This cracker candy, often called “crack candy,” is an easy, festive treat perfect for Mardi Gras. It captures the flavors and colors of a king cake and makes a delicious snack throughout Carnival season.
Cracker Candy is a simple toffee bark built on a layer of saltine crackers. The combination of sweet toffee, cinnamon, white chocolate, and colorful sanding sugar creates a salty-sweet snack that’s hard to stop eating. Traditionally popular at Christmas, this version gets a Mardi Gras twist with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars, bringing king cake flavors to a no-fuss treat.
Cracker Candy Ingredients
This recipe delivers the essence of king cake in a much easier format. You will need:
- Saltine crackers – the crunchy, salty base for the toffee.
- Brown sugar – light or dark works for the caramel layer.
- Unsalted butter – melted with the sugar to form the toffee.
- Ground cinnamon – adds warm, king cake–style flavor.
- White chocolate chips – melted to form the icing layer.
- Sanding sugar – purple, yellow (gold), and green for decorating in separate stripes.
How To Make Cracker Candy:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange saltine crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, salt side down.
- In a medium nonstick saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat. Once melted, bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes without stirring to form the toffee.
- Pour the hot toffee evenly over the crackers and spread with a rubber spatula. Bake for 7 minutes.
- While the pan bakes, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Remove the pan from the oven, let it sit 30 seconds, then pour and spread the melted white chocolate evenly over the toffee layer.
- Sprinkle sanding sugar in diagonal stripes using purple, yellow, and green in separate lines to mimic king cake colors.
- Chill until firm: Freeze for about 30 minutes or refrigerate longer until the chocolate and toffee are fully set. Break into bite-sized pieces before serving.
This king cake–inspired cracker candy disappears quickly. The combination of cinnamon-spiced toffee, salty crackers, smooth white chocolate, and festive sanding sugar makes it a crowd-pleaser.
Expert Tips
Melting the white chocolate – For consistent results, melt the white chocolate in the microwave and spread it over the warm toffee rather than sprinkling chips on top and returning the pan to the oven. This ensures an even layer that’s easy to decorate.
Sanding sugar – Most craft and grocery stores that carry baking supplies sell sanding sugar. If you can’t find the exact colors, you can tint granulated sugar with food coloring to create purple, gold, and green.
Storage – Store cracker candy in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to two weeks, though it rarely lasts that long.
Recipe Variations
Christmas version – Use red and green sanding sugar or chocolate chips for the classic holiday crack candy.
Ritz crackers – You can substitute Ritz crackers for a richer, buttery base, though saltines keep the look closer to king cake icing.
Valentine’s Day – Swap the Mardi Gras colors for pinks and reds and add candy hearts or red candies on top for a themed variation.
Recipe Card
King Cake Cracker Candy
10 mins
10 mins
30 mins
50 mins
Ingredients
- 40 saltine crackers
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 oz white chocolate chips
- Purple, yellow (gold), and green sanding sugars
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet (about 16×11 inches) with parchment paper.
- Place crackers, salt side down, in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat. Increase to medium-high and boil without stirring for 3 minutes.
- Pour the hot toffee mixture evenly over the crackers and spread with a rubber spatula. Bake for 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Remove the pan from the oven, let it rest 30 seconds, then pour and spread the melted white chocolate over the toffee layer.
- Decorate with sanding sugars in diagonal stripes using purple, yellow, and green. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerate until firm.
- Break into bite-sized pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
Spreading white chocolate: Melting the white chocolate in the microwave before spreading gives a smoother, more even finish than sprinkling chips on top and returning the pan to the oven.
Sanding sugar: Available at most craft and grocery stores. You can also tint granulated sugar with food coloring if needed.
Storage: Keeps up to two weeks in an airtight container, though it’s usually eaten much sooner.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 33 g |
Protein: 2 g |
Fat: 19 g
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This article was originally published January 2020 and updated February 2022 with an improved method for melting white chocolate.