Christmas Crack with Pretzels - AKA Pretzel Toffee Bark

How to make the best Pretzel Toffee Bark. This easy 5-ingredient recipe is sometimes called Christmas crack with pretzels and is a traditional, classic favorite that is perfect for the holidays. Everyone will devour this sweet and salty toffee recipe!

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This delicious pretzel toffee bark is so delicious you won't be able to resist another piece! It's easy to make and even better to eat.

I used to eat this candy at my grandparents' house at Christmastime. Theirs was a layer of toffee in between two layers of chocolate, and it was heavenly. I'd eat it in place of dinner if I could have. I've never seen a recipe for that candy, but this comes close.

What is Christmas crack?

Christmas crack is a homemade layered candy that people can't get enough of. Traditional Christmas crack is made with saltines or Ritz crackers, topped with homemade toffee, melted chocolate, and chopped nuts. My version of Christmas crack is made with pretzels instead of crackers, then the chocolate and topping layers.

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I prefer pretzels over crackers because the pretzels stay crunchy and are a bit saltier for the perfect sweet and salty combination.

One theory about the name is that it's like crack - once you taste it, you must have more! But the other theory is that it cracks when you cut it. So take your pick.

Why this is the best Christmas Crack with Pretzels recipes

Kids love it. Heck, adults love i,t too. Everyone is obsessed with Christmas crack.

Traditional Christmas crack is made with crackers instead of pretzels, but I find that the crackers get soggy where pretzels stay crunchy. I like crunchy Christmas crack personally, and I think you will, too.

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Christmas crack with pretzels combines the salty taste of pretzels with sweet homemade toffee and the creamy richness only chocolate can offer. It's a winning combination that will be gobbled up before you even set the dish on the table.

This 5-ingredient recipe is so easy to make in big batches, and that makes it perfect to give as a gift. Pop it into a pretty tin, and the gift is done!

What you'll need to make Christmas crack with pretzels

EQUIPMENT

• Parchment paper - You could use parchment or aluminum foil. The purpose is so that the sticky toffee doesn't glue itself to your sheet pan.
• Baking sheet - You'll need a sheet pan with raised edges.
• Candy thermometer - It's important to know the temperature of the toffee so that you know when to take it off the heat.

INGREDIENTS

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Hard pretzels - You want the small, hard kind that come in a bag like potato chips. Smaller is better. Shape does not matter, so you could use flattened pretzels or the waffle-shaped ones if you wanted to. I don't think pretzel sticks would work as well.
• Butter - It doesn't matter whether it's salted or unsalted butter. Salted butter contains less than one teaspoon of salt per pound. You won't notice a difference between the two.
• Dark brown sugar - Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar, so the flavor is slightly different. If all you have is light, use that.
• Chocolate chips - I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate or whatever kind of chips you want. You could even use white chocolate if that's your thing.
• Chopped pecans - These are optional. If you have an allergy or simply don't like nuts, consider crushing some pretzels and sprinkling those over the melted chocolate. I think having something stuck in the chocolate makes a nicer presentation.

How to make Christmas pretzel toffee

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with foil. It helps to use one like this with raised edges.
2. Line the prepared baking sheet with small hard pretzels in a single layer.
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3. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter over medium-low heat. Very slowly, heat the mixture until it reaches 270-275ºF. This will take about 30 minutes. Immediately pour over pretzels.
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4. Toss the pretzels to cover them completely.
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5. Bake at 400º for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes so the chocolate can melt.
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6. Spread the melted chocolate evenly with an icing spatula over the top of the candy.
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7. Sprinkle the pretzel bark with chopped pecans.
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8. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
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Cook's tips for the best pretzel Christmas crack

Use high-quality, fresh ingredients. Because there are only 5 ingredients, they are all important, and an old or poor-quality item will be noticeable in your candy.

Make sure the toffee gets hot enough. You will heat it to boiling but then continue heating until it gets to at least 270ºF. It takes awhile, but it's worth the wait.

Cooking the toffee quickly will make it soft and sticky, like caramel. Cooking it very slowly (as the recipe instructs) will make it harder, more like English toffee.

Christmas crack must be completely cooled before you can cut it or it will be a sticky, gooey mess. If you need to speed up the process, you can stick it in the freezer for 20-25 minutes.

Serve Christmas crack with a glass of homemade eggnog for an extra special treat.

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Variations and substitutions

The original version of Christmas Crack uses saltine crackers or Ritz crackers instead of pretzels. If you're not a huge pretzel fan, you could try one or the other or even graham crackers. I like Ritz crackers better than saltines or grahams, but they're all tasty.

As mentioned above, you don't have to use chopped pecans. You could use chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped peanuts, or even crushed pretzels to sprinkle over the melted chocolate. You could even use rainbow sprinkles, mini M&Ms, crushed candy canes, or Heath bar bits if you want to.

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Storing Christmas Crack with Pretzels

You can store Christmas crack at room temperature, but I do suggest you place it in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag. It will stay good a long time, a week or more.

If you place the squares into a plastic freezer bag, you can freeze Christmas crack to enjoy later. It will stay fresh for 2-3 months. Allow it to sit on the counter overnight to thaw before eating. The pretzels might get a little soggy after freezing, but it will still taste great.

You’ll want to check out these other delicious sweet treats while you’re here!

• Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies for Christmas
• Secret Hershey Kiss Sugar Cookies
• Christmas Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
• Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
• Thumbprint Sugar Cookies with Jam Centers
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies (AKA PB Cream Cheese Brownie Bars)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• Coconut Macaroons – Quick & Easy Gluten-Free Cookies
• The Very Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pecan Pie Squares – Pecan Pie Bar Cookies

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