Description
Churro Saltine Toffee is a delightful sweet and salty dessert featuring a crunchy saltine cracker base topped with a buttery cinnamon sugar toffee, melted chocolate, and optional nuts. This easy-to-make treat combines the flavors of churros with the classic rich texture of toffee for a crowd-pleasing snack or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 sleeve (approximately 40) saltine crackers
Toffee Mixture
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (optional, for extra richness)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, for added texture)
- Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
- Cinnamon sugar mixture (1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Cracker Base: Arrange saltine crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet, placing them close together without overlapping. Break crackers as needed to fill any gaps.
- Make Toffee Base: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves completely.
- Cook Toffee: Allow the mixture to continue cooking without stirring until it boils and turns a light amber color, about 5-7 minutes or reaching 300°F (149°C). Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Add Vanilla: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly to add flavor.
- Pour Toffee: Pour the hot toffee evenly over the arranged saltine crackers and use a spatula to spread it out uniformly.
- Bake Toffee: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbly and evenly distributed.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee.
- Spread Chocolate: Let the chocolate chips soften for 1-2 minutes, then spread them evenly using a spatula. If using, sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top.
- Add Nuts: Sprinkle the finely chopped pecans or walnuts over the melted chocolate, gently pressing them in for better adherence.
- Season Toffee: Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the toffee, then generously dust with the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Cool Toffee: Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature for 1-2 hours or refrigerate for about 30 minutes until hardened.
- Break Into Pieces: Once cooled, break the toffee into individual pieces ready for serving.
- Serve and Store: Serve immediately and enjoy. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, layered between parchment paper to preserve freshness.
Notes
- The cinnamon sugar mixture adds a distinctive churro flavor and can be adjusted to taste.
- For extra richness, adding milk chocolate chips along with semi-sweet chocolate chips is optional.
- Chopped nuts are optional but add delightful texture to the toffee.
- Monitor the toffee mixture closely while cooking to prevent burning.
- Store the finished toffee in an airtight container layered with parchment paper to avoid sticking.
