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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.
I have begun to believe I am NOT supposed to make this; may be a message from my hips. This sounds so good and I’ve never had it before, but the two batches I have made thus far ended up in the garbage. Note: I am one of those people who have a difficult time throwing out food, but….The first batch had burnt toffee because I turned the heat back on to try and melt those darn chocolate chips! The second batch, I tried to melt the mini chocolate chips in the microwave and had to re-warm due to timing issues and ended up with that powdery nasty chocolate dust! GRRR! I am still deciding whether I will try ONE more time; you know, three strikes, you’re out!😜😃
Oh no Deanna, what a nightmare! I am so sorry. I do know sometimes people have problems with this recipe. Maybe you have a super powerful microwave? Chocolate dust is THE WORST, it makes me so angry. If the chocolate chips are mini, look at the package for microwaving instructions. Maybe it’s different. So sorry you’re having problems! It looks so simple but not if it keeps failing. 🙁
Use bar chocolate not chips works better
I don’t even heat the chocolate chips. If you pour them over the toffee and wait a few minutes, you can easily spread with a spatula. I’m no good when it comes to the microwave and chocolate!
I made this Christmas Crack, followed the instructions exactly, and they came out perfectly. I’m not sure why anyone is having issues if the directions are adhered to precisely. My whole family loves it and they are always giving suggestions for new variations. Love this recipe. Thank You!!
I tasted Christmas crack at a party and it was delicious, I tried it and it tasted so sweet you couldn’t even eat it! I followed the recipe to a tee?! Help!! Thank you
Hi Amy, it’s really hard for me to say what went wrong! The only possibilities are that you used more sugar than you were supposed to, or you just have a lower tolerance for sugar than the rest of us who love this stuff! I’m honestly not sure. Did the caramel seem to work fine? Did you cook it to the appropriate temperatures? If you truly did exactly as the recipe instructed, maybe the version you tried at a party was just less sweet overall! Wish I could help more! :-/
Make sure that you use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Does it matter if you light or dark brown sugar? And I tried it and I totally failed. My candy was really thin? I had a lot of liquid to where my crackers were floating. Is that common?
Hi Tesha, it shouldn’t matter if you use light or brown sugar. I’m guessing you didn’t boil it long enough (did it hit 270 degrees?). It needs to hit 270 degrees to hit soft-crack stage and thicken up. Then when you pour it, it should pour like caramel sauce. Sorry it didn’t work for you! I definitely recommend using a candy thermometer.
This was simplicity itself. It turned out perfectly my very first time. Thank you for sharing.
MAKES MY LIFE. Seriously, Hannah, thank you for sharing. I’m glad it worked for you. 🙂 Merry Christmas!
If you butter or spray coat your pan and then pop into freezer for 5-10 mins. once chocolate has been spread, the entire rectangle of Christmas Crack will just pop right out of the pan! Then you can easily and with minimal waste or cracker crumbs snap into pieces – no cutting required. Hope this is helpful! Love this recipe:)
I tried another recipe last week and they were good but the toffee part didn’t harden. I tried this one and it is perfect! 270 degree is the trick! And parchement!
So great to hear, Andrea! People seem to be having problems all over the internet with the Christmas Crack this year. Glad yours turned out! Mine always does too.
I made this stuff tonight, put it out in the cold storage. How long does it take for it to completely cool so I can break it?
Hey Heidi, you could probably break it cold. Otherwise let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so and you should have no problems! Thanks.
I love this recipe but I use Ritz crackers for extra buttery goodness. The only issue I’m having is that the toffee mix never gets hard. It stays gooey, which still tastes wonderful, but I think I’m doing something wrong. I boil for three minutes, no stirring. Pour it on, coat the crackers and into the oven for 4-5 minutes. I let it cool on the counter for a little bit and the rest of the way in the fridge. Am I just not getting the toffee mixture hot enough?
Hi Mindy, it is possible you aren’t getting it hot enough. If you have a candy thermometer, I’d try watching the temp on it and making sure it hits at least 270 degrees. It should definitely get hard by the time you take it out of the oven (300 to 310 degrees). I hope it tastes good either way!
My pans are a little smaller and hold 24 crackers instead of 35. I use a toaster oven to cook/bake and yy pans are a little smaller. They hold 24 crackers instead of 35. How do I adjust the recipe down? Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I would just cut everything in half. Possibly even the crackers (using 20 instead of 24 even though your pan holds 24). However, you would probably have enough of everything to cover 24 crackers if you just made half the caramel and used half the chips. Sounds like it should be just fine!