Saltine Cracker Toffee Recipe (Christmas Crack)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

16 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 36 mins

Servings:

8 to 12

Much like fudge and divinity, saltine cracker toffee is a favorite holiday sweet for many Southerners. The treat features layered saltines with a toffee mixture, melted chocolate, and toasty pecans. That's chilled until solid, then broken into pieces, and served.

Learn how to make saltine cracker toffee. Soon, everyone will expect you to make this treat for any gathering.

Saltine Cracker Toffee - Southern Living — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Saltine Cracker Toffee: A Nearly Foolproof Candy

When saltine crackers came out in 1876, Southerners made sure they worked the soda cracker into a multitude of recipes. Alabama Firecrackers are all over the place during the summer, and many Southerners took a short cut when making toffee during the holidays. A saltine cracker is the perfect base for the chocolate-and-sugar confection.

Of course, no one could actually agree on a name, so this dessert has many: Cracker Toffee, Cracker Candy, Pine Bark, Toffee Bark, Faux Toffee, Saltine Sweeties, Fooler Toffee, and Christmas Crack.

There are also many ways to make the toffee special by just switching up the ingredients. You can swap out the type of chocolate and/or nuts. How about dark brown sugar, butterscotch morsels, and toffee chips? Give your toffee a holiday touch with crushed candy canes in place of the nuts. All you have to do is maintain the concept and ratios and your toffee will turn out great. Most of the ingredients keep well in the pantry, so you can whip out a tray of this fine candy on short notice.

Ingredients for Saltine Cracker Toffee

Five ingredients is all it takes to make this delicious candy. To make saltine cracker toffee, you'll need:

Saltine crackers: Adds an irresistibly crisp texture and hint of salt to the toffee.
Butter: Adds a rich mouthfeel and buttery flavor to the toffee.
Light brown sugar: A hint of molasses that complements the caramel flavor. Can substitute with dark brown sugar, if preferred.
Chocolate morsels: Melted to coat the toffee. Feel free to use any type of chocolate you prefer.
Walnuts or pecans: For a nutty crunch; skip for a nut-free version.

ingredients for saltine cracker toffee — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Saltine Cracker Toffee

A short cooking time leads to an impressive result that's just as welcome served up for a weeknight treat as it is for a more formal holiday gathering. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
Step 2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the pan.
Step 3. Cook butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth, stirring slowly. When it begins to bubble, cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Step 4. Pour evenly over the crackers.
Step 5. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over the top. Bake 1 minute and spread chocolate evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with pecans.
Step 6. Let stand until nearly set and then chill until firm, at least 2 hours before breaking into pieces.

Variations For Saltine Cracker Toffee

Once you have this recipe down, each batch can be different than the last;

Mix up the toppings: Get creative by topping the toffee with holiday sprinkles, M&M's, toffee bits, dried cranberries, toasted coconut, crushed candy canes, chopped pistachios or almonds, crushed peppermint, or anything you love.
Swap the saltines: This toffee can also be made with Ritz crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, and more.
Change up the chocolate morsels: Use white, milk, or dark chocolate, or go for something unique, like butterscotch or peppermint chips. You can also go for a more high-quality chocolate bar of your choosing. Just chop fine and spread until melted.

How To Store Saltine Cracker Toffee

Refrigerate toffee pieces in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months. The toffee thaws quickly, and can be pulled out of the freezer and served almost immediately.

Stack between layers of parchment paper for picture-perfect candy.

More Holiday Food Gift Ideas You'll Love

These crowd-pleasing recipes are perfect for holiday gift-giving:

And don't forget the packaging ideas to bring it all together.

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

24 saltine crackers (a little over half a sleeve)
1 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts

Directions

Prepare oven and baking pan:

Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add crackers to baking pan:

Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the pan.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Make toffee mixture:

Cook the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth, stirring slowly. When it begins to bubble, cook for 3 minutes while stirring.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add toffee mixture to crackers, and bake:

Pour slowly and evenly over the crackers. The crackers might float a little, but that's fine, just move them back in place with the tip of a knife and make sure all of the crackers are covered in the sugar mixture. Bake 15 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add chocolate chips:

Remove pan from the oven, and sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over the top.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Return to the oven until the chips begin to melt and lose their shape, about 1 minute.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the surface and sprinkle with pecans.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cool until firm:

Let stand until nearly set, and then chill in the fridge until firm, at least 2 hours. Break into pieces. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my cracker toffee chewy?

For firm toffee, the caramel needs to cook to what's known as "hard crack" stage. If you pull the toffee out of the oven and it isn't bubbling all over, leave it in for additional time. If using a thermometer, the temperature of the caramel should reach about 300°F.
How can I keep the toffee from sticking to the foil or parchment paper?

When cool, the toffee should release easily. If you're nervous about the toffee sticking, you can spray the pan with cooking spray before placing in the crackers.
Why did the chocolate layer separate from the cracker toffee?

Make sure to spread the chocolate on while the toffee is warm to help it adhere. Certain chocolate morsels may contain less cocoa butter than others, which may also cause separation.