This recipe is rustic, quick, and done in 20 minutes!  But once made, the bars have to sit in the refrigerator to harden up a bit 🙂 The finished product also freezes well, so it’s okay to make ahead or store leftovers for any chocolate emergency that may arise.

A long time ago, some friends gave me a recipe for Saltine Toffee Cookies they found on AllRecipes.com. Truth be told, the recipe didn’t sound very good—saltine crackers, brown sugar, butter, and melted chocolate?  Just. Say. No.  But they insisted I try it.  They insisted the recipe was good.  So, I trusted them—they make some great food! I tried it, and it was good, VERY good.  Then I came to find out this recipe is sort of an internet sensation, and I might have been the last person on the planet to know about it 🙂

Years passed, and one fine weekend, I took a chocolate-making class.  The instructor of the class talked about how her mother used to make a ganache and pour it over crumbled up graham crackers as a bedtime snack for her and her brothers—I know, I know—what a Mom! I never did that for my kids….and my mom never, ever made anything like that for me when I was a kid…but the gears began whirling.  Could I make chocolate-covered graham crackers?  

Chocolate-covered graham crackers with caramel?  What if I use the Saltine Toffee Cookie recipe and substitute graham crackers for the saltines?  What if, what if?

So I tried it, and we all think it’s one of the best quick treats I make 🙂 The last tin I made, hidden in the refrigerator behind the lettuce, only lasted three days.

Turns out, again, I am not the first person to think of this!  Many people online have used graham crackers instead of saltines in this recipe. Anyway, here’s my take on this recipe—you can find lots of versions all over now, but this is the one that works for me 🙂  

Keep these Chocolate-Covered Caramel Graham Crackers refrigerated when not being eaten. If the cookies sit out too long at room temperature, the graham cracker starts to soften and lose its crunch. My original copy of this recipe—with saltines rather than graham crackers—specifies that the recipe makes 35 servings. ROFLMAO!!! That’s so funny 😀

Very Important Update! If you have an instant-read thermometer, use it! If you don’t, don’t worry. I have been making this for at least 20 years without one. But if you do have one, bring the caramel mixture to approximately 260-270° without stirring, then immediately pour it over the arranged graham crackers.

Not So Important Update: I have seen reports of this recipe being made with different bases such as chocolate graham crackers, club crackers, Bischoff cookies….so feel free to experiment and improvise. I’m sticking to graham crackers, though.

One other thing: If you want to search this recipe online, try using the phrase “Christmas Crack” 🙂

And the last thing: I doubled the chocolate! I wasn’t going to say anything, but my cookbook club called me out on it. I use one 4.4 oz Lindt milk chocolate bar and one 3.5 oz Cadbury Milk bar. They said the chocolate was soooooo good :::glowing::: AND they told me to tell you all not to use chocolate chips! Correct. Do not use chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are made not to melt! Love them where they belong, but melting is not their job!

Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers with Caramel

INGREDIENTS

• Approximately 2/3 of a box of graham crackers—two packages out of a box of three.
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• (1 or 2) large-sized (4 or 5 oz) chocolate bar, chopped—I like a Symphony Bar or a Cadbury Bar, or if you like dark chocolate, the Hershey’s Special Dark Bar is good. If your bank account is large, use a 4.4 oz bar of Lindt or Ghirardelli chocolate, either milk, semi-sweet or bittersweet. Use whatever your favourite chocolate percentage is. Mine is milk, always milk!
• OPTIONAL: ¾ cup chopped nuts—if you like nuts; I have never added nuts—OR, if it’s December, crushed candy canes—I loooove this variation!—or any chopped Christmas candy or sprinkles. One of my daughters likes rainbow sprinkles on top—I do not.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°

1. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with graham crackers.  Place the graham crackers as close together as possible. You will need most of 2 waxed covered packages. Set the tray aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted.
3. Raise the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil vigorously for 3 minutes, without stirring—shaking the pan occasionally is okay. The original directions said to “stir constantly”, but I have found this to make a grainy caramel layer, so I don’t.
4. UPDATE! If you have an Instant-read thermometer, bring the caramel mixture to 245-260°. (For the correct reading don’t let the thermometer touch the bottom or side of the pan. Use your senses, too. If the caramel is looking too dark or smelling like it might be burning, pull it off the heat!)
5. Immediately pour caramel over graham crackers.  Use an offset spatula to quickly spread the caramel evenly over the crackers.
6. Place tray in hot oven and bake for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the top.  Let the chocolate just sit on top of the caramel for 5 minutes.
8. Spread the now melted chocolate evenly over the caramel.  If desired, sprinkle with pistachios or any other chopped nut; crushed pretzels, Oreos, peanut butter cups, candy canes, M&Ms, rainbow sprinkles or Christmas jimmies, but in IMHO, they are better without any toppings.
9. Let the tray sit until the chocolate has hardened—this may take a few hours. To speed things up, put the tray in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.
10. When chocolate is set, break bars into uneven pieces, OR chop into neat squares! It’s up to you. Sneak a piece or two.  Serve or cover and hide in refrigerator or freezer until needed 🙂

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!