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Saltine Cracker Toffee is one of the easiest candies you can make! Just a handful of ingredients, quick prep, and no candy thermometer needed. It's sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, and tastes like real toffee without the fuss.
Rich, buttery, and irresistibly satisfying, it's no wonder people call this Saltine Toffee Christmas Crack, though my Great-Grandma would never approve of that name. 😉 Her recipe has been in our family for decades, and while it is the perfect holiday treat, this homemade candy deserves to be enjoyed year-round.
Kristen's Keys for Making Saltine Toffee
After making this easy saltine toffee for decades, I have a few tips of my own and a few from my Great-Grandma that will help ensure perfect results and easy clean-up.
- Use both foil and parchment paper to line a rimmed baking sheet. The foil makes for easy clean-up, the parchment paper helps the candy slide off the pan, and the rimmed sheet pan holds the toffee in place.
- Use unsalted butter. The saltine crackers will add enough of a salty element to the candy.
- Boil the the toffee mixture for exactly 1 minute. Once the butter and brown sugar begin to bubble cook, undisturbed for exactly 1 minute to give the sugar the right caramelization without turning grainy or burning.
- Chill for at least 60 minutes. This will give the chocolate and toffee time to harden fully and make it easy to break of cut into bite-size pieces.
5-Star Reader Review
One word- AMAZING!! I made it for holiday gifts and my family almost ate it all!! Good thing it's so easy to make, I will have to make more! - Sheila ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Saltine Cracker Toffee
This step-by-step section is provided to help you achieve perfect results. But I promise, it is really easy to make saltine toffee at home.
Step One: Lay Saltines on Pan
Line a rimmed 10×15 (half-sheet) baking pan with foil, then top with parchment, allowing some overhang to lift the finished toffee out easily. Spread one sleeve of saltine crackers, salt side up, in a single layer over the parchment paper.
👉🏻Don't skip the foil! I have before and let's just say my pan had to soak for quite some time to remove the hardened bits of toffee.
Step Two: Prepare Toffee Mixture
In a stainless steel saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar, to a boil, whisking constantly. Once boiling, let cook for exactly one minute, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
Step Three: Pour and Bake
Drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the crackers, spreading to cover with a spatula. Then pop in the oven for 10 minutes so the caramel becomes a deep, rich golden brown.
Step Four: Melt Chocolate
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the crackers. Return the pan to the oven that has been turned OFF and let it sit in there for 1-3 minutes. This will give the chocolate time to fully soften without burning the chocolate.
Step Five: Spread Chocolate and Add Nuts
Spread the chocolate into a smooth layer with an offset spatula and then sprinkle with nuts or other candies if desired.
Step Six: Let Harden
Let the toffee cool to room temperature and then transfer the tray to the refrigerator to chill completely for at least an hour. Once chilled, lift the candies off the pan using the parchment paper, and cut or break into pieces.
👉🏻Best way to slice? For clean slices, use a sharp knife or use your hands to simply break into rustic pieces.
Saltine Toffee Variations
- Using Unsalted Saltine Crackers? You will want to use salted butter or stir in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to your caramel mixture when you add the vanilla extract to balance out the sweetness in this recipe.
- Vary or Omit the Nuts: My Great-Grandma always topped Saltine Toffee with chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans. The nuts add a nice crunch but are completely optional.
- Peppermint: Skip the nuts and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top while chocolate's warm.
- Rocky Road: Add chopped pecans and mini marshmallows over the melted chocolate.
- M&M: Sprinkle mini M&Ms over the melted chocolate. During the holidays, I love to use festive colors to make it extra special. Red and green for Christmas or pastel colors for Easter.
- Almond Joy: Add chopped almonds and shredded coconut to the layer of melted chocolate.
- Pretzels: For an additional salty bite, sprinkle pieces of broken-up pretzels over the chocolate after it has been spread over the saltine crackers.
- Use Graham Crackers: Instead of using saltine crackers, you can use graham crackers to line your sheet pan. This will result in a much sweeter version of this treat.
- Peanut Butter Cup: Drizzle warm peanut butter over the layer of melted chocolate (before it sets up) and then sprinkle with mini peanut butter cups.
More Easy Holiday Treats
Saltine Cracker Toffee
Ingredients
- 42 saltine crackers, ~1 sleeve of crackers
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, dark or light
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
- Line a 10x15-inch rimmed sheet pan with foil. Top the foil with a layer of parchment paper. Lay the crackers, salt-side up into an even layer over the parchment paper.
- Combine 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture comes to a boil, allow it to cook for exactly 60 seconds, while whisking constantly. The mixture should be a deep golden color. Remove from the heat, and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the crackers, spreading to cover if needed. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven OFF.
- Sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the crackers. Return the pan to the warm oven for 1-3 minutes, or until the chocolate is soft and glistening.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the crackers. If desired, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or other candy over the chocolate while still warm.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then transfer the tray to the refrigerator to chill completely. This will take about 1 hour.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, cut or break it into bite-size bars. Store the toffee candy in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally posted in 2022 and updated in 2025.
Quick and easy to make yet deliciously sinful. This will definitely be a regular in my holiday baking line-up.
Love hearing, this Laura! Thank you!
SO Delicious. Made it exactly as recipe said. Will definitely make again.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed, LM!
Thank you Kristen! I'll finally be making these this year with gluten free crackers since I have celiac. I've never liked the name Christmas crack and wouldn't eat it for that reason.I wish ppl would call it Saltine Cracker Toffee instead! Just don't think crack is anything to joke about or associate with Christmas or even be casually referred to in a family setting or anything else.
Take care! Hope you're well!
I am confused about the bowl labeled cinnamon sticks shown in the picture. I don’t see that ingredient in the recipe. Did I miss something?
Oh goodness! I can't believe I missed that! It should read vanilla extract.
One word- AMAZING!! I made it for holiday gifts and my family almost ate it all!! Good thing it's so easy to make, I will have to make more!
HA! I often have to do the same thing, Shelia! My family and I eat way too much and then have to make more for gifts. But like you, said so easy! Happy Holidays!
I love the combination of sweet and salty flavors in these saltine cracker toffees. Thanks Kristen
This was super easy to make and so delicious! I will definitely be making it again for holiday gatherings!