Love a sweet and salty treat? Then you’re going to love Christmas Crack Bark, an easy holiday sweet treat that’s dangerously delicious!

It’s been several years since I started making this treat. I think I may have first seen it on Pinterest and it’s been a hit ever since. Practically everyone who tries it, falls in love and asks for the recipe. Thus, the name of this sweet treat, Christmas Crack Bark, as it’s so addictive. The best part of this treat is that it’s so easy to change it up with extracts and toppings to suit your taste.

Before we get to the Christmas Crack Bark, it’s day 9 of the Festive Christmas Ideas Event – Sweet Treats! I’ve teamed up with a group of talented blogging friends to bring you a plethora of creative ways to celebrate your holiday season. You’ll find new ideas every Monday and Wednesday between Oct. 19th through Nov. 18th. Don’t forget to scroll down to find all the wonderful Christmas Sweet Treats linked at the bottom!

Christmas Crack Bark Trays

Christmas Crack Bark - Easy Holiday Sweet Treat

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

How to make a sweet and salty chocolate bark using saltine crackers, chocolate, caramel, and various toppings. Note: This recipe uses double the crackers (generic store brand) found in the original recipe, with the same amount of caramel and chocolate. I find this creates a thin layer of both with just enough sweetness without a sugar overload. I also use a large sheet pan that fits in our freezer, if you do not have the room, use two smaller pans that can fit into your fridge.

Ingredients

Bark

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks of butter)
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 sleeves of salted crackers or about 70 crackers. I use a generic, Winco Stores crackers, which are less dense than brand names (sub with Ritz crackers)
  • Optional - 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla or chosen extract (see notes)
  • 10 - 12 ounces of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)

Toppings

  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans + pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup crushed candy cane 
  • 1/4 cup toffee bits + pinch of kosher salt or sea salt flakes
  • 1 to 1 1/2 T. Christmas sprinkles + optional -  2 tsp. shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover the 14" x 20" baking pan (see notes) with heavy duty foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Line tray with crackers. Set aside.
  2. Christmas Crack Bark Caramel Over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar to make a caramel. Occasionally mix until it begins to boil. Then stop mixing and boil for an additional 3 - 4 more minutes or when a candy thermometer reaches 270 - 290°F. Remove from heat and if you want to add vanilla, add it in now. Be careful as it may splatter.
  3. Pour the caramel over the crackers. Use a spatula to spread over the crackers. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes on the middle rack.
  4. Christmas crack bark with chocolate Remove the crackers from the oven and sprinkle on chocolate chips. Let sit on the hot caramel for 2 - 3 minutes to soften. Then, use a spatula to spread it over the caramel.
  5. While the chocolate is still soft, sprinkle on the toppings. I like to split my pan in quarters and sprinkle on the four separate toppings listed above. Feel free to adjust the amounts to your taste.
  6. To set the bark, place it into the freezer for 15 minutes or fridge for 1-2 hours to harden. Once set, use a knife to cut into squares or break apart the bark by hand into chunks.
  7. Christmas Crack Bark TraysServe or store bark in airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks in the fridge (husband likes it cold) or up to a month in the freezer. If storing in the freezer, use parchment paper between layers of the bark to prevent sticking.

Notes

Other topping options:

  • crushed pretzels
  • miniature cocoa marshmallows
  • M&Ms
  • salted peanuts


Extract substitutes:

  • orange, almond, or peppermint to taste. Start with 1/4 tsp. and work up from there.


Recipe Notes:

If you don't have a candy thermometer, don't worry. Just boil the butter/sugar mix until it looks dark and thick (3-4 minutes). If the mixture crystallizes a bit when poured over the cracker, don't worry as it will still taste delicious.

I use our spare freezer to cool the bark, but you may want to use two smaller sheet pans that can fit into your regular freezer/fridge to speed up cooling.

Did you make this recipe?

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Festive Christmas Ideas Day 9 - Sweet Treats

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18 Comments

  1. I have never eaten Christmas crack but have made almond roca for eons that seems similar but would be sweeter. This looks great especially with all the different topping choices.

    1. My hubby loves Almond Rocca. This would be sweeter, but I actually use double the amount of crackers to chocolate/caramel ratio compared to other recipes. This helps cut down on the sweetness and I can add more nuts on top to cut it down further. It’s so good.

  2. I still remember the first time I enjoyed this Crack dessert. It was at my high school reunion and it was probably the most popular food item brought. I love your version for Christmas especially with the different choices.