Easy Christmas Crack
Nov 03, 2023 Updated Oct 29, 2025
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Xmas Crack Recipe
- Christmas Crack Ingredients
- How To Make Christmas Crack
- Christmas Crack Recipe Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pro Tip: How to Get That Perfect Snap to Your Christmas Crack
- Best Christmas Crack Ingredient Swaps
- Vegan Christmas Crack Recipe
- Gluten Free or Nut-Free Christmas Crack
- FAQs
- Pairing Ideas
- Show Me Your Christmas Crack
- The Best Christmas Crack Recipe
I have to admit, I didn’t grow up with “Christmas Crack” like so many of you probably did. A few years back, I spotted it on social media and thought I was onto the next big viral recipe. Turns out, I was just very late to the party. Little did I know, grandmas have been making this for decades! It’s no wonder—it’s so easy, festive, and dangerously addictive in the best salty-sweet way.
Now, this recipe is non-negotiable in my house—making Christmas Crack marks the official start of the holiday season in my kitchen. (Side note: you can also call it Christmas Toffee if you don’t want to say “crack.”) I make a big batch the weekend after Thanksgiving. It stores well in tins and is a perfect gift to have on hand for friends and neighbors.
I use saltines as my salty, crunchy base, add melted chocolate, and a toffee topping to make a perfectly caramel-flavored treat. Plus, it’s one of my most popular Easy Christmas Party Desserts.
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is it’s super customizable. Vegan? No problem—just use margarine. Don’t like pecans? Use pistachios, your favorite nut. Don’t have saltines handy? Use a different type of cracker. Last year I even made a kosher-friendly Matzo Crack recipe for Passover!
For more holiday treats, pair this with Build Your Own Hot Chocolate Board (or this Spiked version!), Christmas Dessert Board, Christmas Tree Dessert Board, Oh Christmas Brie Board, Cheesecake Toppings Board, and Caramel Apple Board.
Why You’ll Love This Xmas Crack Recipe
There are so many things to love about this recipe. It’s addictively delicious. But it also comes together quickly, totally foolproof, and I often have the ingredients on hand.
Other reasons to make this Christmas Crack recipe:
- It’s so easy to customize to your taste or what you have available. I’ve listed vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free variations below. You can update it for any holiday by adding different toppings.
- Christmas Crack ingredients are so budget-friendly, but the salty, sweet, carmel-y result feels so gourmet.
- Make ahead and get holiday prep out of the way—Christmas Crack is very freezer-friendly.
- It’s pretty fool-proof—I’ve made this recipe so many times and it turns out the same every time, no matter if I’m totally focused or running around after my daughter.
Christmas Crack Ingredients
- 1 sleeve of saltine crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Sea salt, to taste
How To Make Christmas Crack
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Portion your chocolate chips, you’ll need them ready to go quickly.
- Chop pecans, or get whatever topping you plan to use out and ready (for example, if you need to crush up pretzels or potato chips), you’ll want these handy later in the process.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the saltines on the sheet in a single layer.
- Make the caramel by melting the butter and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally until combined and sugar is fully dissolved. Continue boiling, undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and pour caramel mixture over the cracker layer. Spread out with a spatula to cover the saltines evenly.
- Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just bubbly.
- Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips.
- Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until the chocolate begins to melt and look shiny.
- Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate using a spatula.
- Immediately sprinkle with the pecans and salt, or whatever toppings you choose (see list below for variations). Do this step immediately so that your toppings stick to the chocolate before it cools.
- Transfer the sheet to the freezer until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Once it is completely cool, break into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see more below on ways to store).
Christmas Crack Recipe Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the saltines on the sheet in a single layer.
- Make caramel (see instructions above). Pour caramel mixture over the cracker layer. Spread evenly over the saltines using a spatula. Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just bubbly.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly across the hot caramel. Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until the chocolate begins to melt and becomes shiny.
- Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate with an icing spatula. Immediately sprinkle with pecans and salt.
- Transfer the pan to the freezer until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Break into pieces, serve, and enjoy!
Pro Tip: How to Get That Perfect Snap to Your Christmas Crack
If you want that perfect ‘snap,’ chill your tray immediately after spreading the chocolate. Don’t skip this step—it’s key to getting that crackly crunch!
Best Christmas Crack Ingredient Swaps
Crackers
- Ritz
- Graham Crackers
- Ginger snaps
- Shortbread cookies
- Club crackers
- Pretzels
- Matzo
- Gluten-free crackers
Toppings
- Chopped pistachios
- Macadamia nuts
- Crushed pretzels
- Chopped peanuts
- Festive sprinkles
- Chopped M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces
- Crushed potato chips
- Popcorn or kettle corn
- Sea salt flakes
Other Flavor Variations
- White chocolate Christmas Crack: Aka, peppermint bark. For a festive Christmas flavor pairing, sub white chocolate (or add a white chocolate drizzle on top of the regular chocolate) and add crushed candy canes on top.
