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Banana bread Christmas crack is leftover banana bread, a buttery brown sugar toffee, melted Tony’s Chocolonely, and toasted walnuts, all chilled until it snaps. I made it this week with the rest of my brown butter banana bread loaf I had filmed earlier and it might be the best thing I have baked all season. Credit for the original idea goes to the
thefoodarrondissement. I made a few small changes so it works with my banana bread, and they are all explained in the recipe below.
Let’s Chit Chat About This Recipe
Quick thing worth flagging if you are making this for the first time. My banana bread slices were not warm when I poured the caramel on, so the standard five minute bake left it slightly undone. Watch for bubbling across the entire surface, not just the middle. For me that meant eight to ten minutes. Once the timing is right, the layers fuse and the texture is exactly what you’ll be dreaming of for month’s to come.
Ingredients
- Banana bread, thinly sliced. Homemade is best, store bought works. Chill it in the fridge so it’s easier to slice.
- Butter, 142g (10 tbsp).
- Brown sugar, 150g (3/4 cup, packed). Light brown for a balanced caramel.
- Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate caramel sea salt bar, 180g. The toffee bits in this bar are the move. Sub any milk chocolate plus a sprinkle of toffee bits if needed.
- Dark chocolate chips, 1/3 cup. For little pockets of contrast.
- Toasted walnuts, 1/3 cup, chopped. Toasting matters because it adds depth and crunch.
- Flaky sea salt.
How to Make Banana Bread Christmas Crack
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line a large baking tray with parchment. Arrange thin slices of banana bread in a single layer, covering as much surface as possible.
- Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened and amber.
- Pour the hot caramel over the banana bread, spreading evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the entire surface is bubbling, not just the outsides.
- Remove from the oven and scatter the broken Tony’s bar and dark chocolate chips on top. Let sit 2 minutes, then spread into a layer.
- Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still soft.
- Cool 10 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours. Break into pieces and serve cold.
Tips so your caramel doesn’t split
- Use low to medium heat, never high. Rushing it is what causes the butter to separate from the sugar.
- Stir gently and constantly until the butter is fully melted and combined with the sugar, then let it simmer with only occasional stirs.
- Do not walk away. The window between perfect caramel and broken caramel is small.
If it does split
Pull the pan off the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water, and whisk hard until it comes back together. Return to low heat for another minute to finish cooking.
How to Store It
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. Put parchment between layers if you stack pieces.
banana bread christmas crack FAQs
Yes. Slice thin and use the same way.
Your bake needs more time. Leave it in until the whole tray is actively bubbling, up to 10 minutes.
It softens slightly where the caramel soaks in, which is the point. Chilling in the freezer firms everything back up so the texture is dense and chewy with a real snap on top.
Up to a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer. It holds beautifully, which makes it great for edible gifts.
If you make this banana bread Christmas crack, tag me on Instagram (@chahinez_tbt) and please leave a star rating below.
Banana Bread Christmas Crack
Ingredients
- 1 loaf banana bread thinly sliced, I used about 3/4 of it
- 142 g 10 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 180 g Tony's Chocolonely milk chocolate caramel sea salt broken into chunks, read notes
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts chopped
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 135F. Line a large baking tray with parchment.
- Arrange thin slices of banana bread in a single layer on the tray. I used about 3/4 of the banana bread and sliced it into 13-14 slices.1 loaf banana bread
- In a saucepan over low to medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes until thickened and amber.142 g 10 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup 3/4 cup
- Pour caramel evenly over the banana bread.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the entire surface is bubbling.
- Scatter the broken Tony's bar and dark chocolate chips over the top. Let sit 2-3 minutes, then spread into a layer.180 g Tony's Chocolonely milk chocolate caramel sea salt, 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and flaky sea salt.1/3 cup toasted walnuts, Flaky sea salt
- Cool 10 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the fridge at least 2 hours or until set.
- Break into pieces and serve cold.
Notes
Serve straight from the freezer for the cleanest snap.
Bake until the entire tray is bubbling, even if it takes the full 10 minutes.
Store in an airtight container, fridge up to 1 week or freezer up to 1 month. Tips so your caramel doesn’t split
- Use low to medium heat, never high. Rushing it is what causes the butter to separate from the sugar.
- Stir gently and constantly until the butter is fully melted and combined with the sugar, then let it simmer with only occasional stirs.
- Do not walk away. The window between perfect caramel and broken caramel is small.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
