This is the best Christmas Cracker Toffee with saltine crackers covered in a crunchy toffee, and topped with smooth chocolate. Add some pecans, sea salt, or sprinkles to make your treat extra crunchy, extra salty, or extra festive. This treat is so easy to make, and such a tasty sweet and salty homemade candy!
Cracker Toffee can also be called “Christmas Crack” – that could be because its made with crackers, because you crack it into pieces, or because its so addicting! This delicious candy is practically addictive with its sweet and salty flavors, crunchy and chewy textures and easy prep!
It’s a perfect homemade candy to make for the holidays because its made in just a few minutes, with only a few ingredients. This makes it perfect for making all season long, for your Christmas parties, and cookie trays to balance out all the other more time consuming treats like our brown butter snickerdoodles.
Why make this Recipe
- Quick and Easy – This cracker toffee is only 5 ingredients and an easy homemade candy that can be made without a candy thermometer, in just a few minutes time. (You can use a thermometer to check the temperature if you want to be careful)
- Perfect Sweet and Salty Treat – There is something about sweet and salty treats that make them practically addictive. The salty crackers, sweet toffee, and creamy chocolate pair perfectly together.
- Customizable – Try different cracker bases, different chocolates, or different toppings to make your toffee your own!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cracker Toffee Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Saltine Crackers
- Butter – you can use salted or unsalted for this recipe
- Brown Sugar – gives the toffee a nice cararamel flavor
- Vanilla Extract – just a dash to add a nice vanilla flavor
- Chocolate Chips – Use a high quality chocolate chip like Ghiradelli or Guittard to help the chips melt nicely over the toffee. I like to use Semi-Sweet Chocolate.
- Chopped Pecans – Add them on top of your chocolate for an extra crunch if you want!
Variation and Substitution Ideas
- White Chocolate – Add white chocolate chips instead of chocolate chips for a creamier flavor on the toffee
- Toppings – Try adding different toppings to see what you like, chopped pecans, pretzels, mini M&Ms, peanuts, flakey sea salt, or sprinkles would be great!
- Crackers – Instead of Saltine Crackers you could try Ritz Crackers, Club Crackers, or even Graham Crackers for a sweeter flavor.
How to make Saltine Cracker Toffee
Step 1: Lay out the crackers. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Lay the crackers in rows filling the whole pan.
Step 2: Make the toffee. Add the butter and brown sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for about 3 minutes until it starts to turn a golden brown color. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 3: Bake. Spread the toffee mixture over the crackers, covering them as much as you can. Bake the toffee in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from the oven.
Step 4: Add the chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crackers and let them sit for a few minutes as the heat will soften them. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the crackers. Sprinkle with pecans, or other toppings if desired. Let the toffee sit until it is hardened, then break into pieces.
Tips and Tricks
- Baking Sheet – You need to use a rimmed baking sheet to keep the toffee spilling over the edges of the pan.
- Watch Closely – Be careful to watch the toffee as it is cooking on the stove. You want it to be a nice caramel color, but don’t let it get too dark. You can check the temperature with a thermometer to be between 270 and 290 F if you want to be extra careful.
- Chocolate Chips – Let your chocolate chips sit on the warm toffee for a couple minutes until they start to soften and lose their shape. If they don’t start to melt on their own you can pop the pan back in the oven for about 1 to 2 minutes, then spread over the toffee.
Storage Instructions
Once the toffee is set and broken into pieces you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, make sure your home isn’t too warm or your chocolate will melt. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze the toffee. Store it in a freezer safe container with parchment between each layer to keep the toffee pieces from getting stuck together. It will last about 1 month in the freezer. This is a great way to get ahead on your holiday treats, or to save for when that craving strikes!
This Christmas Cracker Toffee is going to be one of your new favorite treats to make for the holidays, with its crunchy texture and sweet and salty flavors. It’s such a great recipe to have on hand for so many occasions!
More Candy Recipes
- Hard Tack Candy
- Mint Chocolate Fudge
- Butterscotch Haystacks
- Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls
- How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Hot Chocolate Spoons Recipe
If you try this Cracker Toffee Recipe, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Cracker Toffee
Ingredients
- 35 Saltine Crackers
- 1 cup Unsalted butter
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 10×15 baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- Spread the Saltine Crackers in rows on the pan, filling the pan as much as you can with them. 35 Saltine Crackers
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Let the butter melt and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is a nice caramel brown color. (You can also check the temperature it should be between 270 and 290 F) 1 cup Unsalted butter, 1 cup Brown sugar
- Remove the toffee from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Carefully pour the toffee over the crackers slowly, trying not to move the crackers around too much as you pour.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee and let them sit for 1 to 2 minutes until you can tell they are starting to melt and lose their shape. 2 cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Spread the chocolate slowly over the toffee until melted using an offset spatula or rubber spatula covering the toffee completely.
- Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top of the toffee. 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
- Let the toffee sit at room temperature until chocolate is set. You can place it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process.
- Remove the toffee from the pan and break the toffee into small pieces.
Have made this before for Christmas. SO good! Fast & easy too. Going to make it again, and maybe before Christmas!