Saltine Toffee

Saltine toffee, affectionately known to some as “Christmas Crack”, is SO easy, so tasty, and so perfect for gifting! It’s an irresistible blend of salty and sweet, with layers of saltine crackers, homemade caramel, and your favorite chocolate. No matter your skill level, this easy recipe will have your friends and family thinking you’re a candy chef!

How to Make This Recipe

Lay out the Saltines.

Depending on the size of your pan and the amount of toffee you’re making, you may need to use more than one pan. Whatever you do, stack or overlap the crackers! Make sure they’re arranged on the aluminum foil in a single, even layer. I do place mine so that they touch – that way you don’t end up with layers of chocolate and caramel without a saltine base.

Make the Caramel Layer.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan, then whisk in your brown sugar. Keep whisking while you bring the mixture to a boil, making sure that all the sugar is dissolved and incorporated into the melted butter. Keep a close eye on the mixture once it starts boiling, and take it off the heat as soon as it’s a light caramel color.

Carefully pour the caramel over the layer of saltine crackers, making sure the caramel layer is as even as possible.

Add the chocolate layer.

After baking the caramel-covered crackers for a few minutes, the caramel layer should be nice and bubbly. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the caramel before it has time to cool at all. That heat will melt the chocolate chips enough that you can spread them out into a full layer of chocolate. While that layer is still melty, sprinkle crushed saltines across the top.

let it cool.

Once all your layers are in place, pop the pans in the fridge or freezer until everything’s fully set. You can leave the saltine toffee to cool at room temperature if you’re short on fridge space (holidays, amirite?) but it’ll take a little longer to set up. Once it has set up, though, break or cut the sheet of toffee into pieces as large or as small as you like. Serve them at room temperature and enjoy!

What I Love About This Recipe

• The flavors in saltine toffee are, ugh, so dreamy and irresistible. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the very best blends of salty and sweet. On paper it makes total sense, even if it does seem a little “too simple to be true”. Butter + salt + chocolate + brown sugar = a no brainer combo, right? In reality, though, it’s somehow even better than you could imagine, with a delicious crunch and a deep, caramel-y richness slathered in silky chocolate.
• One of my favorite “uses” for saltine toffee? Holiday gifts! You’ve probably heard this snack called “Christmas Crack” before, and it comes by that name pretty honestly. I mean, we talked about the flavor already, so I’m sure you can figure out the “crack” comparison. It’s also almost-embarrassingly easy to make (not to mention budget-friendly!) and it makes , so it’s a fantastic option for edible holiday gifts! So next time you’re panicking over what to get your mailman or your child’s teacher or your cousin’s new boyfriend who you just found out will be at this year’s family Christmas, just whip up a batch of saltine toffee, package it up super cute, and call it a day.

Recipe Variations

• Brown Sugar: For a richer flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of light.
• Toppings: Feel free to swap out the crushed saltines with finely chopped toasted or glazed pecans. A little flake salt would be nice, too, but be careful not to overdo it!