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You’ll love this salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy saltine cracker candy, sometimes known as Christmas Crack, and you can make it in 15 minutes with just 5 ingredients!
I grew up eating Saltine Cracker Candy every Christmas. We stored the candy, and all of our holiday goodies, on the patio outside (or in the garage if it was going to be REALLY cold that night). Everything went in leftover ice cream pails or plastic tubs.
My favorite thing to do was build the cookie plate for Christmas morning. I’d choose a few of each and pile them on the large glass Christmas plate, building a collection of the best offerings from my mom’s annual baking day.
Christmas Crack always went on top and it was always the first treat to disappear. To this day, the cookie plate remains my favorite holiday tradition.
Table of Contents
Christmas Crack ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Chocolate: Sometimes chopped bar chocolate works better than chocolate chips. To melt the chocolate, you can either 1). melt it in the microwave and pour it over the top, or 2). sprinkle the chips on the hardened caramel topping, let them sit for a minute to melt, and then spread the softened chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Toppings: Try chopped pecans, pretzels, OREOs, M&Ms, toffee bits, peanut butter cups, toasted coconut, coarse sea salt, candy canes, or drizzles of white chocolate. Or, just leave it plain!
How to make Christmas Crack
I highly recommend a candy thermometer so you know when the caramel hits the right stage in hardness.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 15” x 10” x 1” pan with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone mat. Line up crackers in a single layer in rows on prepared sheet.
- Meanwhile, using a candy thermometer, melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (270 to 290 degrees if using a candy thermometer).
- Immediately pour over crackers and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake 5 minutes or until the candy hardens. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted. Spread over hardened caramel. (You can also sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hardened candy, pop it back in the oven until melted, and spread after that).
- Sprinkle nuts or other toppings and press into the chocolate using a greased spatula. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely for at least 15 minutes and store in the refrigerator.
Do you need an instant-read thermometer?
Because you want to make sure the caramel is at the exact hardness, the best way ensure it doesn’t overheat with a good instant-read thermometer. I love my Thermapen One from ThermoWorks and it’s one of my most used cooking tools. I get nearly instant, extremely accurate results every time. In fact, we named it the top pick in our roundup of the best instant-read thermometers. You can also use it for cooking meat precisely!
It’s a bit pricey and you can get it for $99 at ThermoWorks. It does go on sale every so often, but if you want a more budget-friendly option, I also like the ThermoPop, which is only $15.99 at ThermoWorks and it makes a great gift!
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Christmas Crack.
- Storage: Depending on the season and the humidity, Christmas Crack should keep well in an airtight tin or container for about a week or longer at freezing temps (like on your patio or in your garage, Midwestern friends!).
- Freezer: Christmas Crack freezes well! Break or cut it into pieces and store it in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.
Cracker Candy FAQs
The caramel topping needs to get to the hard-crack stage or it will be chewy. This means you may have to bake it a little longer or adjust your oven temperature slightly (every oven is different). I insist on a candy thermometer.
Club crackers, graham crackers, or buttery Ritz crackers are all delicious bases for this candy.
Make sure the hardened caramel topping is still warm when you add the chocolate to prevent separation.
It might still be too hot. Let the candy cool until it’s easy to handle, then remove it from the foil or parchment.
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Christmas Crack Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 35-40 saltine crackers
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (see note 1)
- 1 ½ cups toppings such as chopped pecans, crushed pretzels, M&Ms, or crushed OREOs (see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 15” x 10” x 1” pan with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone mat. Line up crackers in a single layer in rows on prepared sheet.
- Meanwhile, using a candy thermometer, melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (270 to 290 degrees if using a candy thermometer). Immediately pour over crackers and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake 5 minutes or until the candy hardens. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted. Spread over hardened caramel. (You can also sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hardened candy, pop it back in the oven until melted, and spread after that).
