Best Christmas Crack

Christmas crack on a white plate with candy canes on the side.

5 from 8 votes

Christmas Crack is an easy homemade candy with a base of saltine crackers, a layer of buttery toffee, and then chocolate sprinkled with toppings of choice. This Christmas Crack recipe is next-level delicious with creamy, rich chocolate ganache instead of plain chocolate.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Refrigeration Time1 45

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, New England

Servings: pieces

Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

10x15" baking sheet pan
Parchment paper

Ingredients

1 sleeve saltine crackers plus a few extra just in case
1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips either bittersweet or semisweet
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Toppings of choice see notes below for ideas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15” baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub a little bit of water on the side of the parchment paper that lays on the baking sheet, to help it stick!
Add saltines in a single layer, from corner to corner.
In a small saucepan, add butter over medium-high heat. Let melt. Add vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in. Bring mixture to a boil, and then turn heat to medium, letting mixture continue to boil for 3 minutes. Stir constantly.
After 3 minutes, pour toffee mixture over the saltines, using a spatula to spread the mixture evenly throughout.
Bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, put a hot pad under the pan, and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until toffee is firm.
Add chocolate and cream to a bowl, and heat in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth, creamy and uniform.
Pour chocolate ganache over the toffee, and use a spatula to spread ganache out evenly. Add toppings of choice (if desired).
Cool pan in the fridge for 90 minutes (or about 30-45 minutes in the freezer).
Use a knife or your hands to “crack” Christmas Crack into pieces. It’ll be hard to resist taking a few bites!

Video

Notes

Suggested toppings: coconut, toasted coconut, chopped candy canes, nuts, sprinkles, crushed Oreos, crushed candy of choice, icing, a dusting or cocoa powder or instant espresso
Dark chocolate is recommended for ganache. Yes, you can use milk chocolate but the chocolate ganache topping will be softer. You can also reduce the cream to 1/3 cup to help.

Nutrition