Christmas Cracker Candy (Saltine Toffee Recipe)
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Cracker Candy decked out in red and green is the most simple Christmas candy recipe you can imagine! A crispy saltine cracker foundation is layered with crunchy toffee and decadent chocolate. This simple treat is perfect for gift giving, and inspires Christmas cheer!
As much as I love holiday desserts and fancy Christmas cookies, sometimes I like to keep things simple – and saltine cracker toffee is just that!
Simple ingredients paired with the crispy texture make this an amazing sweet and salty treat.
Another name that people will refer to it as is candy crack – and it’s one of my go-to Christmas treat recipes.
Cracker Candy
This cracker candy recipe is so fun to make – let your kids help you! Nothing brings families together like making this easy saltine cracker candy!
Toffee lovers should check out my Pecan Pie Christmas Toffee treat as well! It’s pretty similar to this cracker toffee, but with a nutty twist. It’s perfect to make this time of year!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Saltine Crackers – The classic Christmas crack base! Other crackers don’t have quite the same crunchy, salty appeal.
I do have a graham cracker toffee candy recipe though! - Mini Chocolate Chips – Use mini chips, not full size, so that they quickly and easily melt on top of the melted sugar.
Candy melts work well, too. Or, you can break a candy bar into tiny pieces! It’s really your personal preference.
If you really want to shake things up, you can even use white chocolate. - Red and Green M&Ms and Holiday Sprinkles – For the festive garnish!
All shapes and sizes would work. Snowflakes, little stars, and Christmas trees would be very cute.
Cracker Candy Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Great For Any Holiday – M&Ms come in all colors, you know. Why not use brown and orange for Halloween?
White, pink, and red sprinkles are perfect for Valentines, too. And why not mix mint and chocolate for St. Patrick’s Day? The possibilities are endless! - Use Real Chocolate – Many types of chocolate chips are designed to withstand heat and not melt.
So, check the ingredients list on your chocolate morsels. If they don’t have a high percentage of cocoa, they’ll struggle to melt down with the toffee.
Storing Saltine Cracker Toffee
Leftover candy can be kept at room temperature or in the fridge – it’s a matter of preference, really.
Be sure that you’re storing this saltine cracker candy recipe in an airtight container so that it doesn’t lose its crunch!
Either way, it will last for a week. Alternatively, you can freeze saltine cracker toffee for up to 3 months!
Talk about an easy dessert recipe to prep and save! Totally my type of treat!
Melting Chocolate Chips
Ideally, you want to allow the chips to melt on their own by sprinkling them right on top of the hot caramel when it comes out of the oven.
But if it’s already cooled too much, you can add the chocolate and then return the pan to the oven until everything melts – a few minutes should do the trick.
Double boiling will almost always prevent burning, if you’re willing to put in the extra time.
This is what I would recommend if you can’t add the chocolate right to the hot caramel.
Alternatively, you can go the microwave route. Heat them for just 10 seconds or so at a time, giving the chocolate a stir and repeating the process until it’s all melted.
The only thing is that you need to pay close attention as you’re melting the semi-sweet chocolate chips because it only takes a couple of minutes to burn, and have to start all over.
Cracker Candy FAQ
Well, it should be a little chewy! But if it’s too chewy, you likely undercooked the caramel and ended up with a soft toffee.
You need to let it turn brown in the pan, then bake until it’s nice and bubbly!
You can – and we use some here! But a plain granulated sugar caramel just ends up sweet, without any additional flavors to really make it pop. Brown sugar accentuates the toffee, making it bold and beautifully golden brown!
Because it’s so addicting! The name “crack candy” also comes from the texture and sound made when you bite into the hardened caramel toffee.
You can make any change to this easy recipe that you want. It’s the holiday season, after all, so be festive and have fun with this Christmas cracker candy.
You can crush up candy canes and use the peppermint as a topping, or even add some coconut flakes on top instead of sprinkles. Drizzling a bit of the melted chocolate chips on top also adds flavor to this great recipe.
YES! The best part about making this delicious treat is that you can gift it to others. The best way to gift this simple recipe is to wrap the finished candy in a good gift box with a copy of the recipe card so that they know the ingredients used.
You can then deliver this perfect treat to family and friends to make their tummies and taste buds happy! The gift of food is always a great gift!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Christmas Dessert Recipes
Saltine Cracker Candy
Ingredients
- 48 saltine crackers, (about 1 ½ sleeves)
- 6 ounces salted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 12 ounces mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup red and green M&Ms
- holiday sprinkles, optional (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 10×15-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
- Arrange saltine crackers in an even layer on the baking sheet, and set aside.
- To a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated white sugar. Using a heat-safe silicone spatula, continuously stir the mixture until it comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring for another 2-3 minutes, until the mixture has a caramel brown color.
- Pour the mixture over the saltine crackers and use the silicone spatula to spread into an even layer.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake the cracker toffee for 5 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly.
- Remove the pan from the oven and Immediately sprinkle the mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait 1-2 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then use a silicone spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the toffee.
- Sprinkle red and green M&Ms and holiday sprinkles over the top of the chocolate.
- Place the pan into the fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the toffee sets.
- When ready to serve, lift the aluminum foil to remove the saltine cracker toffee from the sheet pan. Use your fingers or a knife to break or cut the toffee into uneven pieces.
Donna’s Notes
The easiest way to melt the chocolate is to sprinkle it over the warm caramel crackers. If you do it when the pan is straight out of the oven, you shouldn’t have any problems. If the caramel has already cooled, you can sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and put the pan back into the oven for another 2-3 minutes or until the chocolate melts. Another option is to melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or a double boiler beforehand, then spread the melted chocolate over the mixture just like you normally would.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2022, updated and republished December 2023
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Looks Abolutely Wonderful and so festive for Anytime of the year.
Was thinking about using Ritz crackers in place of the saltines and maybe using a light drizzle of white chocolate over the top just o change it up a bit.
I plan on making this and sending some to my brother in Ohio in his Christmas box.
I think he would absolutely love this.
Thank you and wishing you an enjoyable weekend.
Hi ColleenB,
That sounds wonderful! Please let us know how it goes! Have a great weekend!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
I remember this recipe when I was a kid. I had forgot about it until I saw it here. Thank you for sharing this, I am making this for the Holiday. I want to try the other recipe for the Pecan Pie Candy. Thanks again, can’t wait to get started.
This is so good and the perfect treat for anytime not just the holidays! Easy to make and everyone says how cool it looks and how great it tastes!
We make this every year except we use half chocolate chips and half heath toffee chips..we melt the chocolate chips and then add the heath chips on top. Delicious