Description
Pretzel Christmas Crack is a festive and irresistible sweet and salty treat made with crunchy pretzels topped with buttery toffee and melted chocolate, finished with colorful sprinkles for a perfect holiday snack or gift.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 40-48 pretzel crisps (or Pretzel Crackers, or 2-3 cups pretzels, not sticks)
Toffee
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
Topping
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sprinkles (or M&M’s, or candies of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350℉ to prepare for baking the toffee layer.
- Prepare the baking sheet: Line a 15″×10″ rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, or use a nonstick silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Arrange pretzels: Place the pretzel crisps in a single even layer on the bottom of the tray, breaking some pretzels as needed to fill all gaps and cover the entire surface.
- Make the toffee: In a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir occasionally and bring to a rolling boil. Continue cooking and boiling for 3 minutes until bubbling and amber-colored. Remove from heat promptly.
- Pour toffee over pretzels: Carefully and evenly pour the hot toffee mixture over the pretzel layer on the sheet. Quickly spread it with a spatula to cover them fully. (Optional: use a candy thermometer to ensure toffee reaches 270℉-290℉ for proper consistency.)
- Bake the toffee: Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 3-5 minutes until the toffee starts bubbling.
- Add and melt chocolate chips: Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Let them sit for 1-2 minutes to soften, then spread the melted chocolate evenly using a spatula. If needed, briefly place the pan back in the oven for 1-2 minutes to help the chocolate melt more thoroughly before spreading.
- Sprinkle toppings: Evenly distribute sprinkles or your chosen candies over the melted chocolate layer while it is still warm.
- Cool and set: Allow the pretzel toffee to cool completely at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until fully hardened.
- Break into pieces and serve: Once set, flip the tray to remove the toffee sheet from the pan and peel off the parchment or foil. Break into pieces by hand or cut with a knife. Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.
Notes
- Use pretzel crisps or crackers for an even, flat base; avoid pretzel sticks as they won’t layer evenly.
- Be careful when handling hot toffee and butter-sugar mixture to avoid burns.
- A candy thermometer can help ensure perfect toffee consistency but is optional.
- For quicker chocolate melting, use higher quality chocolate chips or chop chocolate finely.
- Store at room temperature to maintain crispness; refrigeration can also be used to speed setting.
- You can customize toppings with nuts, different candies, or sea salt for flavor variations.
