Hamdi Saidani Pioneer Woman Christmas Cracker Candy coats a sheet pan of saltine crackers in homemade toffee, melted semi-sweet chocolate spiked with Nutella, and a pile of Christmas sprinkles, candy, and toasted almonds. It’s crunchy, salty-sweet, and takes only about 15 minutes of hands-on work.
You’ll hear people call this saltine cracker toffee or Christmas crack, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why it disappears so fast. One batch gives you 16 to 20 pieces to break up and bag for gifts.
Why Saltine Crackers Work Best
Saltine crackers have square corners that fit together snugly on a sheet pan with almost no gaps. That means the toffee stays on top of the crackers instead of pooling on the foil underneath. Their light saltiness is what gives this cracker candy that addictive salty-sweet balance.
Club crackers, graham crackers, or matzos all work as backups. Stay away from round buttery crackers, though. Too many gaps between them and the toffee just runs right through.
How To Get the Toffee Right
The butter and brown sugar mixture needs to hit 300°F on a candy thermometer for a hard, snappy toffee layer. If you don’t have a thermometer, let the mixture boil for a full five minutes. Pulling it off too early is the reason cracker toffee sometimes turns out soft and chewy instead of crisp.
Pour the toffee over the crackers the second you pull the pan off the heat. It sets up fast, and if you wait too long it’ll turn into a clump in the saucepan instead of spreading across the sheet.
Christmas Cracker Candy Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 sleeve salted saltine crackers (about 45)
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
- 1 cup Christmas sprinkles, red and green M&M’s, and chopped Christmas candy
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
How To Make Pioneer Woman Christmas Cracker Candy
- Prep the Pan: Line a rimmed half-sheet pan completely with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer over the whole pan, breaking crackers in half as needed to fill the gaps.
- Make the Toffee: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil until it forms an amber caramel and hits 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour the mixture over the crackers immediately. Spread it into an even layer.
- Melt the Chocolate: Heat the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Stir in the chocolate-hazelnut spread and microwave 15 seconds more until everything is silky.
- Layer and Top: Pour the chocolate mixture over the toffee crackers and spread it into an even layer. Scatter the sprinkles, chopped candy, and toasted almonds over the top while the chocolate is still wet.
- Chill and Break: Refrigerate the pan until everything is completely set, about 2 hours. Carefully peel off the foil and break the cracker candy into jagged pieces.
What Toppings To Use
The recipe calls for Christmas sprinkles, M&M’s, chopped candy, and toasted almonds, but you can swap in whatever you like. Crushed pretzels, peppermint pieces, pistachios, pecans, or crushed chocolate sandwich cookies all work great on top of this Christmas candy.
Change the sprinkle colors and candy for any holiday. Pastels for Easter, red and blue for the Fourth of July, or pinks and reds for Valentine’s Day. The toffee and chocolate base stays exactly the same.
Why Is My Cracker Candy Soft
Soft cracker candy almost always means the toffee didn’t cook long enough. The butter and sugar need to reach 300°F, which is the hard-crack stage. If you pulled the pot off the heat before it got there, the toffee stays bendy instead of snapping when you break it.
A candy thermometer takes all the guesswork out, but if you don’t have one, watch for the mixture to turn a deep amber color and boil hard for at least five minutes before you pour it.
Can You Freeze Christmas Cracker Candy
This Christmas crack freezes really well. Layer the pieces between parchment paper in a zip-top bag or airtight container, and it’ll keep for up to a month. Let the pieces come to room temperature before serving so the chocolate doesn’t look dull or feel waxy.
If you’re making it for gifts, you can prep a big batch weeks ahead and just pull pieces out of the freezer when you need them. Tie a few into cellophane bags with ribbon and they’re ready to hand out.
How To Store
Keep Christmas cracker candy in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to one week. The toffee stays crunchy as long as moisture doesn’t get in, so seal the container well. For longer storage, freeze for up to one month with parchment between the layers.
Nutrition
- Calories: 326 kcal
- Total Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 26 mg
- Sodium: 18 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 31 g
- Protein: 2 g
Try More Recipes
Pioneer Woman Christmas Cracker Candy
Description
Pioneer Woman Christmas Cracker Candy coats a sheet pan of saltine crackers in homemade toffee, melted semi-sweet chocolate spiked with Nutella, and a pile of Christmas sprinkles, candy, and toasted almonds. It’s crunchy, salty-sweet, and takes only about 15 minutes of hands-on work.
You’ll hear people call this saltine cracker toffee or Christmas crack, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why it disappears so fast. One batch gives you 16 to 20 pieces to break up and bag for gifts.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep the Pan: Line a rimmed half-sheet pan completely with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer over the whole pan, breaking crackers in half as needed to fill the gaps.
- Make the Toffee: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil until it forms an amber caramel and hits 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour the mixture over the crackers immediately. Spread it into an even layer.
- Melt the Chocolate: Heat the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Stir in the chocolate-hazelnut spread and microwave 15 seconds more until everything is silky.
- Layer and Top: Pour the chocolate mixture over the toffee crackers and spread it into an even layer. Scatter the sprinkles, chopped candy, and toasted almonds over the top while the chocolate is still wet.
- Chill and Break: Refrigerate the pan until everything is completely set, about 2 hours. Carefully peel off the foil and break the cracker candy into jagged pieces.
