Saltine Toffee (Christmas Crack) is an easy candy recipe that's made with Saltine crackers, homemade toffee, and chocolate topping.
I love baking with my kids this time of year. We make sugar cookies, molasses cookies, and all of the other traditional recipes.
We also love to watch Christmas movies and make special treats to enjoy while we watch the movies. This Saltine Toffee is an easy treat that my kids go crazy for.
It's sometimes called "Christmas Crack" or "Club Cracker Toffee". No matter what you call it, it's delicious!
The combination of the salted crackers, sweet, buttery toffee, and chocolate makes it irresistible.
What is saltine toffee?
Saltine toffee is also called "Christmas Crack" or "Club Cracker Toffee".
It's made by pouring homemade brown sugar toffee over a layer of Saltine crackers, and it's a traditional holiday treat that is enjoyed or gifted around Christmas.
How to make saltine toffee
Step 1: Begin by lining your pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 2: Next, place a single layer of crackers in the pan. I use a rimmed 10x15-inch pan, which is a jelly roll pan.
Step 3: Prepare the toffee by bringing the butter and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan.
Step 4: Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Step 5: Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Step 6: Pour the hot toffee over the crackers and spread it to cover the crackers.
Step 7: Bake.
Step 8: After you bake the toffee, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot saltine toffee, and let them sit for 5 minutes to soften.
Step 9: Once the chocolate chips have softened, spread them to cover the toffee.
Step 10: Sprinkle with chopped pecans and large grain sea salt if using.
Step 11: Let the toffee sit for an hour at room temperature, and then cool in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Step 12: Cut or break into pieces.
Tips
- Saltines: I use regular, salted Saltine crackers. You need the salt in the recipe to help balance out the sweet toffee.
- Butter and sugar: I use salted butter and dark brown sugar. The dark brown sugar gives it a richer, stronger toffee flavor than light brown sugar would.
- Chocolate chips: I use either semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. Since the toffee is so sweet, I like a less sweet chocolate - like bittersweet.
- However, if you like super sweet toffee, you can use milk chocolate chips.
- Salt: It's important to use a flaky finishing salt, not table salt. Table salt with make the toffee too salty.
Storage
Store any leftover saltine toffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The toffee will keep for up to 5 days when properly stored in the fridge.
The toffee also freezes well. To store in the freezer, make as-directed, and then place it in a resealable freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More Christmas recipes!
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Saltine Toffee
Ingredients
- 35 saltine crackers about 1 sleeve¹
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar²
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips³
- Optional toppings - pecans, sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 10x15-inch rimmed baking pan (jelly roll) with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Lay the crackers in an even layer across the bottom of the baking pan.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil.
- Let boil, whisking regularly, for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
- Carefully pour toffee over crackers, and spread toffee over crackers.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers.
- Let stand 5 minutes.
- Gently spread chocolate over crackers.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans and sea salt, if using.
- Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Chill or freeze for 20 minutes.
- Break or cut into pieces.
Notes
- I recommend using regular, salted Saltine crackers.
- I don't pack the sugar. However, if you like the toffee sweeter, you can. Also, I use dark brown sugar for a richer toffee flavor. You can use light brown sugar, but it won't have as much toffee flavor.
- I use bittersweet chocolate chips to keep the toffee from being too sweet. However, you can use anything from milk to semisweet to bittersweet in this recipe.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nancy S
Delicious! The recipe was easy and was very good.
Kate
Thank you! So glad you liked it. =)
Linda
This is a very good recipe. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and topped the candy with walnuts.
Kate
Thanks! I'm glad that you liked it. =) Thanks for commenting!