Christmas Saltine Toffee (Easy Cracker Candy Recipe)

This Christmas saltine toffee has only five ingredients and no thermometer, making it one of the easiest holiday candy recipes. Also called saltine cracker candy or Christmas toffee bark, it’s chocolatey, buttery, and crunchy. Perfect for gifting or adding to Christmas trays.

What is Saltine Cracker Candy?

Saltine crack candy, often called Christmas toffee bark, is made with a layer of saltine crackers coated in buttery toffee and topped with melted chocolate. It’s sometimes nicknamed “Christmas crack” because it’s so addictive, but most people know it as saltine coffee or cracker candy. The best part is how simple it is to make, no candy thermometer needed, just careful timing.

Saltine Toffee Recipe

Saltine Toffee Ingredients

Saltine Toffee Instructions

Step 1 – Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and butter the foil well. Butter a large spoon to use later for spreading the toffee. Set aside.

Step 2 – Prep the Saltine Cracker Layer

Arrange a single layer of saltine crackers over the bottom of the prepared pan. Fold over the edges of the foil to enclose the crackers and hold them in place. Set aside.

Step 3 – Make the Toffee Layer

In a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract, stirring well. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. This toffee will thicken, and the bubbles will get larger as they pop through the surface.

Quickly pour the hot toffee over the crackers and spread evenly with the back of the buttered spoon.

Once the toffee is spread, place in the oven and let bake until the toffee is bubbly. This will take about 5 minutes.

Step 4 – Chocolate Topping

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, until the chocolate looks shiny and soft enough to spread. Using a buttered spatula or knife, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the toffee.

Note: Our kitchen is cold this time of year, so sometimes the chocolate chips don’t melt on their own. If that happens, pop the pan back in the oven for 1-2 minutes, watching closely, until the chips are soft enough to spread.

Sprinkle your choice of toppings such as chopped nuts, flaky sea salt, crushed candy canes, or Christmas sprinkles evenly over the melted chocolate.

Place in the fridge uncovered until the toffee is completely set, about 1-2 hours. Once firm, remove from the foil and break into pieces with a large knife or by hand.

Saltine Toffee Recipe Video

If you prefer to watch me make this crack recipe, here’s a step-by-step video showing how I make this saltine toffee. Let me know in the comments if you find recipe videos helpful.

5 from 1 vote

Saltine Toffee (Christmas Crack Candy)

This saltine toffee is made with just five ingredients and no therrmometer, making t one of the easiest holiday candy reipe. Chocolatey, buttery and crunchy this clasic saltine cracker candy is perfect for gifting or adding to Christmas trays.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Chilling Time:1 hour hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup 227g unsalted or salted butter
• 1 cup 220g packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 35-40 salted saltine crackers about 1 sleeve
• 1 pkg 270g-300g 2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Additional toppings like pecans almonds, flakey salt, crushed candy canes, or Christmas sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Step 1 – Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Butter the aluminum foil. Butter a large spoon to use later. Set aside.

Step 2 – Prep the Saltine Cracker Layer

• Spread a single layer of crackers all over the bottom of the pan. Fold over the edges of the tin foil to enclose the crackers. Set aside.
  

Step 3 – Make the Toffee Layer

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat. melt the butter, add the brown sugar and vanilla stir well. Bring to a rolling boil.
  
• Once the Christmas crack toffee has started to boil, lower the heat to medium-low. Continue to boil the toffee for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. This image shows what mine looked like after the five minutes. Its thick and the bubbles are larger as they pop through the surface.
  
• Quickly pour the toffee over the crackers and spread to cover completely using the back side of the buttered spoon.
  
• Once the toffee is spread, place in the oven and let bake until the toffee is bubbly. This will take about 5 minutes.

Step 4 – Chocolate Topping

• As soon as you remove the toffee from the oven immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
• Let stand for 2-3 minutes until the chocolate starts to look shiny and soft enough to spread. Using a buttered spatula or knife spread the melted chips over the toffee.
  
• Place in the fridge uncovered until solid. This will take about 1-2 hours. Remove from foil and break into pieces using a large knife.
• Sprinkle toppings of your choice over the chocolate.
  

Notes

Our kitchen is cold this time of year which can make it harder for the chocolate chips to melt. If this happens, and the chips haven’t melted after a couple of minutes. Pop them back into the oven and watch them closely. As soon as they are melted remove from the oven and spread.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: Christmas Crack Recipe

Servings: 40 pieces

Author: Leanna Forsythe

Cost: $5

Storing Saltine Toffee

Store saltine toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it up to 3 months. When freezing, I like to wrap bundles in parchment paper before placing them in a sealed container. It keeps the candy fresh, and it makes it easy to grab a portion when needed.

Saltine Toffee FAQs

Have more questions? Here are a few quick answers about making and storing saltine toffee.

Can I use different crackers for this recipe?
Yes, but saltine crackers give the best sweet-and-salty flavor. Graham crackers or Ritz can work in a pinch, but the texture will be softer.

Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Butter gives the toffee its rich flavor and helps it set properly. Margarine doesn’t work as well, so I don’t recommend it for this recipe.

Can I add different flavor extracts?
Yes! Vanilla extract is classic, but you can experiment with other flavors. Almond or peppermint give a festive twist, and a little rum extract adds a warm holiday flavor. Just start with a small amount since extracts are strong.

Other Easy Christmas Treat Recipes to Try

Easy Chocolate Fudge

This fail-proof chocolate fudge recipe is also made without a candy thermometer. It’s thick, fir,m and full of chocolate flavour.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

This no-bake peanut butter cookie recipe is sweet and chewy and full of coconut. They are also easy to make and always popular.