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This Christmas Cracker Candy is a festive twist on classic saltine toffee bark. Made with a simple brown sugar–butter caramel, melted chocolate, and your choice of fun holiday toppings, it’s the perfect quick Christmas treat.
Looking for more fun holiday desserts? You NEED to try my Snickerdoodle Blondies and well as my and my!
Why you’ll love this simple holiday recipe
If you’ve ever found yourself casually devouring “Christmas crack” at a holiday party, then you already know exactly what this Christmas Cracker Candy situation is all about. It’s salty, sweet, crunchy, chocolatey… basically the holiday snack that turns perfectly normal people into candy-breaking goblins in under 10 minutes.
Here’s why you’ll LOVE it:
- It uses basic pantry ingredients but tastes like fancy holiday candy.
- You can customize it a dozen ways – peppermint! s’mores! potato chips!
- It comes together in about 20 minutes of active time.
- The sweet + salty combo is completely addictive.
- It’s perfect for cookie trays, teacher gifts, potlucks, and late-night snacking.
In this post…
Ingredients needed
The simple ingredients for this easy Christmas crack recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Saltine crackers – The classic base! You can also swap in ritz crackers or graham crackers. I’ve never tried it but I’ve seen people make Christmas candy using other types of crackers such as Biscoff cookies.
- Butter – Regular or vegan butter both work great here!
- Brown sugar – Light or dark. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper caramel flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Optional but adds such a cozy flavor!
- Chocolate chips – Use milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on how rich you want it. Semi-sweet also works.
- Optional toppings – I made FIVE different variations including Potato chip, S’mores, Christmas sprinkles, peppermint bark, and cranberry pistachio. Peanut Butter swirled into the chocolate would also be DELICIOUS!
How to make this Saltine Toffee
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written Saltine Toffee Cracker Candy recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make it with visuals for you :)
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. This really helps because the toffee makes a hard, sticky mess. Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer on the tray.
- Make the caramel by combining butter, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and add in vanilla.
- Pour the caramel evenly over the crackers and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips. Let melt, spread evenly and add any desired toppings to the top of the chocolate. Cool to room temperature.
The last step is to simple let the cracker candy cool and then chill in the fridge for about an hour! It’s SO GOOD!
Expert Tips
- Don’t stir the caramel too much. Stir once, then let it bubble — this helps prevent graininess.
- Use foil AND spray it. Makes cleanup painless and ensures the candy lifts off easily.
- Let the chocolate melt naturally. The residual heat works perfectly — no need to re-bake. that being said, I get impatient and often pop it in the turned-off oven for a few minutes.
- Chill fully! If you rush it, the layers won’t snap cleanly.
- Break it by hand for rustic candy shards, or slice it with a sharp knife for cleaner edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It keeps beautifully for several days and actually tastes better on day two.
Yep! Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2–3 months. Keep layers separated with parchment.
Absolutely — gluten-free saltines or even gluten-free graham crackers work well.
Nope. Chopped chocolate bars melt beautifully and actually give you a smoother finish.
Usually yes. Whisk vigorously off the heat and it should come back together. You could also try adding in a couple pads of cold butter
More holiday desserts
Cookies
Easy Snickerdoodle Blondies
Cookies
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Cocktail
Jingle Bell Smash
Cookies
Candy Cane Cookies
Christmas Cracker Candy (Saltine Toffee Bark!)
Ingredients
- 40 saltines
- ⅔ cup butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips, milk or dark chocolate
- Optional toppings of choice – see below for ideas
For the potato chip flavor:
- ⅔ – 1 cup lightly crushed potato chips
For the S'mores flavor:
- ⅓ cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup dried marshmallow bits, or regular mini marshmallows
Peppermint Bark:
- ½ cup crushed candy canes
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips, melted (optional drizzle)
- ½ tablespoon of neutral oil
- Plain version topped with xmas sprinkles
Cranberry Pistachio:
- ⅓ cup chopped dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped pistachios
- Optional: pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking tray with foil and grease lightly. Line the baking tray with the crackers, breaking as needed to fill the space.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add in the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring only once, for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Drizzle the caramel evenly over the crackers. Bake for 5 minutes until it’s bubbling all around the surface.
- Immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes (I like to turn the oven off and let it sit in the oven for a few minutes), and then use a spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer once it’s melted.
- Top with any desired toppings. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then chill for 1 hour. Break into pieces and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
