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Christmas crack with peanut butter is sure to make all your family and friends go nuts! Although, this toffee bark doesn’t include any nuts; if you gift this bark out for Christmas expect people to be wanting more the next year. It’s seriously delicious and very addictive!

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chocolate and peanut butter swirled bark in a white bowl


Best Christmas Crack with Peanut Butter

Perfect for gifting in the holiday season, no one can resist a smile when they receive a box of Christmas crack! It’s a universal gift that everyone is sure to love.

You can get creative! Think about your palate and what ingredients you like together, feel free to add or swap out different ingredients to make the bark to your liking. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Use any kind of graham crackers! I love the chocolate ones but regular would be great (an upgrade to graham cracker toffee) or even use cinnamon grahams.

Ingredients Needed

  • Chocolate graham crackers- Normally toffee bark like this is made with Matzo or saltine crackers, but just trust me on this, try the chocolate graham crackers. They are delicious. 
  • Butter – I call for unsalted butter but you can swap salted, just omit the added salt.
  • Brown sugar – Be sure to pack it.
  • Water – helps make the toffee
  • Vanilla extract – Use natural for the best flavor.
  • Salt – If using unsalted butter
  • Chocolate chips – milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate.
  • Peanut butter – This recipe has been tested with regular no-stir peanut butter. Creamy or crunchy will work.
chocolate and peanut butter swirled bark in a white bowl

How to Make Christmas Crack

  • Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with foil and spray with non-stick baking spray. You can also use a cookie sheet with 1” sides. Then, place graham crackers in an even layer on the prepared pan, you can break some up to ensure they all fit. Set the pan aside. 
  • Make the base: Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Add brown sugar and water then stir them together to combine. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and then cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 255°F (don’t stir). If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can also check with an instant-read thermometer. 
  • Bake: Once the mixture reaches 255°F, immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour and spread evenly over the graham crackers and bake for 5 minutes. 
  • Add chocolate chips: Remove the toffee from the oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips, bake for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Heat peanut butter: Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 15-20 minutes or until it’s soft and pourable. 
  • Add chocolate and peanut butter: Once the toffee comes out of the oven, the chocolate chips will be melted and spreadable. Spread the chocolate evenly with a knife and then drizzle the peanut butter over the top. Swirl with a utensil such as a knife or the handle of a wooden spoon. Chil in until it’s hard, then break it into pieces. 
  • Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Variations

The best thing about making bark is all the different options there are! There are so many delicious variations it’s impossible to make them all, but you can sure try! Here are some of my personal favorites that I’ve made over the years: 

  • Use any kind of graham crackers
  • Use your favorite kind of chocolate chips
  • Add chopped peanut butter cups, nuts or Reese’s Pieces on top!

Expert tip

Back sure the Christmas crack is baking for long enough, use your thermometer to get an exact read. If the toffee bark isn’t cooked for long enough it can come out chewy, and as well and will stick in your teeth.

chocolate and peanut butter swirled bark in a white bowl

FAQs

Why is it called Christmas crack?

It’s called Christmas crack because when you bend the toffee bark, it cracks! Another possible reason is that it’s so good that it’s addicting! Kind of like…. you get it. 

Why is my Christmas crack chewy?

Your Christmas crack is chewy because most likely, it was undercooked. Toffee bark gets chewy when there is too much moisture in it, when baked appropriately the moisture should cook out so that it CRACKS when you bend it. 

How do you store toffee bark?

You can store your Christmas crack with peanut butter right on the counter in an air-tight container. 

Can you freeze this recipe?

Yes, you can freeze toffee bark for up to three months! Be sure to keep it in an air-tight container.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Crack Bark

Peanut Butter Chocolate Christmas Crack Recipe

5 from 5 votes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Crack Bark has a graham cracker base, an easy toffee on top, plus chocolate chips and peanut butter. Such a good recipe!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 18 servings
Serving Size 1 /18th

Ingredients
 

  • 8-10 Chocolate Graham Crackers (see note)
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • 2 cups (340g) chocolate chips (see note)
  • cup (89g) peanut butter (use regular no-stir, not natural)
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan (or a cookie sheet with 1” sides) with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place graham crackers in an even layer on the prepared pan, breaking some to make them all fit. Set aside.
  • Place butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Add brown sugar and water and stir to combine. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and then cook over medium-low heat, not stirring, until the mixture reaches 255°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can also check it often with an instant read thermometer.
  • Once it reaches 255°F, immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Pour and spread evenly over the graham crackers. Bake for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the toffee from the oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Bake an additional 2 minutes.
  • Place peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 15-20 seconds, or until it’s pourable. When the toffee comes out of the oven, the chocolate chips will be melted and spreadable. Spread the chocolate even with a knife and then drizzle the peanut butter over the top and swirl with the knife or the back of a wooden spoon. Chill to harden, then break into pieces.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

  • Use any kind of graham cracker you like
  • Use only no-stir peanut butter (not natural). Creamy or crunchy works.
  • Milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips only. If you want to use white chocolate you must melt them in a bowl and spread it on (they won’t melt properly during the 2 minutes in the oven).

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1/18th | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Other Candy Bark Recipes:

Make Christmas Crack with peanut butter – this easy toffee bark with graham crackers and peanut butter is our favorite holiday candy recipe!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. I have never had any Christmas cracks with peanut butter before. I love them and so does my family. This is a great recipe to cook for Christmas.

  2. I love the Christmas Cracks. Have never had the peanut butter one and am looking forward to making and indulging myself. Love peanut butter anything. Thanks for sharing.