In this article
A man from down the road came by one afternoon to return a ladder and sat down at our kitchen table, where a tray of this was cooling, and ate his way through half of it while he and my father talked about the weather. When he finally asked what it was, my mother told him it was crackers. He looked at the piece in his hand for a long moment, as if it had lied to him, and then he ate it anyway and asked her to write it down.
That is the whole charm of saltine toffee. A single layer of plain salted crackers goes into a lined pan, a butter and brown sugar toffee is boiled for exactly 3 minutes and poured over them, the pan goes into a hot oven for 5 minutes until the toffee bubbles all over, and chocolate chips melt on top into a smooth layer. The crackers go crisp and almost buttery under the toffee, and the salt on them is what makes the candy taste so expensive. It takes about twenty minutes, plus an hour in the refrigerator, and it does not need a candy thermometer.
Why this saltine cracker toffee works
- Salted crackers. The salt on top of the saltines cuts the sweetness of the toffee, the same way flaky salt does on fancy caramels.
- Three minutes of boiling, no stirring. That is long enough for the butter and brown sugar to turn into toffee that sets crisp, and short enough that it never burns.
- Five minutes in a hot oven. The toffee soaks into the crackers and bubbles evenly over the whole pan.
- Chips melted by the heat of the toffee. No double boiler; the hot pan melts the chocolate in five minutes.
Ingredients
Makes one 10 by 15 inch pan, broken into about 24 pieces. The measurements are in US cups and spoons with grams in brackets.
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers, about 40 crackers (115g)
- 1 cup salted butter (226g)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (340g)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (55g)
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt
Use regular salted saltine crackers, not the unsalted kind; the salt is part of the flavor. Line the pan with foil and grease the foil, or the toffee will weld itself to the pan.
How to make saltine cracker toffee
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 10 by 15 inch rimmed baking pan with foil, letting it come up the sides, and grease the foil lightly.
- Lay the saltine crackers in a single layer, salted side up, edges touching, to cover the bottom of the pan. Break crackers to fill any gaps.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 1 cup butter with the 1 cup brown sugar. Bring it to a boil and boil for 3 minutes without stirring, until thick and foamy.
- Pour the toffee over the crackers at once and spread it quickly to the edges with a spatula.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, until the toffee bubbles all over the pan.
- Take the pan out and scatter the 2 cups chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Wait 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate smooth.
- Sprinkle the 1/2 cup chopped pecans and the 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt over the chocolate. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until hard, then lift out the foil and break the toffee into pieces.
Tips that make the difference
- Have the crackers in the pan before you start the toffee. Once it has boiled 3 minutes it has to go on right away.
- Set a timer for the boil. Under 3 minutes the toffee stays soft; much longer and it can scorch.
- If the crackers float up when the toffee goes on, press them down gently with the spatula.
- Break it with your hands, not a knife. Uneven pieces look homemade in the best way.
Variations
- Milk chocolate. Use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter candy that children prefer.
- Almond. Swap the pecans for toasted sliced almonds.
- Graham cracker toffee. Use whole graham crackers instead of saltines for a honey-tasting version; add the flaky salt so it is not too sweet.
- White chocolate swirl. Drop spoonfuls of melted white chocolate over the dark and swirl with a toothpick before chilling.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pieces in a tin in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Cold, the toffee snaps clean and the chocolate stays shiny.
On the counter on a warm day it softens and gets sticky by the afternoon, so serve it straight from the cold.
It freezes well for 2 months in a freezer bag. Eat it straight from the freezer or let it sit 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my cracker toffee chewy instead of crisp?
The toffee did not boil long enough. Bring it to a full boil and time 3 minutes from there, and make sure it bubbles all over in the oven.
Why did the butter separate from the sugar?
The heat was too high or it was stirred hard while boiling. Melt it on medium, let it boil without stirring, and if it separates, whisk briefly before pouring.
Can I use unsalted butter?
Yes; add a pinch of salt to the toffee. Salted butter is traditional and gives the candy its balance.
Is it good for gifts?
It is the best homemade gift there is. Pack it in tins between layers of parchment and keep it cold until you hand it over.
A sleeve of crackers, a pan of boiling butter and sugar, a handful of chocolate chips. Set it on the table and let someone eat half of it before they ask. That is the best part of the recipe.
Saltine Cracker Toffee (Butter Toffee, Chocolate and Pecans)
Saltine cracker toffee in a 10 by 15 sheet pan: a single layer of saltine crackers under a butter and brown sugar toffee boiled for 3 minutes, baked 5 minutes at 400 degrees, topped with melted chocolate chips, chopped pecans and flaky salt, chilled and broken into pieces. Exact amounts and times.
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers, about 40 crackers
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 10 by 15 inch rimmed baking pan with foil, letting it come up the sides, and grease the foil lightly.
- Lay the saltine crackers in a single layer, salted side up, edges touching, to cover the bottom of the pan. Break crackers to fill any gaps.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 1 cup butter with the 1 cup brown sugar. Bring it to a boil and boil for 3 minutes without stirring, until thick and foamy.
- Pour the toffee over the crackers at once and spread it quickly to the edges with a spatula.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, until the toffee bubbles all over the pan.
- Take the pan out and scatter the 2 cups chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Wait 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate smooth.
- Sprinkle the 1/2 cup chopped pecans and the 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt over the chocolate. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until hard, then lift out the foil and break the toffee into pieces.
