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This Ritz Cracker Toffee Christmas Crack is the perfect blend of sweet, salty, buttery, and crunchy, a festive treat that delivers maximum deliciousness with minimal effort. You only need a handful of pantry ingredients, a few minutes at the stovetop, and one baking sheet to make a batch that everyone will devour in minutes (Trust me, I almost devoured the whole thing myself).
With its crisp toffee base, melted chocolate topping, and optional sprinkle of pecans, this is the kind of holiday recipe you’ll find yourself making year after year!
Since you are here and looking for your new fave recipes, check out this Cool Whip Candy Recipe (Three Musketeers Copycat), this Holiday Candied Walnuts Recipe, my pretzels christmas crack, or this Easy Eggnog Cookie Bars Recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes expensive but couldn’t be easier
- Ready in under an hour
- Uses simple ingredients you probably already have
- The perfect sweet and salty holiday treat
- Easy to package for gifts
- Kid-friendly and great for dessert trays
Let’s Chit Chat!
I’ve been making Christmas Crack for years, but this season I kept seeing the Ritz version trending everywhere. And you know me… if something is going viral, I have to test it myself and put my own spin on it. The first time I made it with buttery Ritz crackers instead of saltines, I genuinely gasped. It’s richer, slightly saltier, and honestly feels more “holiday treat” than the original.
So this is the version I’ve been gifting to friends and neighbors, adding to dessert trays, mixing into cookies, and sneaking out of the fridge during the week. It’s unbelievably easy, made with simple ingredients, and tastes like something you’d buy at a fancy chocolate shop. I can’t wait for you to try it.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for this Ritz Cracker Toffee Christmas Crack recipe
- How to make this Ritz Cracker Toffee Christmas Crack recipe
- Can I add different toppings or mix-ins?
- Expert Tips for Perfect Christmas Crack
- Frequently Asked Questions For Ritz Cracker Toffee- FAQ
- Easy 5 Ingredient Ritz Cracker Toffee Recipe
Ingredients for this Ritz Cracker Toffee Christmas Crack recipe
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this easy Ritz cracker toffee recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements.
- Ritz Crackers – They create that buttery, salty base that pairs perfectly with homemade toffee.
- Unsalted Butter – Melts into the brown sugar to make that golden, crisp toffee layer.
- Brown Sugar – Helps the mixture caramelize into rich butterscotch toffee.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and rounds out the flavor.
- Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet melts beautifully, but dark or milk chocolate also work.
- Chopped Pecans (optional) -Add texture and a nutty finish.
- Flaky Salt – Brings balance and makes the flavors pop.
What’s the difference between caramel, butterscotch, and toffee?
Such a good question, I didn’t understand the difference when I first started baking either.
- Caramel – white sugar cooked until golden
- Butterscotch – brown sugar + butter
- Toffee – butterscotch cooked longer until it becomes crisp and breakable
This recipe uses the butterscotch-to-toffee method, which is why it sets perfectly when cooled.
How to make this Ritz Cracker Toffee Christmas Crack recipe
- Prep your pan – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease it well so the toffee doesn’t stick.
- Lay the crackers – Arrange Ritz crackers in a single layer, covering the entire surface.
- Make the toffee – Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until combined.
- Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, do not stir, let it boil for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened and golden.
- Pour and bake – Carefully drizzle the hot toffee over the crackers. Bake until bubbling.
- Add chocolate – Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the warm toffee. Let sit 3–4 minutes, then spread into a smooth layer.
- Add toppings – Sprinkle pecans or a pinch of flaky salt.
- Chill and break – Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate 1 hour until set. Break into pieces and enjoy!
Can I add different toppings or mix-ins?
Definitely. Once the chocolate melts, you can sprinkle on:
- Crushed pretzels
- Holiday sprinkles
- Toasted nuts
- Crushed candy canes
- Extra chopped Ritz (so good!!)
This is also a great recipe to customize for dessert trays and edible gifting.
Expert Tips for Perfect Christmas Crack
- Grease your parchment or foil. Trust me, nothing is worse than toffee glued to foil.
- Watch the caramel. Once it starts boiling, set a timer. Overcooking will result in a burnt flavor.
- Let the chocolate melt naturally. The warm toffee does all the work, no need to force it.
- Don’t rush the cooling. Fully chilling ensures clean, crisp breaks.
- Want extra crunch? Add crushed Ritz, chopped nuts, or even pretzels on top before chilling.
Frequently Asked Questions For Ritz Cracker Toffee- FAQ
Absolutely. Ritz crackers give this recipe that buttery, slightly salty flavor, but saltines, Club crackers, graham crackers, or pretzels all work. Each one gives a slightly different crunch and taste, so feel free to play around. I even make a pretzel version when I want a little extra saltiness and texture.
I don’t recommend it. Caramel doesn’t firm up the same way toffee does, so the base will stay soft and sticky. For that classic “Christmas Crack crunch,” you really need the brown-sugar toffee.
This almost always means the toffee didn’t boil long enough. Make sure you get a full rolling boil for 4–5 minutes. The color should darken slightly and the mixture should thicken a bit. Also, cooling time matters! If it’s not fully chilled before breaking, it will feel softer.
This can happen if the heat is too high, or the butter is too cold.
If it separates, remove it from the heat, whisk vigorously, and keep cooking over medium heat instead of high.
Using room-temperature butter also helps prevent separation from the start.
Not at all. This is one of the few candy-ish recipes where timing is more reliable than temperature. A thermometer can be reassuring for beginners, but the recipe works perfectly without one.
Store pieces in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the refrigerator for 1–2 weeks. The fridge is my favorite because I love it extra cold and snappy.
Yes! It freezes beautifully. Layer the pieces with parchment in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Absolutely. This is one of the BEST make-ahead holiday treats. Make it a few days early, store it in the fridge, and it stays crisp and delicious.
Easy 5 Ingredient Ritz Cracker Toffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 54 Ritz crackers about 2 sleeves
- 1 cup unsalted butter about 2 sticks
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crushed pecans optional
- flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray well with cooking spray.
- Arrange the Ritz crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet. You may need to break a few crackers to fit, but make sure they cover the whole surface.54 Ritz crackers
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves, and the mixture comes to a boil.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar
- Once it starts boiling, let it cook for 4-5 minutes without stirring, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Carefully drizzle the hot caramel mixture over the layer of Ritz crackers. Make sure to drizzle it all over the crackers to cover as much surface as possible. It will spread more as it bakes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot caramel. Let them sit for 3-4 minutes to melt, then spread the melted chocolate into an even layer using a spatula.2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- (Optional) Sprinkle the crushed nuts, sea salt, or crushed ritz crackers over the chocolate for added crunch.1/2 cup crushed pecans, flakey sea salt
- Let the sheet cool to room temperature, then place it in the fridge for at least an hour to harden. Once set, break into pieces and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
