This saltine cracker toffee is one of those recipes that instantly gets me in the holiday spirit. With layers of buttery toffee, melted chocolate, and crunchy crackers and pecans, it's the sweet-and-salty bite I come back to year after year and bonus: it doesn't require a candy thermometer to make it!
As someone who's developed and tested thousands of recipes, including ones for Christmas with Southern Living, and someone who worked at River Street Sweets in college, you may say I know a thing or two about sweets. Trust me when I say this is THE simple stovetop treat that delivers every time.
Growing up my grandmother, Mema, used to make a similar version with graham crackers, and everyone always went nuts over it. This saltine twist keeps the spirit of her recipe while making it more of a salty-sweet treat. (One of my favorite flavor contrasts.)
Here's what I love most about this recipe: this homemade candy doesn't require complicated steps or even a candy thermometer so it's wonderfully approachable. It's a natural fit for Christmas gifts, cookie trays, game days, or celebrations of all kinds, and it's one of those treats people quietly hope you'll bring again.
Are you looking for more homemade gift ideas? You're in luck. Check out my Southern cheese straws, Christmas white chocolate chex mix, doo dads snack mix, and Southern chow chow relish.
Need even more? Make a barbecue gift bundle with my desert heat bbq rub, Alabama white bbq sauce, Carolina gold bbq sauce recipe, and Western North Carolina bbq sauce.
Ready to get to that homemade toffee? Let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this saltine toffee recipe:
- saltine crackers
- salted butter
- light brown sugar
- dark chocolate chips
- chopped toasted pecans
- flaky sea salt
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, arrange the saltines in a single layer on a parchment paper and aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Then, combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once bubbles begin to form around the edges, cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Next, immediately pour the brown sugar mixture over the saltines and spread to cover. Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Finally, remove the baking pan from the oven and sprinkle the top of saltines with the chocolate chips. Let stand until melted and then spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with the pecans and sea salt and let stand until firm. Break into pieces and serve.
Hint: To speed up the firming up process, pop the toffee in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened.
Substitutions
Check out these substitution ideas in case you need to make some adjustments:
- Saltine crackers - Any salted cracker will work great for this recipe, including Ritz crackers or even matzah. Or, use graham crackers like my grandmother did.
- Dark chocolate chips - Personally, I love bittersweet chocolate, but feel free to use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer.
- Pecans - Instead of pecans, try walnuts, almonds, peanuts, or leave them out entirely for a nut-free version.
- Salted butter - If you only have unsalted butter, that's okay. Just add a pinch of salt to the toffee.
Variations
This recipe is so versatile. Here are some variations:
- Spicy - This one's a little unexpected--add a little cayenne pepper to the toffee mixture as it bubbles for a surprising spicy hint.
- Biscoff Toffee - I'm a sucker for Biscoff cookies. They would be great as the base instead of saltines.
- White Chocolate Cranberry Toffee - For an elegant, festive twist, use white chocolate chips and dried cranberries on the top. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for a pop of green color.
- Peppermint Toffee - Love candy cane bark? Marry that idea with this toffee and sprinkle some crushed peppermints or candy canes on top of the melted chocolate instead of nuts.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- large rimmed baking sheet
- dry measuring cup
- chef's knife
- small saucepan
- small offset spatula
Storage
Room temperature: Store the toffee in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.
Refrigerate: Transfer the toffee to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Let it stand at room temperature before serving.
Freeze: To freeze, arrange the toffee in layers of parchment paper and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Tasty Tip
You really do need to line the pan with aluminum foil and parchment paper. Otherwise, you might be scraping a sticky mess off the pan.
Frequently asked questions
Not really--it's more like toffee's more festive cousin Sally. It's got the buttery, caramel-y flavor of toffee but with some additional flair from crackers and chocolate.
Nope! That's the beauty of this recipe. It's no fuss!
The sugar may have crystallized--constant stirring helps prevent this.
That's totally normal. Before baking, I press any crackers that have moved gently with a spatula to get them back to a single layer.
If the crackers are still warm, just give the chocolate a little more time to melt. Or, pop the pan back in the warm oven for a minute to speed things along.
It's not--you may have cooked it too long or at too high of heat. Cook the sugar and butter mixture over medium heat and stir constantly to prevent burning. And really do set a timer for 3 minutes of bubbling.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this saltine cracker candy:
🍽Get the recipe
How to Make the Easiest Saltine Cracker Toffee
Equipment
- large rimmed baking sheet
- dry measuring cup
- chef's knife
- small saucepan
- small offset spatula
Ingredients
- 48 saltine crackers (a little more than 1 sleeve of crackers)
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup chopped toasted pecans
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a aluminum foil and parchment paper or a silicone mat. Arrange the saltine crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once bubbles begin to form, cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Immediately pour the mixture over the saltines and spread to cover completely. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the crackers. Let stand for 5 minutes or until melted.
- Spread the chocolate evenly over the crackers. Sprinkle with the pecans and salt and let cool until hardened before breaking into large pieces.
Video
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
May says
It’s such a simple recipe, but the sweet and salty flavors are just perfect. It was a huge hit!