Peppermint Cracker Toffee is crispy, buttery, brown sugary deliciousness topped with a layer of melted white chocolate and sprinkled with a snowy layer of crushed peppermint.
In other words, it's too good to stop eating.
Jump to:
I'm going to start off with a big, giant warning about this recipe.
No, not about the bigger pants you'll need to order come January.
It's about what not to do after you make the Saltine bark and it's lovely and glistening on your rimmed cookie sheet.
Do not put the saltine candy in the freezer or refrigerator to cool it down faster. Doing so will cause your chocolate layer to separate from the cracker toffee layer.
Is this an easy recipe? Yes.
But there are steps to follow. Here we go.
Chocolate Peppermint Cracker Toffee Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar, use granulated if you must but it's better with brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 40 Saltine crackers or soda crackers, 1 sleeve + ¼ of another sleeve
- 2 cups chocolate disks or almond bark, melted (I used white Ghirardelli melting wafers)
- 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil (for thinning chocolate so it's easier to drizzle over the crackers.)
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candies (Brachs or a storebrand Starlite minutes) (20 candies). You can also use crushed candy canes.
See recipe card for instruction.
p.s. If you love this recipe, you must also try Pecan Pie Bark.
Equipment Needed
Step by Steps for Toffee Crackers
Crush peppermints, set aside. I used a food processor. You can also smash the mints by putting in a resealable bag and pounding them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. (I call this the newly separated or divorced method).
Add canola oil if needed to thin. Add peppermint extract once completely melted. (More is not better with peppermint. The flavor will go from a hint of mint to a toothpaste quickly.)
Sprinkle crushed peppermint over the chocolate, let cool, and break into pieces.
If you're a fan of peppermint, you must try White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Candy, Black cocoa sandwich cookies with peppermint filling, Chocolate Peppermint Martinis plus this Christmas Peppermint round up of recipes from other bloggers.
If you like making candy at home I have easy holiday candy recipes for you including Sugar Cookie Fudge Using Cookie Mix, Old Fashioned Nougat Candy (aka Fruity Brach's), Slow Cooker Peanut Chocolate Candy. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Some home cooks like to skip the chocolate melting step and instead sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the crackers.
They say you can return the pan to the oven for a couple of minutes so that the chocolate chips melt all the way.
I have tried this method a couple of times and the chips never melted.
Not only didn't they melt but I ended up overcooking the Saltine layer in trying to get them to melt.
So proceed with this shortcut at your own risk.
Pin to Save for Later
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Kitchen Serf.
Recipe
Peppermint Cracker Toffee
Peppermint Cracker Toffee is crispy, buttery, brown sugary deliciousness topped with a layer of melted white chocolate and sprinkled with a snowy layer of crushed peppermint.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 40 Saltine crackers or soda crackers, 1 sleeve + ¼ of another sleeve
- 2 cups white chocolate disks or almond bark, melted
- 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil (for thinning chocolate so it's easier to spread over crackers.)
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candies (20 candies)
Instructions
Prepare the Saltines
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
(Recipe tested using a 15x10x1 baking sheet).
Place a single layer of crackers over the top.
Set aside.
Smash the Peppermints
Use a food processor or a rolling pin to crush the peppermints or candy canes. Measure ½ cup and set aside.
Melt the chocolate
Fill a sauce pan with an inch of water and bring to a simmer over low to medium heat.
Reduce heat to low.
Put a large glass or metal bowl of white chocolate disks or almond bark over the saucepan. The bowl must not touch the water.
Stir occasionally until white chocolate melts.
You may need to stir a teaspoon to a tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil into the white chocolate to thin it a bit so it’s easier to pour over your saltine bark. (DO NOT USE WATER. Your chocolate will seize and be ruined.)
Add ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract and stir in thoroughly.
Turn off heat but leave on the range in case you need to warm it up.
Make the Sugar Mixture
In another saucepan, over low to medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar and sea salt together. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir constantly.
Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot.
Bring the brown sugar and butter mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, maintain a boil for two minutes. Set a timer, don't guesstimate.
Remove from heat.
Immediately add vanilla extract to the boiling sugar mixture and stir.
Using oven mitts, carefully pour the sugar mixture over the sheet pan of saltine crackers. Mind your skin, boiling sugar is hot.
You can spread the sugar mix around a bit with your spatula so it covers the crackers in an even layer but there’s really no need as the mix will get hot enough in the oven to spread everywhere. (This is why you need to make this saltine bark on a rimmed baking sheet).
Bake the Toffee Crackers
Bake the toffee crackers for ten minutes in an oven that’s been preheated to 350°F.
While the crackers are baking, give the white chocolate a stir so it’s ready to drizzle over the crackers immediately when you remove them from the oven.
Remove crackers from oven.
Drizzle white chocolate as evenly as possible over the top of the sugar crackers using a spoon and/or an offset spatula.
Immediately sprinkle crushed peppermint over the top of the white chocolate in an even layer.
Let peppermint saltine bark sit at room temperature until cool enough to break into pieces.
Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Will keep at least four weeks at room temperature.
Notes
Do not put the saltine candy in the freezer or refrigerator to cool it down faster. Doing so will cause your chocolate layer to separate from the cracker toffee layer.
Some home cooks like to skip the chocolate melting step and instead sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the crackers.
They say you can return the pan to the oven for a couple of minutes so that the chocolate chips melt all the way.
I have tried this method a couple of times and the chips never melted.
Not only didn't they melt but I ended up overcooking the Saltine layer in trying to get them to melt.
If you love this recipe, you must also try Pecan Pie Bark
Recommended Products
This post and/or recipe may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I'll earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure policy.
-
Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper Roll, 60 Square Feet -
Ghirardelli Melting Wafers Variety Pack with Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers. One Stop Shopping for the Best Tasting Melting Chocolate Wafers.
-
KitchenAid Bamboo Spatula Set, 2-Piece, Aqua Sky
-
Nordic Ware Prism Baking Half Sheet 2-Pack, Natural
Nutrition Information
Yield 36 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 138Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 16mgSodium 73mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 0gSugar 11gProtein 1g
I am not a nutritionist, this nutritional information is an estimate.
Comments
No Comments