This cracker candy or "crack candy" is a fun and EASY recipe to celebrate Mardi Gras. With the flavors and colors of a king cake recipe, you can snack on this all Carnival season!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Chill Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cracker candy, easy cracker candy, king cake cracker candy, king cake recipe, king cake tradition, mardi gras recipes
Servings: 10servings
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Nikki Gladd
Ingredients
40saltine crackers
1cupbrown sugar
1cupunsalted butter
1teaspoonground cinnamon
12oz.bag white chocolate chips
purple, yellow, and green sanding sugars
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line the bottom and sides of a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Tip: Spread butter on bottom of baking sheet to help hold down the paper.)
Place crackers, salt side down, on baking sheet side-by-side in single layer; set aside.
In a medium skillet, melt the sugar, butter and cinnamon over medium heat. Once melted, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, without stirring.
Pour hot toffee mixture onto crackers in pan. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread. Bake 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt white chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. (Usually takes about 2 minutes total.) Remove pan from the oven, let set 30 seconds, then pour melted chocolate over top and spread evenly to cover.
Decorate top with sanding sugars, alternating colors in a diagonal pattern. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the counter then freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Or, place in the fridge until hardened.
Remove from freezer and crack into bite sized pieces. Store candy in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Spreading the white chocolate -- We originally sprinkled the white chocolate chips over the toffee then returned to the oven to melt and then spread. However, this method wasn't consistent and was difficult to spread depending on the chocolate chips used. As of February 2022, we updated the recipe to melt the white chocolate in the microwave first.Sanding sugar -- You can find sanding sugar at any store that carries baking products. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby in a carousel that had all three colors. Michael's and Walmart carries sanding sugar, too.Homemade sanding sugar -- If you absolutely cannot find purple, yellow and green sanding sugar, you can easily make your own with granulated sugar and food coloring. See my recipe for king cake with instructions on how to make your own sanding sugar.How long to store cracker candy -- Cracker candy can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It should last for up to 2 weeks, but you'll never know because it's going to be gone within a day or two. ;)