Ritz Cracker Toffee (Christmas Crack!)
Ritz Cracker Toffee is the best holiday sweet treat recipe! Made with buttery crackers, rich homemade toffee, and smooth semi sweet chocolate on top … this homemade Christmas crack is crunchy, sticky, delicious, and easy to make. Perfect to serve at holiday parties and gift throughout the season!
Salty, Sweet, & Buttery Treat
I’ve always loved all the sweet treat snacks that are made during the holiday season. You know the cinnamon sugar pretzels, snack mixes, and truffles.
But my favorite recipe of that sort has always been Christmas crack. Ugh, it so good. Addictively, irresistibly good – just as the name suggests!
This version of the classic sweet, Ritz Cracker Toffee, is so incredibly delicious.
It is layered with buttery crackers, salty sweet homemade toffee, and a luxuriously smooth chocolate toping. True crunchy, sticky, salty, and sweet perfection.
Plus this recipe is so quick and easy to make! It is great to serve at holiday parties and makes for a perfect gift during the season.
Ingredients
This easy ritz cracker toffee recipe calls for only 5 ingredients!
Ingredient Notes
- Ritz Crackers: A layer of ritz crackers is the base of this delicious treat! They add the perfect flavor and texture to contrast the other layers. You will need 35 crackers which is about 1 sleeve.
- Light Brown Sugar: The second layer of this recipe is a buttery toffee. It is made with only 2 simple ingredients – butter and light brown sugar. 3/4 cup of the sugar is all you need.
- Butter: Butter is the other half of that layer! 3/4 cup of salted butter makes for salty-sweet toffee perfection.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp vanilla extract adds extra flavor to the rich toffee.
- Chocolate: The final layer here is chocolate. All you need is 12 oz of mini chocolate chips.
- Salt: A sprinkle of salt on top of this treat is the perfect finishing touch.
Substitutions & Additions
There a few substitutions and additions you could make to this recipe for it to meet your personal preferences, tastes, or needs!
Crackers: The cracker of choice here, Ritz, is what makes it what it is. But you could replace them with a different cracker of your choice if you’d like. Like saltine crackers, which are the typical base of this Christmas time treat.
Chocolate: The semi sweet chocolate here could be swapped with any chocolate. Dark or milk chocolate chips would be fabulous!
Butter: I used salted butter here because I absolutely love the salty sweet vibe, but you could use unsalted butter instead.
Toppings: I kept this recipe quite simple, but you could totally add some of your favorite toppings to make things more fun! Christmas sprinkles, nuts, toffee bits, and shredded coconut are all great options.
Kitchen Tools
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Measuring Cups / Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
- Aluminum Foil
- Saucepan
- Rubber Spatula or Offset Spatula
- Chef Knife
How To Make This Recipe
This Christmas crack recipe is actually quite easy to make! The homemade sweat treat is made with buttery ritz crackers, a quick stovetop toffee, and a thick layer of melted chocolate.
No candy thermometer needed!
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Set the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Then arrange the Ritz crackers in a single layer on an aluminum foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Try to not leave any large spaces between the crackers.
Step 3: Next add the butter and light brown sugar to a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Melt then bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes, stirring throughout.
Step 4: Then remove the toffee mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 5: Next pour the toffee on top of the ritz crackers. Spread evenly and quickly as the toffee will begin to harden.
Step 6: Then place the baking sheet in the warm oven for 5 minutes.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the toffee. The heat from the buttery toffee will melt the chocolate chips.
Step 8: Spread the melted chocolate chips into a smooth even layer.
Step 9: Then allow the ritz cracker candy to cool down to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place the whole pan in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Step 10: Remove the toffee from fridge. Sprinkle with sea salt and use a sharp knife to cut into squares. I cut it into 24 squares.
Step 11: Serve and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. This makes for such easy cleanup!
Make sure to arrange the tray of crackers in an even, single layer with as little holes as possible.
Let the gooey caramel, toffee mixture boil for exactly 3 minutes. Otherwise the texture will not turn out as intended!
Watch the crackers in the oven. They can burn easily!
Make sure to add the chocolate chips when the toffee layer is still hot. The residual heat will melt them.
Use mini chocolate chips as they will melt best!
Add flakey salt on top of the ritz cracker chocolate toffee for the ultimate salty sweet treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to store this recipe is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If left at room temperature, the chocolate will melt!
Love this recipe? Check out some similar ones below…
Favorite Christmas Treats
Puppy Chow Chocolate Truffles
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Easy Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dip
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Cinnamon Crescent Roll Monkey Bread
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
Connect With Me!
If you make this Christmas crack recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.
Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.
Print
Ritz Cracker Toffee (Christmas Crack!)
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
Ritz Cracker Toffee is the best holiday sweet treat recipe! Made with buttery crackers, rich homemade toffee, and smooth semi sweet chocolate on top … this homemade Christmas crack is crunchy, sticky, delicious, and easy to make. Perfect to serve at holiday parties and gift throughout the season!
Ingredients
- 35 Ritz crackers, about 1 sleeve
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz semi sweet mini chocolate chips
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Set the oven to 375 degrees.
- Then arrange the Ritz crackers in a single layer on an aluminum foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Try to not leave any large spaces between the crackers.
- Next add the butter and light brown sugar to a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Melt then bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes, stirring throughout.
- Then remove the toffee mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Next pour the toffee on top of the ritz crackers. Spread evenly and quickly as the toffee will begin to harden.
- Then place the baking sheet in the warm oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the toffee. The heat from the buttery toffee will melt the chocolate chips.
- Spread the melted chocolate chips into a smooth even layer.
- Then allow the ritz cracker candy to cool down to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place the whole pan in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Remove the toffee from fridge. Sprinkle with sea salt and use a sharp knife to cut into squares. I cut it into 24 squares.
- Serve and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.
Keywords: ritz cracker toffee, Christmas crack toffee with ritz, ritz cracker toffee crack, ritz cracker toffee recipe
I had two significant problems with this recipe:
1) my chocolate chips didn’t melt to a spreadable consistency. I didn’t have mini chocolate chips on hand. I used a mixture of Nestle semi sweet and milk chocolate chips.
2) there was nothing crunchy about it. Yes, I boiled for 3 minute after my sugar and butter were combined. My toffee layer was hardening as I was spreading it over my crackers to put in the oven, so I thought I was doing it right. But what I ended up with were soft crackers and zero crunch.
I wouldn’t make it again, as I’ll likely have to throw this batch out. Sad.
★★★
So easy and tasty!
★★★★★
This was a family favourite this past Christmas. Everyone loved it and it was gone in no time. I should have made two batches 😁
★★★★★
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for the great review. I am SO glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Love this!! My adult kids loved it too & it’s easy to make – just remember to carefully(so not to burn yourself)spread the toffee while it is Hot otherwise it doesn’t spread easily 😀
★★★★★
That’s so great to hear! I’m SO glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
When is the heath toffee aded I didn’t see toffee as an i geredient for this recipe
I found this recipe easy and delicious. Simple ingredients. If you follow exactly you have no problems. I carefully poured the toffee mixture all over the crackers and did not have to spread it at all. It did it itself. I used regular chocolate chips and they melted just fine. I put them on as soon as the pan came out the oven. After about 1 minute I was able to easily spread the chocolate with a butter knife. It’s best if you do not apply very much pressure. Quite yummy!
★★★★★