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Christmas Crack Recipe - Dinner at the Zoo

This Christmas crack is saltine toffee made with crackers, brown sugar, butter, chocolate and holiday sprinkles. A sweet and salty treat that’s addictively delicious and perfect for feeding a crowd!

I love to make homemade treats around the holidays like reindeer chow, peppermint patties, and this unique and unexpected Christmas crack toffee.

A platter of Christmas crack, garnished with holiday sprinkles.

So right about now you may be wondering, what exactly is Christmas crack? It’s saltine toffee, and I think the name relates to the fact that it’s made with crackers and is also super addicting. This salty sweet combo is SUPER easy to make, and it’s a unique treat that will have all of your guests begging for the recipe.

Christmas Crack ingredients

Ingredients including crackers, chocolate, brown sugar, butter and sprinkles.

This recipe is made with saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips and sprinkles.

How do you make Christmas crack?

Place your crackers in a single layer on a sheet pan. Put butter and brown sugar in a pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the crackers, then bake in the oven until the sugar and butter are bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven, and sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers and toffee mixture. Put the pan back into the oven to melt the chocolate, then use a spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer. Add sprinkles, then let everything cool to room temperature. You can also refrigerate the Christmas crack so it will set up faster. Break into pieces, then serve and enjoy.

Step by step process shots showing how to make Christmas crack.

Tips for the perfect dish

  • Christmas crack can be made up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. Store it in the fridge, then break it into pieces and enjoy.
  • This recipe is simple to make, but you do need to watch the toffee mixture carefully as it boils. You want to boil it for exactly 3 minutes or you run the risk of it burning. I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee and chocolate layers; it makes the job so much easier.
  • Use high quality chocolate chips for the best results. My favorite brand is Guittard because it has a rich flavor and melts smoothly.
A pan of toffee covered in chocolate and sprinkles.

Recipe FAQs

What is Christmas crack made of?

Christmas crack is made with just a handful of simple ingredients, including saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar, chocolate and toppings such as sprinkles.

Why is it called Christmas crack?

This dish gets its name from a few sources. It’s called “crack” because it’s made with crackers, makes a cracking sound when you cut or break it, and also is addicting in nature because it’s so delicious!

Does Christmas crack need to be refrigerated?

Christmas crack does not need to be refrigerated for food safety purposes, but I do prefer to store mine in the fridge. If you store it at room temperature, it can get soft if your kitchen is warm. I typically keep it in the fridge, then let it sit out for about 10 minutes before serving so that it comes up to room temperature for eating.

A stack of Christmas crack pieces on a plate.

Flavor Variations

This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can easily change up the ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

  • Chocolate: Not a fan of semisweet chocolate? Milk or white chocolate will also work well. You can even use two types of chocolate and swirl them together!
  • Crackers: While saltine crackers are traditional, you can use other types of crackers such as Ritz or graham crackers with good results.
  • Toppings: Swap out the sprinkles for a different topping such as chopped nuts, coconut or mini M&M candies.

This recipe can easily be doubled if you need to feed a crowd. Simply double the ingredients and spread the crackers over two sheet pans instead of one. You may want to plan to make a double batch because this stuff goes fast!

More holiday treats

Christmas Crack Video

A platter of Christmas crack, garnished with holiday sprinkles.

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Christmas Crack Recipe

This Christmas crack is saltine toffee made with crackers, brown sugar, butter, chocolate and holiday sprinkles. A sweet and salty treat that’s addictively delicious and perfect for feeding a crowd!

Instructions

  • Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray or alternatively you can use a nonstick silicone baking mat.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  • Place the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet.

  • Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

  • Pour the brown sugar mixture over the crackers and spread with a spatula to coat.

  • Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until bubbling.

  • Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the top. Place the pan back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top.

  • Place the sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Let the toffee sit until completely cool, either at room temperature or you can refrigerate.

  • Cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

  1. Christmas crack can be made up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. Store it in the fridge, then break it into pieces and enjoy.
  2. As this recipe has become very popular over the years, I’ve had readers encounter issues with Nestle toll house chocolate chips. There was a specific formulation a few years ago where the chips were not melting to a spreadable consistency. It appears that this issue is now resolved. That being said, I’ve tested this recipe with many brands of chocolate chips, and Guittard is the top performer. If you can’t find Guittard, Ghirardelli is also a great choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 175mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g

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