This Christmas Crack Candy is the perfect balance of salty and sweet with a satisfying crunch: saltine crackers under a homemade brown sugar toffee, melted chocolate, red and green M&Ms and sprinkles. The perfect sweet treat for the holiday season.
If you have a big sweet tooth, you are going to love this one. It is so easy to make and ideal to enjoy yourself, or pack into mason jars as DIY gifts for friends and family. Prepping takes less than half an hour; then it just needs a short bake and time in the refrigerator so you get that satisfying crack into pieces.
It’s one of those dessert recipes that has me begging for the holidays to get here sooner. It lasts for two weeks when stored correctly, but it doesn’t last a day in our home!
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill
- 🍽️ Servings: about 25 pieces
- ⚡ Calories: 182kcal per piece
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Salty, buttery crackers under crunchy toffee and semi sweet chocolate, with candy coated crunch on top
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and kid friendly
Quick Answer
Line a foil lined, greased 9 x 13 pan with a single layer of saltines. Melt 2 sticks of butter with 1 cup of brown sugar, boil exactly 3 minutes while stirring, pour it over the crackers and bake at 325°F for 7 to 8 minutes. Scatter chocolate chips over the hot toffee, let them melt, spread smooth, top with M&Ms and sprinkles, then chill 30 minutes and break into pieces.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Exactly 3 minutes at a boil. That is what takes butter and brown sugar from a sauce to a toffee that sets crisp. Cut it short and the candy stays chewy.
- The whole 2 sticks of butter. Don’t skimp; you need all of it to cover every cracker.
- A single layer of touching saltines. Overlapped crackers won’t get enough caramel, and gaps let the toffee seep under and glue itself to the foil.
- The short bake. Seven to eight minutes in the oven lets the toffee bubble and spread evenly into every corner and soak into the crackers.
- Chocolate on piping hot toffee. The heat melts the chips without a double boiler and fuses the layers so they don’t separate later.
- Salt against sugar. The salty cracker base is what cuts the sweetness and makes it so addictive.
- Chilling sets the snap. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator hardens the chocolate so it breaks into clean pieces.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy to make. In just a few short steps you will have delicious candy to enjoy.
- Kid friendly. Not only will the kids love eating it, they can help make it, especially the M&M and sprinkle part.
- That sweet and salty combination. It’s not called crack for nothing. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- Five ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.
- A perfect homemade gift. It travels well in jars and tins, and fits right in with my edible Christmas gifts.
- Make it all year round. Change the color of the candies and sprinkles and it fits any holiday.
Key Ingredients
Five ingredients make the whole pan. Quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Butter and brown sugar. Combined and boiled, they make an epic homemade caramel toffee. Use salted butter and firmly packed light brown sugar.
- Saltines. About one sleeve (40 crackers). They provide a crispy, mild base, and the salty flavor helps cut the sweetness.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips. So it isn’t overly sweet, but any chocolate that melts works. Minis or regular size are both fine.
- M&Ms and sprinkles. Red and green M&Ms and holiday sprinkles give it the Christmas cheer. Use whatever you like.
- Equipment: a 9 X 13 Jelly Roll Pan, aluminum foil, cooking spray, a medium saucepan and an offset spatula.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
- Different crackers: saltines balance buttery and salty best, but most crackers, sweet or salty, will work.
- Different chocolate: white, milk or dark chocolate all melt beautifully. Peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips work too.
- Add nuts: crushed walnuts or almonds scattered over the chocolate add crunch.
- Sea salt finish: skip the sprinkles and add flaky sea salt for a grown up presentation.
- Any holiday: pastel candies for Easter, red, white and blue for the Fourth, or chopped leftover Halloween candy in the fall.
- Love sweet and salty? My caramel filled pretzel cookies are the same idea in cookie form.
How to Make Christmas Crack
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the pan with aluminum foil, spray the foil with cooking spray, and line the pan with saltine crackers in a single layer, touching but not overlapping.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium low heat and stir until the butter melts. Bring it to a boil for exactly 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour the toffee evenly over the crackers and spread it with a knife; move fast so it doesn’t harden. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes; the mixture spreads evenly over the crackers as it bakes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee while it is still hot. Let them melt for a few minutes.
- Spread the melted chocolate all over the toffee with a spatula.
- Scatter the red and green M&Ms over the warm chocolate.
- Finish with the sprinkles, then place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, break the candy into pieces and peel it off the foil. Serve it at your next party or enjoy it with a hot drink.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the crackers touching. It stops the caramel from seeping through, which makes the candy hard to remove from the pan.
- Keep stirring the butter and sugar. Constant stirring keeps the caramel smooth and stops it from burning.
- Set a timer for the boil. Exactly 3 minutes; this is the difference between crunchy and chewy.
