Made with salty crackers, buttery sweet toffee, and chocolate, this Christmas Crack recipe is not only easy and festive but absolutely irresistible! Cracker candy is a holiday treat loved by all and will quickly become a must-make in your home too.
Easy Christmas Crack Saltines
Christmas crack turns plain saltine crackers into an irresistible treat, with layers of homemade toffee, chocolate, and M&Ms. In our home, it’s one of the first recipes we make each holiday season – right alongside our pecan turtle clusters, rum balls, and peanut butter balls.
This saltine crack candy recipe is a wonderful addition to any dessert table but it’s also a hit for Christmas gifts too. Just package up some pieces in cellophane, wrap it tightly, and add a bow.
I just can’t wait to start my holiday baking. My favorite recipes are ones like this, which are simple and fun. I love making Chocolate Christmas Tree Pretzels and Grinch Popcorn. Plus we have a huge list of 60+ Christmas Treats.
Why is this Called Christmas Crack?
You’ve likely heard this treat called a variety of things, from saltine cracker toffee to cracker candy to Christmas Crack. The latter is perhaps the most popular moniker, due both to the fact it’s beyond addicting and that it’s a popular holiday treat. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in our house without a batch (or two or three) of Christmas crack!
Ingredients Needed
This Christmas crack recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients, though many can be customized to your preference. See the recipe card below for measurements.
- Saltine Crackers – Saltines provide the buttery, salty base to this treat.
- Butter – Cooked with the sugars to create the toffee mixture.
- Sugar – Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are used to make the toffee.
- Chocolate chips – I used milk chocolate but semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips would work too.
- M&Ms – Since I made these for Christmas, I used the seasonal red and green M&Ms.
How to Make Christmas Crack
This easy cracker toffee is surprisingly easy to make and requires just 20 minutes or so of hands-on time. The part I find most difficult is simply waiting for it to chill enough to eat!
- Prepare the pan. Line a pan with parchment paper, then add the saltine crackers in a single layer.
- Make the toffee mixture. Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in both sugars, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to bring it to a soft boil.
- Cover Crackers. Once the brown sugar mixture bubbles, remove it from heat and immediately pour over the crackers.
- Bake. Place the pan with the toffee mixture in the oven for 7 minutes.
- Add the chocolate. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the toffee. Let them sit for a few minutes to melt, then spread them evenly with a knife.
- Chill. Sprinkle the M&Ms over the melted chocolate, then freeze the tray for 30 minutes.
- Enjoy. Once set, break the saltine cracker toffee into pieces and enjoy or store for later.
Topping Variations
We’re big fans of chocolate so we love to top our Christmas crack with M&Ms but that’s definitely not your only topping option. Here are a few ideas – both festive and ones that will work year-round.
- Sea salt
- Sprinkles (whatever color or design you want!)
- Toffee bits
- Pretzel pieces – adds a bit of crunch and extra saltiness
- Chopped nuts
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Crack
This Christmas Tree Cake Crack is going viral and for good reason! It combines that classic Christmas favorite saltine toffee with the delicious filling of the iconic Christmas Tree Cakes. Together they create one amazing Christmas candy!
Additional Ingredients Needed
Here are the additional topping ingredients that will give this the flavor and look of the Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes.
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 24 ounces vanilla almond bark
- ½ cup red candy melts
- Green sprinkles
How To Make Little Debbie Christmas Tree Crack
- Proceed with direction in the recipe box for the regular Christmas crack leaving off the M&M’s.
- Using a hand mixer combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Mix in the marshmallow fluff until everything is smooth and creamy. Spread the filling over the crackers in an even layer.
- Melt your almond bark over a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until melted. Pour the almond bark over the cracker mixture and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the green sprinkles.
- Melt your red candy melts. Place the melted red candy melts in a zip-loc bag with tip cut off or piping bag. Drizzle the red chocolate over the top.
- Set aside to cool completely for 1 hour or in fridge for 30 minutes. Break into pieces and serve!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making your saltine cracker toffee.
Use parchment paper – not foil. I highly recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper as the toffee won’t stick to it. It will, however, stick to foil – even if you spray it first.
Melt the chocolate in the oven if needed. If the chocolate chips don’t melt enough on their own, you can pop the tray back in the warm oven for a few minutes. Just make sure the oven is turned off – the heat remaining from cooking the toffee is enough.
Can I use other types of crackers? Yes, Christmas crack can also be made using Ritz crackers if desired. Ritz cracker toffee has a more buttery, less salty flavor but is still quite good!
Storing
If you don’t devour all of this immediately and need to save it, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 10 days. It’s best stored in the fridge and not at room temperature, though you can leave it out for a few minutes to soften the toffee just a bit before enjoying. I do not recommend freezing.
More Easy Christmas Candy Recipes
- Christmas Jello Balls
- Muddy Buddies
- Southern Pecan Pralines
- Graham Cracker Toffee
- Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Cinnamon Hard Candy
- Cool Whip Candy
Christmas Crack Recipe
Ingredients
- 35 Saltine crackers 1 sleeve
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup assorted toppings M&M's, chopped nuts or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a rimmed 15 by 10-inch jelly roll sheet with parchment paper. Line crackers in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, set aside.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan and melt until blended over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches a full boil and then boil for about 3 minutes.. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the hot caramel over crackers and spread evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel mixture. Let it sit for about 5 minutes for the chocolate to melt and spread the chocolate over the crackers to completely cover using an offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with M&M's. chopped nuts or sprinkles if desired.
- Transfer to the fridge and let the chocolate set for about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate is set, remove from the fridge and lift the crackers from parchment paper. Break into pieces and serve!
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2 comments on “Christmas Crack Recipe”
How much butter is used in this recipe in another measurement e.g. cups. I don’t have sticks of butter.
Hi Gail. This recipe uses 1/2 cup of butter.