Description
Christmas Crack Cookies are a festive, irresistible treat featuring a salty-sweet base of saltine crackers topped with a rich caramelized brown sugar and butter toffee layer, and finished with a smooth, melted chocolate topping. These easy-to-make crackers are perfect for holiday gatherings and combine crunchy textures with gooey sweetness and a hint of sea salt or sprinkles for added flair.
Ingredients
Scale
Cracker Base
- 1 sleeve of saltine crackers (about 40 crackers)
Caramel Toffee Layer
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt or sprinkles for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Arrange Crackers: Lay out the saltine crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring the entire surface is covered with crackers side by side.
- Prepare Brown Sugar Mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine the unsalted butter and packed light brown sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, then allow it to boil for 3 minutes without stirring to develop a rich toffee flavor and proper consistency.
- Coat Crackers: Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully pour the hot brown sugar mixture evenly over the layer of saltine crackers. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly if necessary, making sure all crackers are coated.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the brown sugar mixture is bubbling and starting to caramelize on top of the crackers.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee layer. Let the chocolate chips sit for about 5 minutes to melt from the heat of the toffee, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the entire surface.
- Garnish: Sprinkle sea salt or festive sprinkles on top of the melted chocolate while it is still warm, enhancing the flavor and adding decorative appeal.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely at room temperature so that the chocolate and toffee set properly. For faster cooling, you can place the baking sheet in the refrigerator. Once fully cooled and set, break the sheet into pieces and serve.
Notes
- Using salted or unsalted butter is fine, but adjust sea salt topping accordingly.
- Be careful when pouring and spreading the hot brown sugar mixture to avoid burns.
- To ensure even melting, use good-quality chocolate chips.
- You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Refrigeration after cooling is optional but helps the cookies set faster.
