Saltine Cracker Toffee, also known as "Christmas crack," is a great mix of sweet and salty. It has buttery toffee and rich chocolate, all with a crunchy texture.
This saltine toffee bark requires just a handful of pantry staples and absolutely no candy-making skills. In just a few minutes, you can make this tasty treat. It will surely be a favorite for holiday gifts and sharing.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- This no-fail saltine toffee with chocolate chips is an irresistible combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy, making it a truly addictive treat.
- It's an incredibly easy no-thermometer toffee recipe that comes together with just four ingredients!
- If you're looking for easy holiday candy to gift to friends and family, this is it!
This saltine cracker candy is easy to make and hard to resist. It is the perfect treat to share this holiday season.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for the saltine toffee recipe. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Saltines: The ideal crunchy base for this irresistible and easy Christmas crack. The salt on the crackers offers the perfect contrast to the sweetness in the rest of the ingredients.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter, depending on your preference. Cutting the butter into cubes allows it to melt evenly and prevents burning.
- Light brown sugar: It mixes well with butter. It creates a syrup that soaks into the crackers, adding great flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a depth of rich flavor to this chocolate toffee bark
- Semisweet chocolate chips: These chocolate chips melt on the warm saltine toffee base. This makes it easy to spread for a rich layer. You can use candy melts instead of chocolate chips. Just follow the melting instructions on the package and continue with the recipe.
- Milk chocolate English toffee bits: You can find these in the baking aisle alongside the chocolate chips. You may also use caramel or butterscotch baking chips in place of the toffee bits.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the Saltine Chocolate Bark recipe instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Line a 15x10x1-inch baking tray with foil and spray vegetable oil over. Arrange the saltines in a single layer and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and stir for 30 seconds.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the syrup evenly over the crackers and bake them for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until bubbly.
- Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the baked crackers.
- Let the chips soften for a few minutes. Then, use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the melted chocolate over the cracker base.
- Sprinkle with toffee bits, cover, and chill in the fridge for an hour or until set.
- Break the saltine toffee into pieces to enjoy immediately or to store in preparation for holiday guests and parties!
🥫 Storage
To keep the texture at its best, store the cooled saltine toffee in an airtight container. You can also use a sealed bag. Keep it at room temperature for up to one week. Avoid warm or moist areas in your kitchen. This will help preserve the texture of this Christmas crack.
📚 Variations
- Crackers: This homemade toffee recipe uses saltines. You can also use Matzo as a good substitute, especially for Passover.
- Espresso Infused: Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate. This gives it a bold, Italian-style flavor. It’s like a mix of toffee and tiramisù.
- Peppermint Perfection: Crushed candy canes add festive color and refreshing crunch — perfetto for Christmas!
- Flavor Boost: For a richer, nuttier taste, try browning your butter or using dark brown sugar instead of light.
- Nutty Crunch: Add a layer of toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts for a fantastic textural contrast.
- Fruity Twist: Add crunchy freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, apples, mangoes, or bananas. They add a sweet, tangy flavor. You can use them instead of toffee bits or alongside them.
- Candy Mix-In: Press mini marshmallows, cookie bits, or your favorite crushed candy into the melted chocolate. This makes a fun and customizable treat.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- I like to spray vegetable oil on the foil lining when I prepare the baking pan. This helps keep the cracker toffee from sticking.
- It's important to add the chocolate chips on the saltine toffee base right after taking the tray out of the oven. The heat will melt the chocolate chips as you let them sit for a bit so that spreading is a breeze!
- Don't store your chocolate toffee bark in the fridge or freezer as the moisture will soften the cracker base.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan or pot to ensure the butter and sugar mixture heats evenly and prevents scorching.
- For a perfectly even layer, gently spread the melted chocolate with an offset spatula instead of a knife.
- Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the warm chocolate to elevate the sweet and salty flavor profile, if you like.
- Let the toffee set completely and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before breaking it to ensure clean, crisp shards.
🤔 FAQs
Before you put on your apron and start making caramel, here are some common questions I get about Saltine Toffee. Whether you’re new to this holiday classic or have made it for years, these tips will help you get great results every time. You’ll achieve a crisp, glossy finish that’s completely irresistible!
Saltine Toffee, also known as Christmas Crack, is an easy candy. You make it by pouring caramel sauce over saltine crackers. Bake it until it bubbles, then add melted chocolate and your favorite nuts or sprinkles on top. It's sweet, salty, buttery, and simply irresistible! Once it cools and hardens, you can break it into pieces, just like bark!
Nope! That's the beauty of this recipe. You'll cook the butter and sugar together just until bubbly, pour it over the crackers and bake it to perfection. No thermometer, no stress — just pure holiday joy.
You can use semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate — whatever you love most! I usually go for semisweet chocolate chips because they balance the buttery caramel beautifully. White chocolate also makes a gorgeous (and festive!) drizzle on top.
If your sugar didn't fully dissolve before baking, that can sometimes happen — but don't worry! It'll still taste amazing. Next time, make sure your butter and sugar mixture gets nice and bubbly before pouring over the crackers.
