Easy Saltine Toffee Recipe (Xmas Crack)
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Saltine toffee is in the house! It’s the easiest, most crave-worthy treat you can enjoy year-round, most especially during the holidays. Made with salty crackers, homemade caramel, silky chocolate, and crunchy pecans, it’s the perfect sweet and salty candy you never knew you needed, and soon definitely can’t live without!
The season of treats, eats, and sweets is upon us, folks. I’m super excited to make my 3-ingredient fudge, 3-ingredient peanut butter blossoms, and almond crescent cookies like I do every year. This year, I’m adding saltine toffee to my lineup of quick and easy festive treats, as requested by my family. While we enjoy this candy all year long, I’m happy to make a huge batch so we can all enjoy it throughout the holiday season. It’s also called Xmas crack, after all.
Saltine cracker toffee is just so, so, good that you’d never think it was made with only a few basic pantry ingredients. It’s the kind of treat that you’d make anytime “just because” since it’s crazy easy to make, but also special enough to make it to your holiday spreads. It’s also a great after-meal dessert, movie night snack, or party treat. You can also box these beauties up – they make a delicious edible gift for family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easiest candy recipe: Make a batch with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. No thermometers needed!
- Simple, everyday ingredients: All you need are 5 simple ingredients – crackers, butter, sugar, chocolate, and nuts – to make this epic sweet treat.
- Delicious flavors: Salty crackers perfectly complement the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate. Sweet, salty, buttery, and chocolatey goodness in one bite!
- Perfect holiday treat: Xmas crack is the ultimate festive snack ideal for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, and cozy nights with the family.
- Kid-friendly: The perfect recipe to make and enjoy with your kids this holiday season! They’ll love assembling the layers and watching the toffee transform into a chocolatey delight.
How to Make Saltine Toffee
Making a sweet treat from scratch may seem daunting, but this saltine cracker toffee recipe will change your mind. Simply top the crackers with your toffee mixture, bake, add the chocolate, and chill. It bakes like a dream in the oven and your kitchen will smell amazing! I can tell it’s going to be your go-to when you need to impress without the stress.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients You Need
- Saltine crackers: The base that gives the toffee its signature crunch and salty twist. Use your favorite brand, just don’t use low-salt or salt-free crackers.
- Butter: Adds richness to the toffee layer. The saltines are already pretty salty, so I recommend using unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar: Adds a sweet caramel flavor to the toffee layer. Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Melts over the toffee for a rich, chocolatey finish.
- Pecans: Adds crunch and a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet and salty elements. Use plain or toasted pecans, depending on what you have on hand.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This saltine toffee recipe is super easy that you can make it with your kids. In fact, I encourage you to! My kids and I always have fun making Xmas crack. Just follow the simple steps below and I guarantee crunchy, chocolatey goodness at the end.
Step 1: Cook
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer across a baking sheet. This will use approximately 4 ounces of cracker. Keep the crackers flat in one single layer. I was tempted to overlap a little on my first try but those parts crumbled the most when I separated out the pieces at the end.
Next, melt the butter with brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stir well so all the sugar dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Bake
Quickly pour over the crackers, cover them completely. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Start checking after 5 minutes to see if the toffee is bubbling. Let it bubble for 1 minute or so before removing from the heat.
Step 3: Assemble
Arrange the chocolate chips evenly over the hot crackers. Let sit for 5 minutes while the residual heat melts the chocolate. Spread the chocolate with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with pecans and gently press the nuts into the chocolate so they stick well.
Step 4: Cool
Let cool at room temperature for an hour or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut the sheet in half so you can pop up a piece and break it apart with your hands. I break it into about 32 medium pieces. Enjoy!
Substitutions
It’s likely that you already have all the ingredients for saltine toffee in your pantry. If not, or you prefer to use alternative ingredients, here are my recommended substitutions:
- Brown sugar: Don’t have brown sugar? Use regular granulated sugar instead.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Substitute or mix with dark chocolate chips. I don’t recommend using white, as the recipe is already sweet as it is. If you don’t have chocolate chips, substitute with chopped chocolate of your choice.
- Pecans: Swap out pecans for other chopped nuts like almonds and walnuts, with broken pretzel pieces, or colorful M&Ms for added fun. Omit the pecans if you want to make the recipe nut-free.
Variations
Holiday treats are meant to be enjoyed just how you like them. While this saltine cracker toffee is amazing as is, feel free to switch up the flavors and toppings to suit your taste. Here are some of my favorite variations to help you get started:
- Toffee + chocolate + peanut butter? Yes please! Drizzle melted peanut butter over the chocolate layer and swirl it in for a creamier, more indulgent version.
- Enjoy saltine toffee, s’mores style. Add mini marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs on top of the chocolate for a campfire-inspired treat.
- Use dark chocolate chips and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a richer, classier treat perfect for fancy dinner parties.
- Add a drizzle of Nutella after the chocolate has set and substitute pecans with chopped hazelnuts to make a version that kids will go crazy for.
- Mix in a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne pepper with the brown sugar and butter for a warm, spicy kick.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh crackers: Make sure that your saltine crackers are fresh and crispy to get that perfect crunchy base. Stale crackers won’t give you the right texture.
- Line your baking sheet: Hardened caramel is difficult to scrape off. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil for a hassle-free cleanup.
- Make a nut-free batch: I’ll make one batch with nuts and one without when hosting a crowd because our friend’s child has a serious nut allergy. You could also make one batch and just put the nuts on half the tray. Both ways are just as easy and there is rarely any leftover.
- Make it festive: Saltine cracker toffee would look even more gorgeous on your holiday spread or in Christmas gift boxes when topped with dried cranberries, Christmas sprinkles, or red and green M&Ms. Crushed candy canes also add a festive touch, just like in my peppermint ice cream.
How to Store This Recipe
It’s best to store saltine cracker toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, preferably in a cool, dry place to prevent the chocolate from melting. If preferred or if you live in a warm climate, keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen saltines in the fridge then enjoy!
What to Serve with Saltine Toffee
Saltine toffee makes a great stand-alone dessert, but best enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee, hot cocoa, spiced tea, or seasonal drinks like peppermint hot chocolate or slow cooker mulled wine. Serve it alongside a fruit platter, cheese board, and other holiday treats on a holiday cookie tray. I also enjoy it crumbled over a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or caramel ice cream.
If you make this saltine toffee, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and review comment!
Xmas Crack Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces saltine crackers enough to fill a baking sheet
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer across a baking sheet. This will use approximately 4 ounces of cracker.
- Melt the butter with brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stir well so all the sugar dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Quickly pour over the crackers, cover them completely. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Start checking after 5 minutes to see if the toffee is bubbling. Let it bubble for 1 minute or so before removing from the heat.
- Arrange the chocolate chips evenly over the hot crackers. Let sit for 5 minutes while the residual heat melts the chocolate.
- Spread the chocolate with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with pecans and gently press the nuts into the chocolate so they stick well.
- Cut the sheet in half so you can pop up a piece and break it apart with your hands. I break it into about 32 medium pieces.
Notes
- Use fresh and crispy saltine crackers to get that perfect crunchy base. Stale crackers won’t give you the right texture.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil for a hassle-free cleanup.
- Make a nut-free batch when hosting a crowd to accommodate those with nut allergies. You can also substitute the nuts with crushed saltine or graham crackers.
- Make your toffee more festive by adding dried cranberries, Christmas sprinkles, or crushed candy canes on top.
