Sweet and Salty Graham Cracker Toffee is an old-fashioned treat that features graham crackers covered in salted, caramelized brown sugar with crunchy pecans. It is sweet, salty, buttery, crunchy, and so easy to make! Perfect for bake sales, cookie swaps, and of course for Christmas Cookie Boxes.
Recipe Background and Details
This Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Toffee is perfect during the holiday season as it is quick and easy to whip up and makes a nice big batch for gifting. Be sure to check out my Christmas Cookie Box How-to Guide for all my tips on creating, packaging, and shipping cookies for the holidays.
I started making this on a whim about 20 years ago and it has become a Christmas tradition ever since. I couldn't tell you how I learned about this recipe, but I sure am glad I did. It is so easy to make and keeps forever in an airtight container.
This recipe was originally published February 28, 2015 and was updated on December 15, 2023 with more text and new photos.
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Ingredients
- Butter: Salted or Unsalted work well. This is very sweet so the extra salt is welcome.
- Brown Sugar: Light or Dark are both good. Dark will give you a darker color and more of a molasses flavor
- Salt: A bit of salt in the caramel mixture and plenty for the top.
- Pecans: I prefer chopped pecans for this but you could really use any nut you prefer.
- Graham Crackers: Just regular graham crackers, nothing flavored.
Instructions
How to make Graham Cracker Toffee:
- First line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment and lay graham cracker evenly on it. I break mine into individual pieces which makes it easier to chop/break apart later but you can also leave them whole.
- Next, Add sugar and butter to a pan and cook until melted and bubbling. Add pecans and stir to incorporate.
- Pour this mixture quickly and carefully over graham crackers and spread out as evenly as you can. It will bubble and spread a bit in the oven so don't get too fussy.
- Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven, top with flaky salt, and let cool completely before chopping or breaking into smaller pieces.
Variations and Substitutions:
Nuts: If you prefer your graham cracker toffee without nuts, simply omit them from the recipe
Crackers: You can use saltines for an even saltier taste
Chocolate: I make my graham cracker toffee without chocolate because I love that caramelized, toffee flavor all on its own, but you can add a layer of chocolate when you remove the toffee from the oven, allow it to melt, and then spread while still hot.
Related
Check out these other cookie and treat recipes especially if you are making a Christmas Cookie Box:
- Easy Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust
- 2023 Christmas Cookie Box
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies
Pairing
This graham cracker toffee is a Christmas tradition for my family. Click here for more Christmas recipes!
- Hot Cajun Crab Dip
- Chilled Crab Dip with Crème Fraîche + Herbs + Lemon
- How to Create a Salmon Bagel Board
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
If your graham cracker toffee is chewy it means it did not bake long enough. Be sure to bake for the fill 12 minutes and let it get fully bubbly and baked in the oven. It will also become chewy if left uncovered in a humid kitchen so be sure to store it in an airtight container away from humidity.
Sweet and Salty Graham Cracker Toffee
Description
Sweet and Salty Graham Cracker Toffee is an old-fashioned treat that features graham crackers covered in salted, caramelized brown sugar with crunchy pecans. It is sweet, salty, buttery, crunchy, and so easy to make! Perfect for bake sales, cookie swaps, and of course for Christmas Cookie Boxes.
Ingredients
- About 14 sheets of graham crackers broken along perforations into 4 pieces each
- 6 ounces (2 ½ sticks) butter
- 2 cups brown sugar, light or dark
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line a rimmed ½ sheet pan (18x13x1) with parchment or a non stick silicon baking mat. Cover baking sheet with Graham crackers. Get as many as you can on the sheet in a single layer, breaking some if necessary.
- In a saucepan, heat butter, sugar, and kosher salt until melted and bubbly.
- Add nuts.
- Pour sugar mixture as evenly as you can over Graham crackers. Carefully (it's hot!) spread to distribute nuts.
- Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt while still hot.
- Let cool for an hour at least, but longer is fine, too. Overnight is even better. (Try to wait that long to eat some. I dare you.)
- Break into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe was originally published February 28, 2015 and was updated on December 15, 2023 with more text and new photos.