Oh yes, and you should! It's a wonderful make-ahead treat. Once it cools and hardens, break it up, store it in a tin, and it'll stay fresh for days. It travels well and makes such a pretty addition to a cookie platter or gift boxes.
See? Nothing complicated — just simple, sweet success waiting in every batch. Once you’ve made this Saltine Toffee, you’ll see why it’s a must-have on every holiday cookie tray. It’s easy to make, easy to share, and even easier to fall in love with. 💕
📗 Related Recipes
Just like this saltine toffee, each recipe makes a tasty treat. You can create it with simple ingredients and little effort.
- Marble Chocolate Bark - This simple bark has four ingredients. It uses swirled dark and white chocolate with nuts. It is a quick treat that is great for gifts or decorating desserts.
- Turtle Caramel Pecan Bars - Featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a rich homemade caramel, and a topping of pecans and chocolate, these bars are the ultimate indulgence.
- Gooey S'mores Bake - Enjoy the classic campfire flavor year-round with this dessert, featuring a graham cracker crust piled high with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate.
- Caramel Apple Pie Bars – Apple Pie Bars are the ideal fall treat featuring apples on top of a buttery crust.
🍽 What to serve with this easy saltine toffee
This saltine cracker candy is a tasty holiday snack. You can enjoy it with your favorite hot drink during the holiday season.
It's also a wonderful addition to a holiday dessert charcuterie board alongside Italian Christmas Cookies, Reindeer Chow Snack Mix, and Million Dollar Fudge.
Enjoy a few pieces of this saltine toffee bark with a scoop of ice cream. It's an easy and delicious dessert for the whole family during the holidays.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- 15x10x1-inch baking pan - The perfect size for this toffee with saltine crackers. Use a baking pan with rims.
- Heavy-duty foil - To line the baking pan, prevent mess and sticking.
- Large heavy saucepan - For melting the butter and sugar evenly.
- Spatula - To easily spread the softened chocolate chips over the baked crackers.
- Wooden spoon - My go-to for stirring.
- Measuring cups and spoons - For accurate measurement of the ingredients.
- Vegetable Spray – Insures that the toffee doesn't stick to the foil.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Can we agree that this Saltine Toffee is dangerously, amici? One bite and you'll understand why everyone calls it "Christmas Crack." It's that perfect sweet-salty combo — buttery toffee, rich chocolate, and just the right crunch.
I love making a few batches every December, wrapping them up for family, neighbors, and friends. (Okay...maybe keeping a secret stash for myself too!) It's one of those simple recipes that proves homemade treats made con tanto amore really are the best kind.
Now go grab those saltines, melt that butter, and make some holiday magic — fatto con amore, of course. 🎄✨
Buon appetito and happy fare-caramelle (candy-making) amici!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Saltine Toffee
Equipment Needed
- Heavy Duty Foil
- Heavy saucepan large
Ingredients
- 40 saltines
- 1 cup butter cubed
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 8 oz. English toffee bits 8 ounces milk chocolate English toffee bits
Instructions
- Line a 15x10x1-in. Baking pan with heavy-duty foil. Spray the foil with vegetable spray to prevent the cracker toffee from sticking. Arrange saltines in a single layer on foil; set aside.
- In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Take off the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour evenly over crackers.
- Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow chips to soften for a few minutes, then spread over top. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Cool.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
📚 Variations
- Crackers: This homemade toffee recipe uses saltines. You can also use Matzo as a good substitute, especially for Passover.
- Espresso Infused: Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate. This gives it a bold, Italian-style flavor. It’s like a mix of toffee and tiramisù.
- Peppermint Perfection: Crushed candy canes add festive color and refreshing crunch — perfetto for Christmas!
- Flavor Boost: For a richer, nuttier taste, try browning your butter or using dark brown sugar instead of light.
- Nutty Crunch: Add a layer of toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts for a fantastic textural contrast.
- Fruity Twist: Add crunchy freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, apples, mangoes, or bananas. They add a sweet, tangy flavor. You can use them instead of toffee bits or alongside them.
- Candy Mix-In: Press mini marshmallows, cookie bits, or your favorite crushed candy into the melted chocolate. This makes a fun and customizable treat.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- I like to spray vegetable oil on the foil lining when I prepare the baking pan. This helps keep the cracker toffee from sticking.
- It's important to add the chocolate chips to the saltine toffee base right after taking the tray out of the oven. The heat will melt the chocolate chips as they sit for a bit, so spreading is a breeze!
- Don't store your chocolate toffee bark in the fridge or freezer, as the moisture will soften the cracker base.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan or pot to ensure the butter and sugar mixture heats evenly and prevents scorching.
- For a perfectly even layer, gently spread the melted chocolate with an offset spatula instead of a knife.
- Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the warm chocolate to elevate the sweet and salty flavor profile, if you like.
- Let the toffee set completely and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before breaking it to ensure clean, crisp shards.
Nutrition
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Marisa Franca
Simple, festive, and incredibly delicious — this Saltine Toffee bark is a family-pleaser. We make extra so that we can gift the cracker bark.