You've probably heard of cracker toffee. It was very popular years ago because it is so easy to make and tastes delicious! Although I haven't seen it talked about in a while, I thought I would put my own spin on it and make it festive for St. Patrick's Day!
You can certainly decorate in any way you want, but let me tell you that this flavor combination is so good! It's surprisingly good!
Making cracker toffee is super simple and you don't even need a candy thermometer! So, if you aren't a candy maker, this is a great recipe to try out.
When I told my friends in the food world that I was going to combine cracker toffee with mint, they thought I had gone mad. Mint doesn't go with caramel, they said. I was even challenged with finding a recipe that combined mint with caramel and guess what? I couldn't find one!
I also had my doubts, so if you are questioning it, I don't blame you one bit. However, I went forward with the recipe anyway and when Jeff and I tasted it for the first time, our eyes got big and we both said, "WOW, that's good!"
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cracker Toffee Ingredients
Crackers
I used saltine crackers in this recipe which is traditional in a saltine cracker toffee recipe, but you can also use a butter cracker like Ritz.
If you are in the UK, you can use cream crackers or water crackers. These don't have the salt that saltines have, so add a touch of salt to the butter and brown sugar mixture.
Any thin cracker will work fine, but you don't want it to be too soft, like a club cracker, which will absorb the butter and brown sugar mixture too quickly.
Brown Sugar & Butter
You can use light or dark brown sugar and salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I have not tried using a brown sugar substitute like Swerve, so I do not know if the results would be the same or not. If you try it, please let me know.
Chocolate
I used dark chocolate chips in this recipe, but semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips will work the same. You can even use white chocolate, if you prefer.
Toppings
This is where the fun begins! You can mix and match your toppings to create your own original version of cracker toffee. Decorate it according to the holiday season you are celebrating and have fun!
Since this version is for St. Patrick's day, I used mint oreos, mint M&M's, tiny marshmallows, green sugar confetti and sprinkles, and gold sugar beads. This was the perfect combination of flavors!
However, you can omit anything you don't like or can't find. This is one of those recipes where it simply doesn't matter what you put on top. As long as they are flavors you like and the textures aren't too hard, it will be fantastic!
How to Make Cracker Toffee
Put a tiny bit of butter (I use the wrapper from the butter I put in the pan to melt) in each corner of a 9x13 pan. This helps the parchment paper adhere easily and stay put. If you are using aluminum foil, lightly coat the foil on top with butter.
Preheat the oven on 325℉/160℃.
Place the crackers in a single layer on the pan. Set aside and make the toffee mixture.
In a small to medium sized saucepan (mine was about 1.5 quarts), heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. The butter and brown sugar will start to melt and you want to stir frequently. You may see the butter separate from the brown sugar, that is fine, just keep stirring. That happens because the butter is melting faster than the brown sugar. If you see the butter browning, turn your heat down.
Once the brown sugar has completely melted and incorporated with the butter, bring the mixture to a boil. You can turn up your heat to medium high if needed. Once you see large bubbles across the top of the mixture, let it boil for 2-3 minutes. If at anytime you smell burning butter or sugar, turn the heat down.
Once the mixture has boiled for 2-3 minutes, turn the stove off and carefully pour the hot toffee over the crackers.
I like to start in the middle and away from the edges so I can spread the caramel mixture towards the edges of the crackers without too much going over the sides.
Bake in a preheated oven on 325℉/160℃ for 8-10 minutes or until you see the caramel bubbling across the top of the saltine crackers. It's actually a fun process to watch. As the sugar and butter mixture gets hotter, it begins to lift the crackers up and down as it bubbles.
This allows the caramel mixture to get under the crackers, so when it cools, you have the bottom layer of toffee, a layer of crispy crackers, another layer of toffee and then rich chocolate and your toppings. It's amazing!
Once you have even bubbling across the top of the crackers, it's ready to top with chocolate. Grab oven mitts to remove the tray and watch the toffee, it's hot!
Place the tray on your cutting board or on a cooling rack.
Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips in an even layer over the top of the toffee layer so the heat from the toffee melts the chips. Cover with foil or another baking pan. Let sit 4-5 minutes and remove the cover. Don't be alarmed that the chocolate chips look almost the same, they are going to melt into a nice layer of chocolate as we spread them out.
Using an offset spatula or another type of spreader, spread the chocolate chips over the top so the toffee is covered in chocolate. Don't worry if it's smooth or not, we will cover it up with the candy and cookies!
Immediately after spreading the chocolate, begin topping with whatever toppings you are using. I broke the oreo cookies into 4 pieces and threw them on in different places. Try not to be particular about placement, this is not the time let your OCD come out. I struggle with that myself, but I know from experience, it's easier to just throw the toppings on and let them land where they will land. It always looks perfect! If you take too much time to add the toppings, your chocolate will set and the toppings won't adhere.
Once you put them all on, pop the tray in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes or until the chocolate sets. Remove from the refrigerator and pull the parchment off the baking sheet with the candy. Let it sit for a few minutes before breaking it into pieces for serving. I found that if I broke it right away, my M&M's were too brittle and they broke off.
Let the cracker toffee come to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container. It will stay good on the counter for 2-3 days before it starts to soften and I've kept in the fridge for a week.
