Christmas Crack Cookies Recipe

5 from 3 votes

This recipe combines chewy brown butter cookies with a sweet, salty, and chocolatey Christmas crack layer. It’s a festive showstopper for your holiday dessert table!

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Chill Time2

Total Time2 38

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Author: Chahinez Tabet Aoul

Ingredients

For the Christmas Crack Layer:

½ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
25-30 Saltine crackers like Saltines or Ritz, enough to cover your baking sheet
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
toasted chopped nuts and sea salt optional

For the Cookies (doubled base recipe):

1 cup butter browned and cooled down
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 & 1/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Christmas Crack Layer

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Arrange the crackers in a single layer to completely cover the bottom of the sheet.
25-30 Saltine crackers
In a saucepan, melt ½ cup butter and ½ cup packed brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it start to boil, leave the mixture alone without stirring for 4-5 minutes.
½ cup butter, ½ cup packed brown sugar
Pour the caramel mixture evenly over the crackers and quickly spread it with a spatula. Bake for 5 minutes, or until bubbly. Turn off the oven.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 2 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate evenly across the caramel. Top with chopped toasted nuts, and some flakey sea salt.
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, toasted chopped nuts and sea salt
Let the Christmas crack layer cool completely before using it in the cookies (refrigerate or freeze whenever it cools down enough).
Chop it into smaller pieces and set aside.

Brown the Butter for Cookies

Melt 1 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it foams and turns golden brown, releasing a nutty aroma with brown bits forming at the bottom.
1 cup butter
Pour the melted butter in a bowl then place that in a larger bowl full of ice water. Whisk continuously until the butter sets and becomes harder.

Make the Cookie Dough

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, Mix the brown butter with 1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
2 & 1/3 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Fold in the chopped Christmas crack until evenly distributed into the cookie dough.
Using a cookie scoop (about 4 tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, top with more chopped up christmas crack and freeze for 2 hours or overnight.

Assemble and Bake

Preheat the oven to 350F then line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the your prepared baking sheet when you are ready to bake them leaving 2 inches between each. Bake them for 13 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

These cookies have the perfect balance of buttery, nutty, and chocolatey flavors with a surprise crunch in every bite. They’re sure to become a new holiday tradition! 🎄🍪

Nutrition