M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack

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The perfect sweet and salty snack that is full of chocolate and toffee. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and will be a hit at all of your holiday parties!

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Less than a week ago, I had never eaten or attempted to bake Christmas Crack. Can you believe that?! I think the idea of using crackers in a dessert just wasn’t enticing to me and I didn’t understand the hype. However, I was then asked to make Christmas Crack Cookies, and I obviously agreed to bake a batch, but I wanted to make a different variety of Christmas Crack.

Since there are chocolate and toffee layers, I figured that pretzels would complement those two flavors so well. A little bit of sweet and salty in every bite, I knew this combination would be irresistible. In my opinion, there is no such thing as too much chocolate. So, with that in mind, I decided to add festive mini M&Ms and sprinkles to the top of the Christmas Crack as well. And, let me just tell you, this stuff is SO GOOD. So good that I have to hide it from myself because just going for one piece easily turns into five pieces. It’s addicting.

A few of my favorite things about this dessert: 1) it’s so easy to make. I added a few extra ingredients to upgrade the flavor, but I guarantee that you have most (if not all) of these items in your pantry already. 2) It makes a great gift! It’s cute and festive, but also delicious. You can easily throw it into a cellophane bag and have a sweet, thoughtful gift to share with friends, family, and coworkers.

So, enough rambling — let’s get into how to make your newest addiction.

Read on for the full recipe for this unreal M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack.

As soon as I posted a photo of the M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack, so many people were asking me for the recipe. And, now that I’ve made it and tried it out myself, I can understand the hype around it. The toffee paired with the chocolate and pretzel layers — it’s seriously addicting. I’m actually snacking on it while writing this blog post.

While I chose to use pretzels for my base, you can of course use the classic saltine/Ritz crackers, or graham crackers for some fun variety. As for toppings, these are also highly customizable — feel free to use any kind of chocolate (white, milk, semisweet, or dark) as well as your favorite candies and sprinkles.

The first time I made Christmas Crack there were definitely a few learnings, so I want to share those with you as well.

1. I used a 15″ x 10″ inch pan for this recipe. Please do not use any size pan without adjusting your ingredients accordingly. If you use a larger pan, you will not have enough toffee to cover your pretzel layer (I learned this lesson myself). Alternatively, if you use a smaller pan, your toffee layer will probably be very thick and may be difficult to bite into.
2. For the pretzel layer, I chose to use Snaps because they create the cleanest and most even layer. If you choose to use a different pretzel shape, just make sure that you completely cover the pan in a layer of pretzels and have as few gaps as possible.
3. While making the toffee on the stove, stir it constantly. Honestly, from the moment I put the butter and sugar in the pot on the stove until it was ready to be removed from the heat, I barely stopped stirring. You do not want your toffee mixture to burn or stick to the bottom of the pot, so keep your eyes on it the entire time and KEEP STIRRING!
4. Move quickly, but carefully and with caution. Unlike other treats I’ve made, this is a relatively quick process and time is of the essence. You can’t walk away for a few minutes and come back, so make sure you are distraction-free while making this recipe. There are hot liquids involved, so be careful.

As with all of my recipes, I’ve included some additional Tips for Success and answers to FAQs below. Feel free to DM me on Instagram and I’ll try my best to help answer any other questions you may have.

Other recipes you may like:

• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gooey Caramel Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Brown Butter Biscoff Banana Bread Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Pretzels (I used Snaps)
• Unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, omit the salt called for in the recipe)
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Mini M&Ms
• Sprinkles
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need:

• Small to medium size pot
• 15″ x 10″ baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Spatulas
• Measuring cups

How to make the most addicting M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a 15”x10” pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. NOTE: if you use a smaller or larger size pan, you will need to adjust the ingredients accordingly.

Line the parchment paper completely with 2¼ cups (for me this was exactly 84) Snaps pretzels.

On the stove, over medium to high heat (closer to high), place a small to medium size pot. Add 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup brown sugar, stirring until it’s completely melted and combined. Let the mixture come to a boil and begin bubbling. Stir constantly and let the mixture boil for 3 minutes. Please note: if your heat is not high enough, it may take longer than 3 minutes to make your toffee (maybe an extra minute or two). I highly recommend investing in a candy thermometer. The toffee will be done and should be removed from heat when it reaches 270 to 290 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt. When adding in the vanilla extract, the mixture may bubble, so be careful.

Pour the mixture over the pretzel layer as evenly as possible.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and let it bake for 5 minutes. The toffee layer should be clearly bubbling.

Remove from the oven and immediately top with 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Let the chocolate sit (don’t touch it) for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, take a spatula and gently smooth the chocolate over the toffee and pretzel layer.

Immediately top with ¼ cup mini M&Ms and ¼ cup sprinkles. Let the bark cool for 15 to 20 minutes before topping with flaky sea salt.

Let the bark sit until completely cooled (around 15 to 20 minutes). Then, place it in the refrigerator so it can chill for a few hours before breaking it apart into smaller pieces.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• In order to achieve the correct consistency for your toffee, you must let it come to a boil and continue boiling for 3 full minutes. I recommend setting a timer. This step is crucial. If the butter and brown sugar do not boil for long enough, your toffee may end up sticky. Alternatively, you also don’t want to overbake or burn your toffee. So, please, once your butter and sugar mixture begins boiling and bubbling vigorously, set that timer for 3 minutes and stir it the entire time!
• For this recipe, you will need to move carefully, but quickly. The toffee will be hot and you will need to move quickly with it. While this is a very easy dessert to make, it is one that will require your full attention.
• Preheat your oven BEFORE you begin. We will be baking the pretzels and toffee layer for 5 minutes. As soon as you pour the toffee layer over the pretzels, you’ll need to place it into the oven to bake. So, make sure your oven is preheated and ready to go. You do not want the toffee layer to sit out or harden as this will impact the final result.
• If you’re new to making toffee, consider buying a candy thermometer as this will be the best indicator for you to know when the toffee mixture is done. Once the temperature reaches between 270 and 290 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the stove.

FAQs

Do I have to use unsalted butter?

No – salted butter is totally fine! Just omit the extra salt that this recipe calls for.

Do I have to use Snap pretzels?

Feel free to use any pretzel shape that you like or have on hand. Just make sure that the bottom of the pan is completely covered and that you cover as many of those gaps as possible. Layer broken pretzel pieces over any gaps so that your pretzel layer is as even as possible.

My toffee layer is sticky, what did I do wrong?

Your butter and brown sugar most likely did not boil for long enough. Make sure that you let that mixture reach a boil, so that it’s bubbling vigorously. Then, set a timer for 3 minutes and stir the mixture continuously. Once the timer goes off, remove the mixture from the heat. Be careful to also not overcook your butter and sugar as this will result in toffee that is too hard. It really is a delicate balance, so watch your toffee closely and set the timer!

What can I use for the base of my Christmas Crack instead of pretzels?

There are so many options — Ritz crackers, saltines, and graham crackers are a few!

Can I use a different size pan?

Yes, but you will need to adjust the ingredients accordingly. If you use a larger pan, you won’t have enough toffee to cover the pretzel layer. Alternatively, if you use a smaller pan, your toffee layer may be very thick.

How to store

Store the M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze in a freezer-safe storage bag or container for up to 3 months. If freezing, let the Christmas Crack soften before consuming.

This M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack is guaranteed to be your new favorite treat. Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it’s so easy to make and requires minimal ingredients. It’s the perfect sweet and salty snack and is full of chocolate and toffee in every bite. I’m obsessed and know that you will be too!

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock and #itsbrunchoklock.