Saltine Cracker Toffee AKA Brickle Cookies
Saltine cracker toffee topped with a rich toffee flavor and chocolate topped with chopped nuts. These Butter Brickle Cookies are buttery, crunchy, and much better than Almond Roca Candy! However, you won’t need a candy thermometer to make these delicious treats.
These tasty brickle treats as well as these Mexican Wedding Cookie recipe! have been a favorite holiday sweet for many families, including ours! Some people call these saltine cracker Christmas “crack” because they’re so addicting. For years, we have referred to these as butter brickle cookies.
Regardless of what you call these treats, they are sure to be added to your baking list for years to come.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Saltine Cracker Toffee
- Easy Recipe – these are super easy to make and you will only need a handful of ingredients.
- Flavorful – the perfect sweet and salty mix. One bite and you’ll be wondering how you can savor the rest of the batch.
- Customize – make these uniquely yours by adding pretty sprinkles or any other ingredient that delights you.
- Perfect recipe to share – these are great for gifting and bringing to any holiday gathering. These will be devoured! I like putting some in a colorful cellophane bag with a festive bow to share with my neighbors.
Ingredients
You only need some basic pantry ingredients, which is why these are always on my must share list. They’re so easy to make.
- Saltine crackers – this is the base of the recipe used to hold all the toffee and chocolate goodness.
- Chocolate chips – I use milk chocolate for this recipe.
- Walnuts – add texture and extra crunch to the brickle.
- Brown sugar – this caramelizes to a the crispy toffee.
- Butter – melts with the sugar and creates a delicious buttery toffee.
How To Make Saltine Cracker Toffee
You won’t need any special kitchen tools to make this recipe, and it comes together quick. All details are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- First, line a baking sheet with foil and top with saltine crackers, and set aside. Next, place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.
2. Carefully pour the butter-sugar mix over the prepared baking sheet lined with saltine crackers. Put in the oven and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee mix and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Spread melted chocolate with a rubber spatula over the toffee.
5. Add chopped walnut and gently press into the chocolate. Let sit to harden or place in the refrigerator.
6. Once brickle has harden, break bark into bite size pieces.
Variations
These are so many ways to add a little umph to the basic brickle. Here are some ideas to help with creativity.
- Top with different nuts like pecans or peanuts. You also may like to enhance the flavor by toasting the nuts. Keep a close eye on them though because nuts can burn easily.
- Add sprinkles – Red and green are a fun addition for Christmas. I also think white and blue are just as festive.
- Chocolate – enjoy a variety of chocolate. Use dark chocolate in place of the milk chocolate or add a swirl of white chocolate to the topping.
- Low Carb – there are ways to make these lower carb. Use your favorite sugar-free chocolate chips, and you can use half cup of allulose with the brown sugar. I don’t recommend using a sugar free product like golden monk fruit because it won’t caramelize like regular sugar.
- Sea Salt – amplify the flavor of the chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt.
How To Store Saltine Cracker Toffee
Keep bark in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature (it won’t last that long, promise). You can also keep this in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Freeze in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to three months.
Sandra’s Pro Tips
- Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Be sure to use a baking sheet with a lip. You don’t want the hot toffee to spill into your oven.
- Don’t leave the butter-sugar mix unattended. Continue stir even when it gets to a boiling point to prevent it from burning. Turn down the heat if the mix gets to a point it will flow over the saucepan.
- Once in the oven, the toffee will bubble, this is normal and is what will give the bark a crispy snap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the flavor profile will change, but still delicious. Graham crackers and Ritz crackers are great alternatives.
The toffee may have cooled too quickly. Rectify this by placing the baking sheet back in the warm oven for a minute. Remove and spread.
For brittles, the hard crack needs to reach 300°F – 310°F.
Other Delicious Easy Desserts
If you love this saltine cracker toffee, then be sure to try these recipes too.
WARNING: highly addictive (in a very delicious way)!
Saltine Cracker Bark aka Brickle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- Saltine crackers 1 sleeve
- 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 cups
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with sides or jelly roll pan with foil, making sure the foil covers the sides of the pan. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place a single layer of saltine crackers on the cookie sheet. You may have to brake up a couple to cover all the surface.
- In a small saucepan, bring the butter and the sugar to a boil. Continue to boil and stir the mixture for 3 minutes.
- Carefully pour the butter mix over the crackers, and place in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle chocolate chips on top. As they heat and soften, spread the chocolate over the surface. Sprinkle nuts on top.
- Cool in the refrigerator. Once hard, break into pieces.
Notes
- Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Be sure to use a baking sheet with a lip. You don’t want the hot toffee to spill into your oven.
- Don’t leave the butter-sugar mix unattended. Continue stir even when it gets to a boiling point to prevent it from burning. Turn down the heat if the mix gets to a point it will flow over the saucepan.
- Once in the oven, the toffee will bubble, this is normal and is what will give the bark a crispy snap.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
This recipe was first posted in 2013, and has been updated with new photos and content November, 2025.
Special thanks to my sis-in-law, Kathy for sending me a photo of her typewritten recipe via text!
Can I use Ritz crackers instead of saltines?
Hi Alexis! yes, you can use different types of crackers like Ritz and I bet even graham will be delicious. All slightly different tasting of course!
Funny thing is my husband went to a get together for Christmas with his job, and everyone was supposed to bring a dish. He came home and described these little cookie treats to a tee. He said, “Babe, those cookies were so good at the party made with saltine crackers, brown sugar, butter, nuts and chocolate. I know you can make them because they go in the oven for 5 minutes.” Funny how I was just looking at a page, and this popped up. I am going to surprise him and make them since I love to bake, decorate and create. This should shock him. Funny thing, he didn’t bring me one so I could taste, investigate and re-create. We live in San Diego, California. Wonder if it’s the same person.
Oh, I love how you found this recipe to be one your husband will be thrilled with! What a great surprise this will be. Tasty one too 🙂 How I wish San Diego was home. We’re in Monterey, CA. Same Coast at least!! ~Thanks for commenting, Sandra
I will not say these cookies are not very tempting right now 😀
Happy Holidays!
CCU
heehee 🙂 Happy Holidays!!
This does look like a delicious and highly addictive cookie/candy. I am always weak around salty sweet things.
Me and you both! Hope you are enjoying the holidays, Bam!!
You come up with the most unusual ideas to produce good looking and delicious baked goods.