Christmas Crack is one of those holiday treats we make every year because it’s sweet, salty, crunchy, chocolatey, and so easy to share. It starts with a layer of saltine crackers, gets covered in a quick brown sugar toffee, then finished with melted chocolate and festive sprinkles.
The name comes from the way you “crack” or break the candy into pieces once it has hardened. It’s also one of those treats people joke is hard to stop eating because the salty crackers, buttery toffee, and chocolate are such a good combo.
We love making this for neighbor gifts, cookie trays, Christmas parties, and anytime we need a simple treat that makes a big batch. Once it sets, just break it into pieces, package it up, or set it out on a platter and watch it disappear.
For even more homemade goodies, be sure to check out our: Butter Mints, Turtle Candy, and Homemade Toffee.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Simple. Uses simple pantry ingredients and comes together quickly.
- Sharing. Perfect for Christmas trays, parties, and neighbor gifts.
- Boiling the toffee for 3 minutes helps it set. The brown sugar and butter mixture needs enough time to thicken so the crackers stay crisp.
- Saltines balance the sweetness. The salty cracker base keeps the chocolate and toffee from tasting too rich.
Christmas Crack Ingredients
- Saltine crackers (1 sleeve, about 35 to 40 crackers): Creates the crunchy, salty base for the candy.
- Unsalted butter (1 cup, 2 sticks): Melts with the brown sugar to make the toffee layer rich and buttery.
- Brown sugar (1 cup): Sweetens the toffee and gives it that caramel-like flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups): Add a smooth chocolate layer that balances the toffee. Higher quality chocolate like Ghirardelli, will melt and set the best. Change the flavor with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate, peanut butter chips, or milk chocolate chips.
- Sprinkles: Make the Christmas crack festive and fun for the holidays. Add chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or pistachios), crushed peppermints, holiday M&M’s, toffee bits, flaky sea salt, or a drizzle of white chocolate.
How to Make Christmas Crack
PREP. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 10×15-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and lightly grease.
CRAKERS. Place saltine crackers on the baking sheet to cover the entire pan in a single layer of crackers.
TOFFEE. Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, bring it to a boil for 3 minutes while stirring constantly.
- While stirring the mixture, consistently scrape the sides otherwise the sugar will crystallize on the sides of the pan to avoid a gritty texture.
- The brown sugar mixture must boil for exactly 3 minutes. If it doesn’t boil long enough the mixture won’t set and will create soggy crackers.
BAKE. Carefully pour the mixture over the crackers. Spread it overtop so that all of the crackers are covered. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
CHOCOLATE. Add chocolate chips to a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave on medium power for 1-minute bursts, stirring between each. When the chocolate is almost melted, stir until smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over the crackers, and spread it smooth to completely cover the pan. Decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
CRACK. Let the toffee harden until the chocolate is set (at room temperature or in the fridge). Once completely hardened, remove from the pan and peel the aluminum foil off. Break or “crack” it into pieces.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Timing. When making the toffee, boiling for exactly 3 minutes is crucial for achieving the right consistency; too short and it won’t set, too long and it can become brittle.
- Scrape it good. Carefully scrape the sides of the pot. Sugar will crystallize on the sides of the pan and can get scraped into the mixture, causing it to be gritty
- Use good chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate chips work great, but you can also use milk or dark chocolate for a different twist. High-quality chocolate melts smoother and tastes even better.
- Decorate quickly. Add sprinkles right after spreading the chocolate so they stick before it sets. Some of our favorite toppings are: chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios, crushed peppermints, holiday M&M’s, flaky sea salt, or a drizzle of white chocolate.
- Cool completely before breaking. For clean, snappy pieces, let it harden fully at room temp or in the fridge before cracking into chunks.
Christmas Crack Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers, about 35-40 crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a 10×15-inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
- Place the saltine crackers on the cookie sheet to cover the entire pan in 1 layer of crackers.
- Melt the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, bring it to a boil for 3 minutes while stirring constantly. The brown sugar mixture must boil for exactly 3 minutes. If it doesn't boil long enough the mixture won’t set and will make the crackers soggy.
- While stirring the mixture, consistently scrape the sides otherwise the sugar will crystallize on the sides of the pan.
- Carefully pour the mixture over the crackers. Spread it overtop so that all of the crackers are covered.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave on medium power for 1-minute bursts, stirring between each. When the chocolate is almost melted, stir until smooth.
- Spoon the chocolate over the crackers, and spread it smooth completely coverving the pan. Decorate with sprinkles.
- Let the toffee harden until the chocolate is set at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Once completely hardened, remove from the pan and peel the aluminum foil off. Break/"crack" it into pieces.
Notes
- When making the toffee, boiling for exactly 3 minutes is crucial for achieving the right consistency; too short and it won’t set, too long and it can become brittle.
- Carefully scrape the sides of the pot. Sugar will crystallize on the sides of the pan and can get scraped into the mixture, causing it to be gritty
- Add your sprinkles right after spreading the melted chocolate, while the chocolate is still warm and soft, so they stick.
- More favorite toppings I like to use include: chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios, crushed peppermints, holiday M&M’s, flaky sea salt, or a drizzle of white chocolate.
- Easily make Christmas crack candy in advance and have it on hand for cookie plates or neighbor gifts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, in the fridge for 10 days, or in the freezer for 4-6 weeks. Easily make Christmas crack candy in advance and have it on hand for cookie plates or neighbor gifts.
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This recipe was originally published November 2018.
This ho lied. We followed the instructions to a T and the crackers burnt after putting them in the oven and turned BLACK.
Love this recipe! Make it every year now! It’s currently cooling! Serving it at a Christmas party tomorrow.. and will make it again next week for my family
Thank you for your recipe and explaining that it needs to boil for 3 minutes. I made this last year and it did exactly that… it was soggy and NOT GOOD. I had lost faith in making it again.
Now I know what happened.
Thank you. Wish me luck tomorrow.
How did they turn out? I hope the boiling tip did the trick and the result was amazing!
I just made them! Unbelievably delicious!
The caramel is not hard but soft. How do I get it to become harder?
Thanks a ton!!!
Love, love, love this simple & delicious recipe!!
My favorite holiday dessert to make!!!
So delicious! Made it last year and it was a hit.. just made it again for the Christmas season!
I’ve had and used this recipe for years. The only difference I do is to just pour the chocolate chips on the cracker/candy base as soon as it comes out of the oven. Then spread the chocolate as it melts on the hot base. No need to cool, melt chocolate in a separate dish and then spread. Also, if it helps others, my recipe says the foil should be shiny side up to peel away better.
Thanks for sharing!!
I do the same with melting the chips. So much easier