It’s always a white Christmas with my white Christmas cracker candy ~ a frosty variation on everybody’s favorite holiday treat. This easy candy recipe is a guaranteed hit!
White Christmas Cracker Candy
Is the office party or cookie exchange coming up? White Christmas cracker candy, aka Saltine toffee, or Christmas Crack, is a simple but totally irresistible treat and a creative way to use simple pantry ingredients to create a delicious and easy-to-make dessert. It’s a fun way to inject some holiday spirit into your life without hauling out the rolling pins and cookie cutters. This recipe is a pretty white version of a classic Christmas crack.
Grab the nearest baking sheet and a roll of foil and let’s get going!
Christmas cracker candy ingredients
- Saltines
- the Saltines form the crunchy, salty base of the candy. You can experiment with other crackers like graham crackers, Ritz crackers, or gingersnaps, etc. I’ve even heard of people using mini pretzels as the base.
- brown sugar
- I use golden brown sugar.
- salted butter
- salted butter is preferred, but if you only have unsalted butter, that’s fine.
- vanilla
- as always, vanilla brings out all the flavors.
- salt
- salt is a key element in this flavor profile.
- white chocolate
- chopped white bar chocolate or white candy melts will work~ just sprinkle it over the hot caramel crackers and it will melt in minutes to allow you to spread it into a smooth silky chocolate topping. I don’t recommend using white chocolate chips because I find they don’t melt as well.
- pecans
- toasted, of course! These add a little sophistication to our Christmas cracker candy. You can leave the nuts off, or substitute your favorite type. Walnuts, peanuts, or pistachios would be great.
- Christmas candy and sprinkles
- the final holiday touch! Use a different candy or leave them off, it’s your call. You can also use holiday sprinkles. If you’ve got peppermint chips leftover from my Peppermint Shortbread Cookies, use them!
how to make Christmas cracker candy step by step
This is easy, but follow directions carefully; the details matter. You’ll need a standard half sheet baking pan and some foil or a silicone pan liner to keep the candy from sticking. Have everything ready and measured before you start, this goes fast!
step 1. Prep pan and arrange Saltine crackers over surface
Line your baking pan completely with foil, then spray with nonstick spray. Arrange Saltines in a single layer over the entire surface. Break crackers to fit gaps if necessary.
step 2. Pour hot caramel over the crackers, spread gently to the edges and briefly bake
Brown sugar and butter, melted and brought to a boil in a saucepan, gets poured all over the salty crackers. Yum, can we just stop here??
step 3. Add chopped white chocolate over the hot caramel layer
Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the hot caramel and let sit for 3 minutes. This allows it to melt.
step 4. Spread the chocolate out
Take an offset spatula and spread the now melted chocolate into a creamy layer across the pan. If, for any reason your chocolate hasn’t fully melted, pop the pan in the oven to rewarm it.
step 5. Top with toasted pecans and holiday candy
Sprinkle across the warm chocolate and gently press down to make sure the toppings adhere well to the surface, otherwise they may pop off when you remove the foil or slice your Christmas cracker candy.
step 6. Let the cracker candy set up before slicing into pieces
Let the candy cool to room temperature, then you can refrigerate until chilled and firm. This happens fairly quickly because the candy is thin, but you can also leave it overnight. Remove the whole slab from the pan (it will be stiff) and carefully peel off the foil. Slice into pieces. I find it cuts easily into squares with a large knife.
why this easy holiday treat works!
White chocolate Christmas crack is a wildly popular candy that requires no special skills or tools to make.
This candy is one of those recipes that turns out way better than you’d think, trust me!
The combination of textures plus the sweet and salty flavors makes this candy truly irresistible.
It’s made on a sheet pan and so you can count on a minimum of 24 servings.
how to store and freeze your Christmas cracker candy
After slicing you can enjoy your candy right away, or store it back in the refrigerator. I like it best chilled, anyway. It will keep for a week in the refrigerator and can be frozen if carefully packaged in a freezer safe container with waxed paper between layers.
tips and tricks for Christmas cracker candy
Be sure to spray your foil (or use special non-stick foil.) This is to ensure that you can peel the foil off the candy after it has hardened up. Nobody wants a mouthful of foil!
Be sure to cover the entire surface of your pan with Saltines, even if you have to break some to fill in gaps. You need to completely cover the surface of the pan to form a sturdy base for the hot caramel.
I find using chopped white chocolate to be the tastiest and best way to top this candy, but you can also use white bark or melting wafers which is less expensive and formulated to melt easily. I don’t recommend using white chocolate baking chips because they don’t melt easily or completely.
Instead of adding chocolate to the toffee to melt, you can melt it separately and spread it over the candy. This technique helps when using white chocolate, which can be finicky to melt. Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power.
It’s important to gently press your candy and sprinkle toppings into the white chocolate so they adhere. Otherwise they will pop off when you try to slice your Christmas crack.
Be sure to chill your Saltine toffee completely before you try to remove it from the foil to slice it. The candy should be nice and stiff, which is good because you will have to stand it on its side to remove the foil.
related: Easter Cracker Candy
White Christmas Cracker Candy
Equipment
- standard half sheet baking pan This is the one I use.
- non-stick or regular foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 50 Saltine crackers
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed.
- 1 cup salted butter (that's 2 sticks)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 ounces white chocolate, or white candy melts, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans*, chopped
- holiday sprinkles and candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a standard half sheet baking pan completely with foil. Spray with nonstick spray.
- Arrange Saltines across the pan in a single layer. You want to cover the whole surface of the pan, so break crackers to fill in as needed.
- In a medium saucepan heat the butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar. The butter and sugar will seem to separate at this point, that's fine. Bring to a full boil, stirring often. Once it has come to a full boil let it boil for one minute (set a timer or check the clock.) Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the hot caramel over the crackers, and gently spread out with an offset spatula. Be careful not to dislodge the crackers. The caramel will start to set up quickly, so don't delay this step.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Immediately scatter the chopped white chocolate evenly over the hot caramel. Let sit for 3 minutes.
- Gently run a clean offset spatula over the chips to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface. If for any reason your chocolate isn't melting, put the pan back in the (turned off) oven for a couple of minutes to heat it up and try again.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans and M&M's over the warm chocolate. Press in gently so they adhere well.
- Let the candy cool at room temperature. Then put the tray in the refrigerator for an hour or two to get completely chilled and firm. I left mine overnight, but that's not necessary.
- Lift out the candy from the pan ~ it should be a stiff sheet at this point. Carefully peel the foil from the bottom of the candy.
- Use a large knife to cut your candy into squares.
- Your Christmas cracker candy is safe to keep at room temperature for a few days but it's much better when chilled. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week. Freeze for longer storage.
My family and friends loved it! Thanks for sharing this easy yet delicious treat
This was a big hit at my family Christmas party. It was delicious!
I’m so glad, thanks Patty. I already made a note to make a new version next year, we love it too!