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4-Ingredient Christmas Crack Recipe (Saltine Chocolate Toffee Bark)

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Christmas Crack Recipe

This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof saltine chocolate toffee bark recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

christmas crack pieces on a baking sheet with milk on the side

Main Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

  • Crackers – I used Simple Mill’s almond flour sea salt crackers, they’re entirely grain-free and a totally delicious! They act as the perfect substitute to Saltine crackers, used in most traditional Christmas crack recipes. This simple swap makes this holiday dessert recipe gluten-free, and a little bit healthier.

  • Butter – Feel free to use whatever kind of butter you’d like, though I used vegan butter to keep this recipe vegan-friendly. My sister’s vegan, so I always try to make at least a few holiday treats that she can eat too. And honestly, you can’t even taste the difference in this vegan version!

  • Sugar – I used coconut sugar, since it’s less refined and slightly lower on the glycemic index. However, brown sugar will work just as well!

  • Chocolate Chips – Either 2 cups of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate will do! Also, you can use whatever intensity of chocolate you’d like – I prefer dark chocolate to balance out some of that sweetness in the caramel layer. If you don’t have a microwave, or would prefer not to use it, then simply melt your chocolate over a double boiler instead. I always opt for the microwave because it’s easier!

  • Toppings (optional) – Christmas crack is great on its own, but feel free to add additional toppings like chopped nuts, candy, sprinkles, shredded coconut, or crushed candy canes.
Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)
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Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes
Chilling Time

6

hours

This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 5 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

Ingredients

  • 1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers or 1 box Simple Mill’s GF Crackers

  • 1 Cup Butter (Dairy or Non-Dairy)

  • 1 Cup Coconut Sugar

  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange crackers in an even layer on baking sheet.
    • Christmas Crack Step 1
  • Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once butter has melted, cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until dark brown and bubbling.
  • Remove from heat, then immediately pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
  • Melt chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals until completely smooth. Remove crackers from oven and let cool for 1 minute or until no longer bubbling, then pour chocolate over top and spread into an even layer.
  • Leave to cool at room temperature then transfer to either the fridge for 6-8 hours, or the freezer for 3-4 hours. Remove crack candy from pan, peel away foil, and break into large chunks.

Notes

  • To Store: Store Christmas Crack in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
  • To Freeze: Break or cut it into pieces and store it in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Rich in flavor, yet delicate in texture, gingerbread cookies are a classic Christmas holiday hit! These gluten-free gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and flavorful from the molasses and warm spices. Dairy-free option is also included, so everyone can enjoy!

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

I love the holiday season, especially for all the food and desserts that come with it. Gingerbread cookies are one of the Christmas cookies that I love to make this time of year. Since my gingerbread cookies recipe is both gluten-free and dairy-free, it’s super friendly to dietary restrictions and baked slightly crisp with a soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced middle!

Main Ingredients Needed To Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

  • All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

  • Butter – Dairy or non-dairy is fine depending on your preference, but I used non-dairy.

  • Egg

  • Baking Soda

  • Brown Sugar

  • Molasses – if you don’t know what molasses is: a syrupy byproduct of sugars from sugarcane and sugar beets.

  • Spices – ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground allspice, salt

  • For the icing: powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract

Tips When Making Gingerbread Cookies

  • To make vegan, use 2 flax eggs! To make one flax egg you will simply mix 2.5 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Once it’s thick, you’ll use the flax mixture just as you would a regular egg.

  • You could substitute the molasses with maple syrup if you need something more “on hand,” but I definitely prefer it with molasses!

  • Blackstrap molasses provides a richer flavor and deeper color. Regular unsulphured molasses can be substituted for a lighter color and flavor.

  • Get your friends and family involved with the gingerbread cookie decorations (while sipping on big mugs of vegan hot chocolate). There’s no better way to get in the Christmas spirit!

  • Be creative! Turn these gingerbread cookies into a snowman, yeti, teddy bear and more.

What to use on GINGERBREAD Cookies For Decorations?