- Christmas Crack Chex Mix: Add bits and smaller pieces of your Christmas Crack to any bowl of Chex Mix or party mix for an amped-up holiday snack.
- Valentines bark: make the base the same, add pink and white chocolates on top, or your favorite festive sprinkles.
- Matzo Crack: start with a base of Matzo crackers and add chocolate and toffee to make this delicious Passover treat.
- Halloween Crack: make it spooky by melting orange chocolate and drizzling it over the top, sprinkle crushed pretzels to add extra crunch.
- Extra salty-sweet: mix and match your favorite salty and sweet toppings, like potato chips, pretzels, mini marshmallows, or all of the above.
- Extra kid-friendly: make it extra colorful for your favorite kiddos by adding mini M&Ms, sprinkles in your favorite shapes, or mini marshmallows.
Vegan Christmas Crack Recipe
If you’re vegan or just prefer to avoid dairy, you can make this recipe with margarine instead. The best way to do it is to find stick margarine and substitute it for the butter one-to-one. It may not be exactly the same as the butter version, but it’ll still be totally delicious (and addictive!).
You can learn more about using margarine in baking!
Gluten Free or Nut-Free Christmas Crack
This recipe is so flexible, you can make it to fit your personal preference so easily. Because you can use almost any type of cracker, you can easily adjust the flavor profile and gluten content. Just know that the snappier your crackers, the crispier your end result. Gluten free crackers are a great substitute here.
If you need to make this nut-free, you can exchange any sprinkles, seeds, or even coconut flakes on top. I’ve made this with potato chips, and even popcorn for a fun party treat.
FAQs
It likely didn’t cook long enough. The toffee needs to reach a hard crack stage (around 300°F) to turn crisp instead of chewy.
Of course! I use brown sugar because it gives a richer, more caramel-y flavor (brown sugar has molasses in it). Brown sugar is also a bit more forgiving when cooking the caramel. White sugar is a great substitute if it’s all you have, but watch the cook time closely because it can burn much faster.
Use good-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. These will balance the sweetness of the toffee. Using chips is best (instead of squares or broken up bars) because chips will melt faster and more evenly.
The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Make the Crack in advance of the holidays and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for three months. That way it’s ready to eat whenever you need a holiday treat, or you need a quick, last-minute gift. Just bring it to room temperature for a few hours before serving.
I love giving this away as gifts all throughout the holiday season. But the key is storing it well so that it retains its crispy snap.
My favorite way to store Christmas Crack is in festive holiday tins. But glass jars or cello bags with printable tags work just as well.
This recipe will keep fresh for up to a week when stored in an airtight container on the counter. Keep it in your refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to three months—making it perfect for edible gifting.
I don’t use a candy thermometer, but I’ve made this recipe so many times. Many people might want to use a thermometer for cooking the caramel. Cooking sugar isn’t hard, but it can go from caramel to burnt caramel (and a big mess!) within a few seconds. Watch your pot closely. Don’t walk away.
If you don’t use a thermometer, boil the butter and sugar mixture for about 3–5 minutes. You’re looking for a deep golden brown and the mixture to pull away slightly from the pan. Then you know you’ve got the right consistency.
Pairing Ideas
I love Christmas Crack because it’s great on its own, but goes well with so many other holiday treats. You really can’t go wrong serving this with other goodies.
- Pair it with peppermint cocoa and this Hot Chocolate Board
- Add it to a beautiful Christmas Dessert Board and bring it to your next holiday gathering
- Serve it with hot coffee for a festive afternoon treat
- Add it to this Ice Cream Sundae Board and enjoy it crumbled over ice cream
Show Me Your Christmas Crack
I hope this post inspires you to make this recipe. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the snacks and sweets you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
The Best Christmas Crack Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Chop the pecans and portion the chocolate chips.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the saltines on the sheet in a single layer.
- Make the caramel: Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Watch it closely, stirring occasionally until combined and sugar is fully dissolved. Continue boiling, undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and pour caramel mixture over the cracker layer. Spread out with a spatula to cover the saltines evenly.
- Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just bubbly.
- Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips.
- Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until the chocolate begins to melt and look shiny.
- Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly with a spatula.
- Immediately sprinkle with the pecans. Do this step quickly so that your toppings stick to the chocolate before it cools.
- Transfer the sheet to the freezer until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Once it is completely cool, break into pieces and enjoy!
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