Christmas Crack. Imagine all of the deliciousness of toffee, topped with chocolate and pecans; once you make this toffee bark and crack it into pieces, you simply can’t stop munching!
This is one of my absolute favorite treats to make for the holidays!
It takes just minutes to prep and the results are so incredibly delicious that no one can resist eating several chunks.
© SpendWithPennies.com
A quick stovetop toffee is poured over buttery Ritz crackers and coated in chocolate and topped with pecans. Once cooled, it is cracked into chunks and ready to be enjoyed!
I have made this recipe two ways, with Ritz Crackers and Saltines, both ways are fabulous. You could substitute the pecans for the nuts of your choice; I have a feeling cashews or pistachios would make a yummy addition to the toffee, chocolate, and cracker combination!
This Ritz Cracker Toffee is made on a foil lined pan, making clean up as simple as can be! Be sure to butter your foil well to keep everything from sticking (or you can buy non-stick foil).
Considering how easy this treat is to make and eat, you will want to make several batches of this Christmas Crack to share with your friends and neighbors. It keeps perfectly at room temperature so is the perfect gift to pack up and spread delicious holiday cheer!
Recipe Notes:
I have been making this recipe for more years than I can count exactly as written below. A few readers have had trouble with their toffee being sticky or not setting quite right. While I’ve never had my toffee not set, there are many variables that can cause this.
If you have trouble with your toffee setting, my friend Meggan over at Culinary Hill suggests the use a candy thermometer to ensure your toffee reaches 270-290 degrees before pouring over the crackers.
Chocolate Chips should melt when heated however if you have trouble with them melting, you can melt them at 50% power in the microwave. If your oven is too hot, the chocolate can seize instead of melting. You’ll want your toffee to sit for about 1 minute before adding the chocolate.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 54 Ritz Crackers (or saltines)
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line an 11x17 pan with foil and grease the foil well. Line with crackers.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let come to a rolling boil for 3 minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, DO NOT STIR. (Your toffee should reach 270-290°F with a candy thermometer)
- Pour brown sugar mixture over the crackers. Bake 4 minutes. Turn the oven off.
- Remove from the oven and wait 1 minute. Pour chocolate chips over the top and let sit 4 minutes or until chocolate is soft (or place 1 minute in the warm oven). Spread chocolate evenly and sprinkle pecans on top.
- Cool on the counter slightly and then place into the freezer to cool completely. Break into pieces.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Candy, Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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HI Holly! I love the name of these treats – Pecan Christmas Crack is awesome!! My sister-in-law would always make a similar holiday cookie with saltines, toffee and chocolate. It was soo GOOD! This looks even better! I pinned it and about 10 other Christmas cookie recipes you have – they all look amazing!
Thank you for sharing Holly!! :) The saltine one is so good too!!
Is parchment paper instead of tinfoil with that eliminate the need to grease or butter the foil?
I haven’t tried it myself but other readers have said that it works well. Please let us know if you do try it!
Holly, can you use light brown sugar for the Christmas Crack?
Yes that will work just fine.
Not sure what I did. Followed the recipe and mine was very runny with the sugar and butter mix. I used 2 sticks of margarine and seemed like too much. Left it boil for a little over 3 minutes. After putting the chocolate chips on and letting it sit in the oven another minute and brought it back out it was so runny. It did harden in the freezer, but if you lift the whole thing; underneath its just a like a buttery mess and gooey. Wonder if it’s because i used Margarine?
Hi Dan, I would think the margarine would impact the results. I use real butter. It might seem like they are the same thing, but margarine has vegetable oil in it, as butter has milkfat. They have very different results when cooking! If you try the recipe again, grab real butter and let me know how it turns out.
I’ve seen this recipe from many sources, margarine is forbidden.
Would lining the baking sheet with parchment paper make a difference in the consistency? Seems like it would make clean up a breeze.
I’ve always lined mine with foil and buttered it. I just peel off the foil and discard.
Any way I could put the tray in the fridge instead of the freezer? My freezer is definetly not big enough
Yes, that will work perfectly.
can you use margarine instead of butter?
I have only tried this recipe as written.
The cracker cookies sound great. After freezing for the 15 – 20 minutes, can they be stored in a cookie tin at room temperature or should they be refrigerated for storage? Can’t wait to try these!
I keep them at room temperature. Enjoy!
OOps I messed up and bought Walnuts instead of pecans and the store is closed, Do you think it will work or should I wait?
It will be just as delicious!
I followed recipe, but my toffee part is a little sticky on the bottom. I was expecting it to be harder on the bottom. It is very sticky. Did I do something wrong or should it be that way? Any suggestions? Other than that is very tasty!
Mine didn’t come out sticky. Did you use butter and did you allow it to boil for the full 3 minutes at a rolling boil?
Should you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
I used unsalted, but you could use salted if you prefer.
Why unsalted?
I think the salt from the crackers is enough, but if you like your food a little saltier, you could use salted butter.
I want this recipe please
You can scroll above for the recipe.
Just made this today. Wow! Easy to make and taste absolutely awesome. Thanks for this recipe.
So glad you loved it Alex!
Love these recipes
Thank you! :) Which one has been your favorite?
Can these be made with milk chocolate chip
I’m sure that would work just fine.
My husband is vegan. Do you think coconut oil could substitute for the butter?
I have only tried it as written so I can’t say for sure. Please let us know how it works out for you if you do try it!
I just made this for my Christmas party at work tomorrow! I didn’t change a thing on the recipe, so I hope it’s hit! It sure looks good, and super easy!
Just made it and it turned out awful. I don’t know where I went wrong ☝️️
What part didn’t work out for you? Did you use butter (or margarine)? Did you let it boil on a rolling boil the full 3 minutes?
I have made this for many years. The recipe I had was in The Mail Box News, a cake decorating magazine that is no longer published. The original recipe called for graham crackers, but I started using saltine crackers instead and my family liked them so much better. You can use any chopped nuts on them and we like walnuts. Just put your baking pan into your freezer to freeze them, because that is what makes them so crispy.
Mine keep burning.
I’m using cast iron. Maybe that’s the reason. Please advise
At what temperature are you cooking them? I do mine on the middle rack at 400 degrees for 4 minutes and haven’t had any trouble with burning.
Any thought as to adjusting the recipe for high altitude? I live at 5800 feet, and toffee is difficult, but I’m hoping this might actually harden correctly. Most recipes take a bit longer so I’m wondering if I should boil the brown sugar and water longer?
Oops–I meant brown sugar and butter….
I can’t say for sure but you could certainly give it a try by adding an extra minute to the boil time. Please let us know how they turn out for you.
Thanks–I added an extra minute to the boil time, and an extra minute in the oven and it came out great. Now I have to make another batch–I ‘taste-tested” too much of it….
Great to know, thank you so much for sharing Pat! LOL, pretty hard not to just have one taste of this!