minutes or until the chocolate starts to glisten slightly. Using an offset spatula, smooth it out.
- If desired, sprinkle the top with the fleur de sel, and allow to cool slightly before putting in the fridge to set. This will take several hours before toffee is easily cut.
- Remove the parchment paper and cut into squares.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Nutrition
Tried your recipe for the first time. Had a slightly larger glass pan. So far so good, but I did have to ad additional chips to spread around. It was a bit difficult spreading. I had to put it back in over for an additional 5 minutes.But I’m sure to gonna be delicious!
Thank you.
I think the melting depends on the brand of chips. I’ll make a note in the recipe to specify. Thanks!
I had no issues with the chocolate. Maybe it is the type of chocolate people are using? I will say that I didn’t cook the brown sugar long enough initially and it was still grainy and not smooth. But that was my fault. I don’t think it is supposed to fully “set”. If this is like my grandmother’s it is kind of sticky and chewy. Great and easy recipe!
This recipe didn’t work for me as well. The chocolate chips didn’t melt…just bubbled in place and I wasnt able to spread it. Total fail. I had to make a 2nd batch; this time I melted the chocolate chips in the microwave and then spread it over the toffee layer. That worked better!
Thanks for the feedback!
This did not work for me at all. A big portion of the bottom didn’t set up and the chocolate was sunken in and charred. I think there is some issue with the recipe steps-perhaps the choc needs to go on after the crackers covered in butter and sugar are baked? I have made something similar using a different recipe using that method and that seemed to work. I’m bummed cause this was a huge Pinterest fail for me.
Ugh, Amy, I am so sorry! I re-read the instructions and that is how I make them. I’m sure this was disappointing.
Instructions mention maple syrup in step #3 but no quantity listed in ingredients.
Please advise how much maple syrup.
Can’t wait to try!
Hi Renee- total honesty, I have NO CLUE how that got in there! I must have been working late. No maple syrup in this. I wonder how others made it, LOL.
Yes! I LOVE making cracker with Ritz crackers instead of saltines. It’s soooo good. And your photos are making me wish I were eating butter toffee for breakfast right now. 😉
Love how easy this is to put together! Must give it a go 🙂
Salty sweet is my favourite combination, I love the idea of using buttery ritz crackers.
Yes! I love toffee, and this one looks super easy.
Yum! This looks incredible! I love that layer of chocolate and sea salt on top. So perfect for the holidays!