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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
Recipe 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.
Ingredient 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!
Step-by-step instructions
I highly recommend a candy thermometer so you know when the caramel hits the right stage in hardness (300 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit).
- 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 (300 to 310 degrees if using a candy thermometer). 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 (about 300 degrees Fahrenheit), 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.
Recipe 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 so you know when you are in the 300 to 310-degree range.
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
Equipment
Ingredients
- 35-40 saltine crackers
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 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 (300 to 310 degrees if using a candy thermometer). 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.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Is there anything I can do about my toffee still being sticky even after being in the fridge for an hour? When I try to break it, the bottom is still sticky.
Hi Brittney, I’m sorry it’s sticky! I don’t know of a fix for it. Sorry! It’s likely the toffee didn’t reach the proper temperature on the stove. Did you use a thermometer? Sorry again, I hope you try it again and it’s a success! – Meggan
Had a fun evening with my daughter & granddaughter we made Christmas Crack,fun easy recipe.
Hi Darlene! What a wonderful time! Happy holidays to you and your family! – Meggan
This complicated a very simple recipe. Not sure how this was meant to reach 310 degrees in a 300 degree oven.
Hi Pam, it’s the range. Every oven is different. That’s why I recommend several times in the post to use a thermometer. Hope this helps! Take care! – Meggan
I’m glad she did, as my “simple” recipe just based on times is hit-or-miss. Sometimes it works, other times not. I came looking for a recipe that has the temperatures stated, and here it is! Thank you Meggan!!!
You’re welcome, Alane! – Meggan
When I make this candy why is the Carmel end up on the bottom and the cracker is in the middle?
Hi Denise, oh no! So some of the caramel seeps through, but the layer shouldn’t have completely separated. Is it possible that a lot of space was left between the crackers and it went through? Sorry about that! – Meggan
Definitely wasn’t what I was looking for when searching “Best Damn Crack Ever Recipe”. But this looks delicious.
Can you clarify if the toffee mixture should be stirred constantly during the 3 minutes as it is getting up to 270?
Sometimes toffee recipes say to stir UNTIL it comes to a boil, and then to stop stirring during those 3 minutes or so of cooking time.
What method do you use?
Thank you!
Hi Ann, you are correct! Stir up until it comes to a boil. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
I don’t understand why you bake the toffee mixture. I see all the recipes online say to bake it, so there must be a reason. Couldn’t you just cook it to hard crack stage (300 degrees) on the stove and pour it over the crackers? My mixture looked perfect (took it off the stove at 280), spread it onto the crackers, and baked for 5 minutes. The texture changed to gritty in the oven. My thermometer and oven are both calibrated. I’m a candy maker and tried this but failed and I’m not sure why. Maybe overcooked?
Hi Judy, for my recipe, the caramel is nearly set and only needs 5 minutes in a 300-degree oven to harden. Anything hotter, at least for mine, and the sugar could burn and the caramel would be ruined. I just know that sugar burns, and it burns easily, so I bring it to a certain point on the stove and then finish it in the oven. In theory, I don’t see why you couldn’t, other than the candy may be harder to spread. Again, just speculation! I hope this is helpful even though I can only say why I’m doing what I’m doing, not in comparison to anyone else. I’m sorry that the candy was gritty for you. I appreciate your thoughts as a candy maker. Sorry again – Meggan
Can you make Christmas crack with bought carmels ?
?
Hi Nellie, yes! If you don’t want to make your own, it should be fine using store bought caramel. Good luck! – Meggan
I’ve made this numerous times at Christmas, but we call it Saltine Toffee! It is easy and quick to make and makes a great gift – very popular!
“Christmas Crack” is what we refer to as either Crock Pot Candy, or Mr. Goodbar knockoffs, at least that’s what I think of when someone mentions Christmas Crack. It matters not, it’s delicious!
Thanks!
Thanks Gini! Love those other names, so glad you love the recipe! – Meggan
I really love your blog.. wonderful recipes. This one worked out great for xmas- I’m going to do it again for NYE.