  • Shredded coconut: This can help to mimic snow when decorating your cookies (especially great when making house-shaped cookies).
  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Cream cheese frosting: Instead of the simple glaze, combine plain vegan cream cheese with powdered sugar.
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsCuisine: American, Christmas
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Rich in flavor, yet delicate in texture, gingerbread cookies are a classic Christmas holiday hit! These gluten-free gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and flavorful from the molasses and warm spices. Dairy-free option is also included, so everyone can enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons Butter (softened)

  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

  • 1/2 Cup Molasses

  • 1 Egg (at room temperature)

  • 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger

  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  • 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

  • For the icing:

  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

  • 2 Tablespoons Milk

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer, until light and fluffy. Add in molasses and egg, beat until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
  • Add flour mixture into butter mixture and beat until a dough forms. Cover dough and let chill in fridge for at least one hour.
  • Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Place dough on a floured surface and roll until ¼-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes from dough and carefully transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake cookies for about 7 minutes, then remove, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Make icing by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add food coloring if you’d like, then use to decorate cookies.

Notes

  • To Store: Once the glaze has dried, store the vegan cookies in a cookie tin for 2-3 weeks.
  • To Freeze: Once the cookies are cooled place the undecorated cookies in a plastic freezer bag and place them in the freezer.  The cookies can be frozen for up to six months.

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30 Minutes or Less

Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk

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fudge without condensed milk stacked on a plate.

If you’re looking for a fudge snack that you can easily make at home, try my fudge recipe which only requires a few basic pantry ingredients. It doesn’t require sweetened condensed milk as many fudge recipes do, but it’s just as delicious!

close up image of fudge without condensed milk

What is Condensed Milk? How is the fudge made without it?

Condensed milk is cow’s milk from which water has been removed. It’s also sweetened with added sugar and is often used in traditional fudge recipes because it’s thick and sweet. However, not everyone has condensed milk in their pantry. So, if you want to make fudge on a whim, you need to improvise with some basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand. This is where my recipe comes in handy!

Melting the butter and chocolate in the microwave is the easiest way to create this fudge without condensed milk. But, this can also be done on a stovetop by melting and constantly stirring until combined.

However, keep in mind that evaporated milk is completely different and shouldn’t be used as a substitute.

overhead image of fudge without condensed milk cut into squares.

Main Ingredients For Fudge Without Condensed Milk Recipe

  • Chocolate – your choice of dark chocolate or chocolate chips!

  • Butter – I used non-dairy.

  • Milk – I used almond milk.

  • Powdered Sugar

  • Vanilla Extract

Tips When Making This Fudge Without Condensed Milk Recipe

  • Chocolate: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate or darker. I used 70% dark chocolate for this fudge recipe and had delicious results. The additional powdered sugar contributes quite a bit of sweetness to this recipe, therefore to avoid fudge that’s too sweet, use a dark chocolate which contains less sugar.

  • Milk: I used almond milk but regular milk works fine too. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try chocolate milk!

Storage

Store this fudge in the fridge for best results! If left at room temperature, the fudge runs the risk of melting (especially in warmer climates). I actually prefer to store my fudge in the freezer in the summertime, it’s still soft enough to sink my teeth into – but perfectly firm, cold, and just SO delicious!

Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk
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Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk

3 from 130 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

0

minutes

If you’re looking for a fudge snack that you can easily make at home, try my fudge recipe which only requires a few basic pantry ingredients. It doesn’t require sweetened condensed milk as many fudge recipes do, but it’s just as delicious!

Ingredients

  • 6 Ounces Dark Chocolate (or 3/4 cup chocolate chips)

  • 1/4 Cup Butter (Dairy or Dairy-free)

  • 1/4 Cup Milk (Dairy or Dairy-Free)

  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Line and grease a loaf pan. 
  • Microwave chocolate, butter, and milk in a bowl for 2 minutes or until melted – stir to combine.
  • Add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
  • Transfer mixture to prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Use a greased knife to cut fudge into squares.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • This fudge is best stored in the fridge or freezer.

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