- Don’t rush the chill. Give the candy time to set in the refrigerator so it breaks into clean pieces.
- Storage: keep it in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. From the fridge it will be firm.
- Planning the holiday baking? My Christmas planning list keeps the candy, cookies and gifts on schedule.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Host a Christmas tea party and set the candy on 3 tiered trays or the dessert table, with one of my Christmas teas to sip alongside. Don’t forget these tea party tips to help you plan your next event.
It is a natural on a cookie tray with Christmas gooey butter cookies, snowball cookies and red velvet fudge, next to a Christmas tree charcuterie board, or with peppermint bark cupcakes. For more ideas, browse my holiday cookie recipes, the cookies collection and everything in Christmas.
Giving it as a gift? Pack it into jars like my desserts in a jar or tuck a bag into one of these tea gift baskets.
Christmas Crack Candy FAQs
Absolutely! Saltines are great because of that balance of buttery and salty flavor, but whether sweet or salty, most crackers will work. Experiment and see what you can create.
Either the butter and sugar weren’t boiled long enough to reach a caramel consistency, so the toffee can’t harden, or the candy didn’t chill long enough to set. If it’s chewy, leave it to cool as long as possible.
The caramel probably cooled too much before the chocolate went on. Add the chocolate chips while the toffee is piping hot. If the chocolate isn’t melting, put the pan back in the oven for a few minutes, then spread and chill.
In an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It will be harder straight from the fridge.
I don’t recommend it. You need the whole 2 sticks to make enough toffee to cover every cracker; with less, some crackers end up bare and dry.
Yes. Use any small candies, crushed nuts, flaky sea salt or just sprinkles. Change the colors and it works for any holiday.
Make sure you stop by my Amazon Shop for all your holiday gift-giving needs.
Christmas Crack Candy with M&Ms
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar Firmly packed
- 1 sleeve saltines about 40
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- Sprinkles and M & M’s
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°.
- Line 9×13 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray and then line pan with saltine crackers, not overlapping.
- Place butter and sugar in a medium sized saucepan over low medium/low heat. Stir until butter is melted. Once butter is melted, bring to a boil for exactly 3 minutes. Stir constantly.
- When it has been bubbling for 3 minutes, pour evenly over crackers. Spread mixture with a knife. Try to move fast during this part so the toffee doesn’t harden.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 7-8 minutes. The mixture will spread evenly over the crackers as it bakes.
- Remove pan from oven and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the toffee while it’s still hot. Let the chocolate chips melt for a few minutes and then spread all over the toffee with a spatula. Sprinkle M&M’s and sprinkles on top and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened break pieces off the foil and store for up to two weeks in a container or Eat ASAP.
Notes
- You don’t want your saltine crackers to overlap but when you do lay them out try and ensure they are touching. This will stop the caramel layer from seeping through, which will make it hard to remove from the pan when it is set.
- Make sure you give the candy time to set in the refrigerator before serving. This helps to harden the candy and enables it to be broken off into pieces.
- Keep stirring your butter and sugar mixture as this helps to make the caramel smooth and stops it from burning.
- Use your favorite small candies on top of the toffee. Crushed nuts are also a good option!
Theresa @DearCreatives says
I’ve seen this around too but, never have made it yet. I love sweet salty combos. Wow, that’s a lot of butter! But, isn’t everything better with butter? lol
Candi Elm says
They are crazy good and easy to make.
Carolann says
well this looks so yummy! I will have to give it a try!
Candi Elm says
Thanks for stopping by you have to try them.
Mitzi says
I love a sweet and salty snack– sounds like a great choice for our upcoming Christmas game night!
Candi Elm says
Yes they will be a bit hit at your game night.
Heather says
Looks so good! I wonder I could make this fly for my cookie party.
Candi Elm says
I am sure they would be great, No one will complain.
Clare says
Oh my that looks dangerous – is it possible to not eat it all in one sitting?
Candi Elm says
No I think you have to eat the whole batch.
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
Wowza! And, I could make this gluten free by using the Blue Diamond Almond Nut crackers!
Candi Elm says
Great Idea Barbara, I will have to try that too.
Candi Elm says
The M & Ms make it really pretty. But they are good regardless.
Christina @ It Is a Keeper says
I love this stuff! I’ll bet it’s even better with M&Ms! I can’t wait to make it!
Megan says
I guess I know what I will be making later!
Heather M says
Yum! I hadn’t heard of Christmas Crack until this year.
Sharon Rowe says
I am popping over from How To Get Organized At Home, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe, this looks awesome, I am so making this over the holidays. Thanks again for sharing.
sahana says
Yum!Thank you for linking up at Bloggers Brags pinterest party.I have pinned to bloggers brags pinterest board. We would love to see you again tomorrow.
Chris says
Easy recipe and very tasty. I use small pretzels instead of crackers.