Everything is better during the holiday season when family and friends can be shared with homemade edibles. A sure crowd-pleaser, one Christmas Crack recipe! It is a sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolate dessert that people love for a reason. It is beyond delicious and super easy to make, only requiring a few items that are staples in the pantry, such as saltine crackers, brown sugar, and chocolate chips.
Learn how to make this deliciously crunchy Christmas Crack dessert and take tips on customizing flavors and topping options to add an irresistible wintery touch.
What Is Christmas Crack?
A flawless combination of sweet and salty, Christmas Crack is named this way as it tastes too “crack-able” and irresistible! The dessert also has a bottom layer of crumbled saltine crackers that are dredged in caramel sauce, baked, and finally drizzled with melted chocolate. The bark-like snack is then chilled and crushed into bite-sized, crunchy pieces.
It is the ideal Christmas present, a treat to bring to cookie exchanges or a snack consumed whilst watching your favourite Christmas films.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this easy Christmas Crack recipe, stir up the following list of ingredients and equipment:
Ingredients
- Saltine crackers – The basis of this dish. Their crunch is both salty and definitely goes well with the sweet caramel and the chocolate..
- Brown sugar – To create the buttery, gooey caramel on top
- Butter – Sugar added makes the toffee-like caramel.
- Chocolate chips – The dark and semi-sweet chocolates equally apply to the top layer.
- Vanilla extract – Amplifies and rounds out caramel.
- Toppings – Imagine chopped pecans, holiday sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or white chocolate drizzles. Not necessary, but strongly advisable!
Tools
- Baking sheet – Jelly roll pan is most preferred as the raised edges contain the caramel in place.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat – No stick, stick and clean up easily.
- Candy thermometer (optional) – Handy to bring about the ideal caramel consistency.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Christmas Crack
Step 1: Prep Your Baking Sheet
Lay down parchment paper or common silicone baking sheets to avoid sticking. Place a single layer of saltine crackers on the sheet, edge to edge, dispersing them as evenly as possible, making sure that the sheet is covered.
Step 2: Make the Caramel
In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar on medium heat and mix continuously until it boils. Still boil 3-5 min or till the caramel becomes thick and glossy. When you have a candy thermometer, target 270-290 o Fahrenheit. Turn off the stove and add vanilla extract to the saucepan by stirring the mixture.
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Step 3: Coat the Crackers
Pour the hot caramel on equal saltine crackers. Spread it out with a spatula on all crackers so that all of them are covered.
Step 4: Bake
Put the baking sheet into the heated oven (350 Fahrenheit) for 5-7 minutes. The caramel must just start bubbling up a bit- this is how it sticks to the crackers and creates that crunch it should have.
Step 5: Add the Chocolate
Take the baking sheet out of the oven, and even before the caramel layer stops bubbling, sprinkle the chocolate chips on it. Wait one or two minutes until the chocolate melts, and then paint it on the spatula to an even layer.
Step 6: Add Toppings
And here is the fun part! Sprinkle your favorite festive toppings on it, it is still warm. Candy canes will be crushed, pecans chopped or even almonds slivered, or colorful sprinkles create a flavor and flair.
Step 7: Cool and Break
Let Christmas Crack cool down. Speed it up in the refrigerator, where you can put the baking sheet to cool down in a few minutes, around 30 minutes. When it sets, crumble it with your hands and eat it!
Tips for Perfecting Christmas Crack
To learn Christmas Crack, we have to remember just a few tips:
- Don’t rush the caramel. Keep on stirring to prevent burns as it boils, and ensure that it is thickened before pouring it over the crackers
- Work quickly with chocolate. Add chocolate chips right after baking is done so that they will melt with ease.
- Use nonstick materials. We recommend parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to avoid sticking you do not want to be scraping off caramel that is too stubborn to come off your pan!
- Experiment with crackers. The saltine crackers are classic, or you can use graham crackers or the buttery Ritz crackers and have fun with them.
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Creative Decorating Variations
Christmas Crack is already a yummy treat, but why not make it more special by drying these decorating ideas:
- Candy cane crunch: Add a candy cane cool factor with the sprinkling of candy canes.
- Drizzled white chocolate: When the chocolate layer has dried, drizzle melted white chocolate as a finishing festive look
- Holiday sprinkles: Put in red and green, and gold sprinkles to suit the season.
- Nutty delight: Sprinkle over with chopped pecans, slivered almonds, or even crushed Reese peanut butter chips to add a little crunch.
Flavor Variations
Feeling adventurous? The following are some of the methods of changing the taste of this recipe:
- Peanut butter swirl: Add in dollops of melted peanut butter to the chocolate layer and swirl with a toothpick.
- Toffee bits: Add some toffee pieces on top of the chocolate as an added crunch.
- Caramel popcorn twist: Your toppings should include a mix of caramel puff popcorn together, a delicious combination.
- Dark chocolate sea salt: To take them up a notch, use dark chocolate chips and sprinkle on flaky sea salt.
Why Christmas Crack Makes a Perfect Holiday Gift
Christmas Crack makes an excellent holiday gift as it is easy to prepare and can be easily adapted. Unlike the sweets given in a box of candy, Christmas Crack is a tasty treat that everybody adores. Put in cellophane bags with colourful ribbons and a handmade tag to make an imaginative (and tasty) gift. It is also awesome in cookie swaps or on a Christmas Dessert Board with other Christmas-time favorites like cookies and cheesecake toppings.
Try This Recipe and Share the Joy!
Having learned how to make Christmas Crack, you only need to start baking! It is such an easy and delicious recipe that it will be your new favorite holiday staple. Line up the ingredients, get out a baking sheet, and turn boring saltine crackers into the best Christmas goodie.
Or don’t be afraid to get creative with toppings and send your variations to us. What we would like to know is how your Christmas went.