Toppings for Various Holidays
No matter what holiday, occasion, or type of event you are decorating for, you will want to use 1½-2 cups of toppings for a 9x13 pan. Limit the smaller toppings like sprinkles or edible beads to about 1-2 Tablespoons so your decoration isn't too busy.
What you want to go for is a good combination of small sprinkles or glitter with slightly bigger candy like M&M's, and then a large chunk of something that is broken so it provides good texture and height, like the broken Oreo cookies.
New Years Eve Cracker Toffee
Start with the the base cracker toffee recipe and top with any or all of the following toppings. When you choose your toppings, consider both color, texture, and flavor. I like to combine crunchy with soft toppings.
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate
- Top with silver and gold sprinkles in various shapes and sizes. Here is one I found on Amazon: New Year Sprinkles
- White chocolate mini pretzels
- Oreo cookies
- For a pop of red color add some sweetened dried cranberries!
- Mini marshmallows
Valentines Day Cracker Toffee
- Candy Hearts with writing
- Valentine's Day Sprinkles
- Mini marshmallows
- Pink & White M&M's
- Strawberry Creme Wafer Cookies
Saint Patrick's Day Cracker Toffee
This is the version I made, but I skipped the Lucky Charms cereal.
- Mint Oreo Cookies
- Mint M&M's
- Gold Sugar Beads
- Mini marshmallows
- Green Sprinkles and Confetti
- Lucky Charms Cereal
Easter Cracker Toffee
With all the different kinds of Easter Candy out, you can really get creative with this one!
- Drizzle with White Chocolate to brighten the top up
- Bunny shaped mini marshmallows
- Robin Eggs with malted centers
- Pastel M&M's
- Jelly Beans
- Easter confetti
Halloween Cracker Toffee
This one is a fun one!
- Double Stuff Oreos
- Reese's Pieces
- Halloween confetti sprinkles
- Butterfinger Candy bar broken into pieces
- Mini marshmallows
- Any kind of candy bars broken up that you like
Thanksgiving Cracker Toffee
I might consider switching out the saltines for graham crackers for this holiday themed cracker toffee. The warm spices in the graham crackers just fit the holiday.
- Edible fall leaves confetti
- Reese's Pieces
- Mini Marshmallows
- Candy corn
- Nutter Butter Cookies broken in pieces
- Candied Toffee bits
Christmas Cracker Toffee
There are so many different toppings I can think of for this one, but here are a few at the top of my list!
- Broken Candy Canes
- Mini marshmallows
- Christmas snowflake confetti
- Toasted nuts
- Candy Cane kisses broken into pieces
- Rolo candy
Red White & Blue Cracker Toffee
This version is perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day celebrations.
- Chips Ahoy Red Velvet cookies
- Patriotic Red White & Blue edible confetti
- Red White & Blue M&M's
- Mini marshmallows
- Coconut Flakes
Don't forget to make a version for your favorite sports team for tailgating or whip up a batch for birthday celebrations!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Base the ingredients on your pan size. I used a 9x13 pan, which is considered a quarter sheet pan. If you have a half sheet pan, double the ingredients.
Anything larger than that, you will want to change the pot you make the toffee mixture in. I would choose a sauté pan over a saucepan so that you have a more shallow layer of ingredients that will allow them to cook faster and more evenly.
Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. After that, it does lose its freshness. The most important thing is to make sure that it has cooled completely before wrapping in plastic wrap or putting it in a airtight freezer container.
More Dessert Recipes!
I love making different kinds of candy and finger desserts and, if you do too, you are going to LOVE these recipes!
Holiday Cracker Toffee Recipe
Equipment
- 9x13 pan
Ingredients
- 20-24 Saltine crackers about ¾ of sleeve
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 cup chocolate chips dark, semi sweet, or milk chocolate
St. Patrick's Day Toppings
- 4 mint Oreos
- ⅓ cup mint M&M's
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- 1 Tablespoon gold sugar pearls
- 1 Tablespoon green colored edible confetti sprinkles
Instructions
- Put a small amount of butter in the corners of a 9x13 pan. Place a piece parchment into the pan and press it down. The butter holds it in place. If you want to use foil, butter the top of the foil to prevent sticking.
- Line the prepared tray with saltine crackers.20-24 Saltine crackers
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Gather and measure out your toppings and have them ready to go.
- In a 1.5-2 quart saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir frequently. The butter may look like it's separating, but just keep stirring and heating it up and it will come together.½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil (turn up the heat if needed) and boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn the stove off and carefully pour the hot caramel over the saltine crackers. Spread it out in an even layer.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until you see the entire top covered in bubbles from the caramel.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Cover with foil or another baking pan and let sit for 4 minutes.1 cup chocolate chips
- Remove the cover and spread the chocolate in an even layer.
- Break up the mint Oreos into 4-6 pieces per cookie and place them on top of the chocolate. Spread them out some but don't worry too much about placement.4 mint Oreos
- Add the M&M's to the top and then mini marshmallows. Top with sugar pearls and sprinkles. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour.⅓ cup mint M&M's, ½ cup mini marshmallows, 1 Tablespoon gold sugar pearls, 1 Tablespoon green colored edible confetti sprinkles
- Once the chocolate has set, remove the parchment and the toffee from the tray and break it into pieces. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
ABOUT THE RECIPE AUTHOR, LOUISE LONG
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and getting the most out of the Ninja Foodi.
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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