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This easy Graham Cracker Toffee (also called Christmas Crack) is one of the easiest treats to make, with just 5-ingredients.
Graham Cracker Toffee (AKA Christmas Crack) might be the easiest holiday treat.
Whether you call it Cracker Toffee, or Christmas Crack, this recipe is hugely popular for a reason! It's very easy to make with just 5 ingredients, and it has that rich, buttery toffee flavor we all love, without being brittle and hard like traditional toffee.
It's my go-to if I need a really simple dessert for a crowd, or even to whip up holiday treats for neighbors and friends. Grab a package of graham crackers, chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and pecans, and you're ready to go.
(And if you're a toffee lover like me, don't miss my Toffee Cookie Bars, Chocolate Trifle with toffee bits, or this delicious Sticky Toffee Pudding!)
How to make Christmas Crack:
Line a pan with Graham Crackers. Us a 9x13inch pan, and line it with parchment paper. Arrange crackers in a single layer to act as the base for these bars.
Toffee Layer: In a saucepan, melt butter then add brown sugar and pecans. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Layer: Pour toffee mixture over the graham crackers and smooth into an even layer.
Bake at 350°F for 7 minutes.
Add chocolate: Remove from oven and carefully place chocolate bar pieces on top. Cover pan for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then spread melted chocolate into an even layer.
Cool: Let these Christmas crack toffee bars cool completely before serving. You can refrigerate them if you want, but rest at room temperautre for 15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Variations:
- White Chocolate: Use white chocolate instead of milk or dark, or drizzle some melted white chocolate on top of the milk chocolate.
- Crackers: Saltine crackers are also a popular choice for Christmas crack. You could also use club crackers or ritz crackers. You could even try a base of pretzels.
- Candy: Sprinkle on some crushed peppermint candy, m&m's, or sprinkles.
More Candy-like Treats:
- Chocolate Truffles
- Homemade Caramels
- Oreo Balls
- Chocolate Fudge
- Peanut Brittle
- Rocky Road
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- Chocolate Turtles
- Browse all of my Christmas Recipes!
Graham Cracker Toffee (Christmas Crack)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package Honey Graham Crackers
- 14 ounces Hershey's chocolate bars, (I use two large 7oz bars)
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9×13'' pan with cooking spray, then lay parchment paper on top, so it sticks firmly in the pan.
- Place graham cracker sheets to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Toffee layer: Add butter to a large saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Add the brown sugar and pecans, and stir constantly, bringing the mixture to a full boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Bake: Remove from heat then pour mixture over graham crackers and spread into an even layer. Bake for 7 minutes.
- Add chocolate: While the bars are baking, unwrap the Hershey's chocolate bars and break into pieces. Remove bars from oven and carefully place chocolate pieces across the top of the toffee layer. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil to allow the chocolate to melt (5-10 minutes).
- Smooth melted chocolate evenly over the bars.
- Cool completely before serving. I like to store mine in the fridge to set up (not required) but I leave them out at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting them, to allow the chocolate to soften.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I first shared this recipe November 2015. Updated November 2019 and December 2024.
these are so quick and easy and delicious, i HAD to add them to my Xmas gift baskets this year! AND a whole tin for Just my SIL. <3
They do make a great Christmas gift! Thanks so much for sharing Suzy 🙂
I made this toffee fora house warming party this summer and they were the hit of the dessert buffet. I just made them for Christmas but after boiling the sugar and butter mixture for 5 min., the butter separated from the sugar. Did I boil the mixture too long?
Hi Beth, more than likely it would have to do with not stirring the mixture constantly, and the heat conduction in your saucepan–if the temperature was adjusted at all–high or low– rather than maintaining it on medium. Hope that helps, and hope you get to try them again soon!
I’m the “L” from a few comments up. I tried my hand at making these bars again this year (a testament to how good they taste – I still remember them from a year ago!) and am happy to report that this time, I had SUCCESS!! The bars held together perfectly this time around! I did do one thing differently than last year, which I think was the key. I didn’t put the bars into the fridge at all — I left them to cool on the counter at room temperature, then cut them at room temperature. Perhaps chilling the bars makes the chocolate more brittle (and therefore more likely to separate from the toffee?) Anyway, I just thought I’d let you know how much me and all my guests loved these. They were truly delicious.
I am thrilled that they turned out for you this year! Thank you so much for sharing what worked for you!
Bought a new thermometer just for making toffee!! What temperature would you suggest I cook the sugar mixture until?
Hi CJ. I haven’t used a candy thermometer with this recipe. I think if you follow the cooking instructions they should turn out perfectly!
These are amazing! I used parchment paper to make it easier to remove from the pan, and cut into bars while still warm (but left them in the pan in the fridge to cool). I made these for our holiday dessert party. They were so good, my mom hid some for herself before the guests arrived. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks so much Jen–I’m soo happy everyone liked them, even enough to hide them 😉 . Thanks for taking the time to comment.
YUM! These look so good! ♥
I just made them this morning. There are lots of ways to modify. I used a bit less butter and sugar, 3/4 cup of each in an attempt to cut just a few calories out. I had a bit of melting chocolate and some chocolate chips for the topping. Even added some chopped walnuts to half of the pan, since hubby doesn’t like them. I didn’t put them in the fridge at all, just cut when set and cool. They are great (and half gone by 6:00pm) !
Thanks for sharing! Loving your adaptions!
I have brought these bars to a few pot lucks this summer, and they go quickly. Everyone loves them and they are addictive. I don’t know why others are having trouble cutting them into nice bars. Mine sliced up great, with very little crumbling. A great recipe and a definite keeper. Thankyou
Thanks so much Carol–I’m happy you’ve made them so many times and especially happy everyone loves them!
Can you make these a day ahead of time or will they fall apart? Thanks!
That should work great!
I live in Scotland and can’t find Graham’s crackers any where
You can make this recipe with regular soda crackers and it’s also great!
Tasty bars, but unfortunately I couldn’t serve them to my guests. The top chocolate layer completely separated from the rest of the bar upon cutting. There was no way I could cut them into squares. I ended up with shards of the dessert, the toffee & chocolate layers completely separating. Disappointed!
I was researching why the chocolate separated (these tasted so good, I couldn’t give up on them just yet) and came across a similar recipe by Martha Stewart. She advises cutting into the dessert while it’s still warm to avoid breakage. I’m going to try that next time to see if it helps!