- Sprinkle nuts or other toppings and press into the chocolate using a greased spatula. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely for at least 15 minutes and store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chocolate: Sometimes chopped bar chocolate works better than chocolate chips. To melt the chocolate, you can either 1). melt it in the microwave and pour it over the top, or 2). sprinkle the chips on the hardened caramel topping, let them sit for a minute to melt, and then spread the softened chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Toppings: Try chopped pecans, pretzels, OREOs, M&Ms, toffee bits, peanut butter cups, toasted coconut, coarse sea salt, candy canes, or drizzles of white chocolate. Or, just leave it plain!
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Christmas Crack.
- Storage: Depending on the season and the humidity, Christmas Crack should keep well in an airtight tin or container for about a week or longer at freezing temps (like on your patio or in your garage, Midwestern friends!).
- Freezer: Christmas Crack freezes well! Break or cut it into pieces and store it in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.
Where is the ingredient measurements ?
Hi Cindy, I think you might have missed the recipe in the post. You can see the amounts by clicking the “Jump to Recipe” button near the top of the page, clicking “Christmas Crack recipe” in the Table of Contents, clicking the link below the photo of the ingredients, or scrolling down the page until you reach the full recipe above the box where you were able to leave your comment. I hope you love this! – Meggan
I agree that it is critical to use a candy thermometer to make sure that the caramel gets the correct hardness that said, you list at least two if not three temperatures so which temperature do you think is the correct one
Hi Joey, thanks for your question. The temperature are ranges, and I would suggest aiming for the higher end of them. This will ensure that the caramel reaches the desired consistency for a crisp and snappy texture once it cools. Please let me know if you have anymore questions! – Meggan
I was successful making the toffee by waiting for my butter and sugar to come to a rolling boil then set timer for 3 minutes then took it off the stove. It turned out perfect.
I just made this for the first time. Trust me, on your first go around, I am sure they are going to still taste like Christmas Saltine Crack Candy, but might not be so pretty. I learned quickly tonight that white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and butterscotch chips do not milk like other chocolate chips. I’m my opinion you need to at least double the amount of brown sugar and butter(AKA A simple caramel) to be able to get a very nice layer to cover all the saltines, which basically acts like a glue for the entire C.S.C.C. or better known as Christmas Saltine Crack Candy
A friend of mine made it & that was our favorite besides other cookies in the container, 😋!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! – Meggan
Good recipe except the oven temp doesn’t make sense. How could the candy get to 300-310° in 5 minutes in a 300° oven.
Hi Dallin, the candy needs to reach the stage which it hardens. Most ovens vary in temperature, so your oven may reach it sooner. Just keep an eye out. – Meggan
I have made this a few times and it is ALWAYS A HIT !!! Thanks for sharing.🌹🌹🌹
You’re so welcome, Cindy! I’m so happy it’s a hit! – Meggan
No one is going to get the toffee bubbly at 300 degrees!
Hi Marisa, do mean the caramel? The caramel is made on the stove top and should reach 270 to 290, then hardened over the crackers in the oven. Toffee bits are an optional topping. Did you happen to try this recipe? Hope this helps.- Meggan
This is an easy, fast recipe that I have made in the past. I made it again last night and it’s turned out perfect. I used a candy thermometer to get the toffee to the right stage, and put the crackers on parchment paper. I melted my chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds stirred, and then another 20 seconds during the last minute of the oven bake. The chocolate spread very easily with a spatula and topped with pecans. After cooling, I was able to break into pieces.
The crackers, brown sugar and chocolate chips were purchased same day. No problems whatsoever. Instructions were very clear.
I’m so happy that you trust my recipe and made it again this year, Kelley! I appreciate you taking the time to write. Take care! – Meggan
I don’t have a thermometer so I ended up not getting the caramel hot enough but it still turned out great! A little sticky, I just kept it in the fridge and ate it cold 🥰
Hi Nan, I’m so happy it worked out well! I was worried at the beginning of your comment. Thanks for taking the time to write, take care! – Meggan