Chocolate Christmas Crackers
Try this easy recipe using Saltine crackers, smoked sea salt and dark chocolate for the ultimate Christmas Crackers- perfect for a holiday treat or as a gift.
What are Chocolate Christmas Crackers?
Christmas Crackers (or Christmas Crack) are saltine crackers drizzled with a caramel of melted butter and brown sugar, then baked for a few minutes. Microwave dark chocolate chips, spread over the caramel mixture on your crackers, sprinkle on smoked sea salt flakes or regular sea salt flakes to for a taste explosion. Chill overnight in the pan.
Break into shards and keep in the freezer. They are great for a party or as a hostess gift for all those holiday events you’ll be attending- be it bridge club, your book club, game day snacking, the office get together or any event.
Chocolate snacks that are easy- yes please.
Ingredients in Christmas Crackers:
- saltine crackers
- dark chocolate chips
- unsalted butter
- light brown sugar
- vanilla- Buy our Pine & Palm Kitchen premium vanilla HERE
- baking spray
- kosher salt AND Smoked Flakey sea salt- buy HERE
Equipment needed to Make Chocolate Christmas Crackers:
- 10″ x15″ rimmed baking sheet- buy my favorite HERE
- off-set spatula
- heavy duty aluminum foil
Other holiday food gifts to make:
Pro-Tips for the best Chocolate Christmas Crackers:
- Make certain you use fresh crackers. Sometimes those saltines have been in the pantry a few months and have gone stale.
- An off-set spatula makes easy work spreading the melted dark chocolate.
- Don’t skip the Smoked Flakey Sea Salt- you’d be surprised how it elevates this simple recipe.
- Experiment with other types of crackers: Ritz, Cracker Pepper Water Crackers, Cream Crackers ( a British cracker) Graham Crackers
- Add additional toppings like chopped pecans, toffee bits, pretzels, sprinkles or even white or mint chocolate swirled in.
- Chill overnight for the best results. It’s hard to wait, but it’s worth it.
How to store the Christmas Crackers:
Place crackers in a zip ti op bag or airtight container and store in the freezer. Do not expose to heat or air for any length of time, because the chocolate will begin to melt.
Serve on a small plate or platter broken into shards.
Place in a cellophane gift bag with a ribbon or food safe box for gifting. Buy the bags HERE.
Ingredients
- 30 unit saltines crackers enough to fill a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips I use Hersey's Special Dark chips
- 1 TBSP baking spray like PAM
- 1 TBSP flakey smoked sea salt regular flakey salt is fine as well.
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Line the sheet pan with heavy duty foil covering the entire pan and sides and edges. See picture above.
- Cover all the foil surfaces generously with canola oil OR baking spray. Place Saltines in a single layer on the prepared pan. Set aside.
- In a medium pan, melt the butter, brown sugar and Kosher salt over low heat. Stir until well combined and the sugar granules completely dissolve. After 3-5 minutes the mixture will daken and boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour the mixture over the saltines. Spread evenly to coat.
- Bake the buttered crackers at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. DO NOT BURN!
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring in between, until well melted.
- Remove the crackers from the oven.
- Using an offset spatula, pour and spread the chocolate evenly over the hot bubbling caramel crackers.
- Sprinkle the crackers with the flakey sea salt. Chill crackers in the pan overnight in your fridge.
- Peel the crackers from the foil and break into shards. Store in an airtight container or zip top bag in the freezer.
