Paleo Christmas Crack
This Paleo Christmas Crack is a grain free and gluten free version of the classic holiday treat made from crackers, caramel, and chocolate!
Any other Christmas Crack fans out there?! You know, the sweet, salty, and really ADDICTING treat that everyone loves at cookie exchanges? It’s called Crack for a reason, people. I love this stuff and wanted to create a gluten, grain, and dairy free version. It tastes just as good (in my humble opinion) without any of the junk!
What You Need to Make This Paleo Christmas Crack
These are the ingredients I used to keep it grain free. You can absolutely use any type of gluten free crackers and it will work just fine. Please note that the Simple Mills Crackers do have a slight rosemary/savory taste.
- Simple Mills grain free sea salt crackers – You can find these at most Targets, Wegmans, and on Thrive Market. I also get them at Costco!
- Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
- coconut sugar
- Butter – I like to use Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter.
- Vanilla extract
I also made this with Miyoko’s Vegan Butter and it turned out amazing!!
If making this with ghee (clarified butter which works well for most people with dairy intolerances), you will need:
- ghee
- maple syrup
- full fat coconut milk (just the thick part) or coconut cream
How to Make This Paleo Christmas Crack:
I’ve tried this with both regular grass-fed butter and ghee, and here is my advice: Watch it carefully! Sugar can burn easily, so you need to keep your eye on it constantly. When you first start stirring, the sugar and butter will separate. This is normal. Just keep stirring until it comes back together and turns into a creamy caramel consistency. I have included two different instruction groups below – one for if you’re using ghee, and one for butter. There is definitely a difference! I personally prefer to use grass-fed butter for this recipe and think it works best!
Where Should I Store This Paleo Christmas Crack?
It does best stored in the refrigerator. I would not suggest gifting it to people in boxes because it will most likely melt and become gooey! You can also freeze it and let it thaw for 10 minutes before eating.
Looking for another paleo holiday treat? Check out my Paleo Buckeye Balls!
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! Happy Cooking!
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Paleo Christmas Crack
Ingredients
- 1 box almond flour crackers (or any GF cracker of choice), I used Simple Mills sea salt grain free crackers. You can use any type you want!
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups dairy free chocolate chips, I used Enjoy Life brand (2 cups = about a bag and a 1/4)
If using butter:
- 1 cup grass fed butter , I like Kerrygold brand - or you can use Vegan Butter like Miyoko's brand!
- 1 cup coconut sugar
If using ghee:
- 3/4 cup ghee
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut cream, the hardened part at the top of the can - I like Native Forest brand best!
Instructions
If using butter (or vegan butter):
- Preheat oven to 400. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with avocado oil or other cooking oil. Line the bottom of the pan evenly with crackers until it is completely covered and they form the bottom layer. Set aside.
- Combine butter and coconut sugar in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and whisk vigorously for 3-4 minutes. It will appear to separate, but that's ok! Just keep stirring until it resembles caramel and is a rich brown color. Remove from heat immediately and add vanilla.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the crackers. Put into the oven and bake for 5 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in 40 second increments, stirring in between. When the crackers/caramel come out of the oven, let them cool for 1-2 minutes until the bubbling stops. Pour the chocolate overtop and smooth/even out using a butter knife.
- Let the pan cool and refrigerate overnight (or minimum 6 hours for best consistency!) - Alternatively you can freeze the pan for 2 hours. Once ready, remove the foil/parchment paper and cut using a chef's knife (you can also use your hands but I find a knife works a bit better!). Serve and enjoy. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days!
If using ghee:
- Preheat oven to 400. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with avocado oil or other cooking oil. Line the bottom of the pan evenly with crackers until it is completely covered and they form the bottom layer. Set aside.
- Combine ghee, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and whisk vigorously for 3-4 minutes. It will appear to separate, but thats okay! Just keep stirring until it resembles caramel and is a rich brown color. Remove from heat immediately and add vanilla and coconut cream.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the crackers. Put into the oven and bake for 5 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in 40 second increments, stirring in between. When the crackers/caramel come out of the oven, let them cool for 1-2 minutes until the bubbling stops. Pour the chocolate overtop and smooth/even out using a butter knife.
- Let the pan cool and refrigerate overnight (or minimum 6 hours for best consistency!). Alternatively, you can freeze for 2 hours. Once ready, remove the foil/parchment paper and cut using a chef's knife (you can also use your hands but I find a knife works a bit better!). Serve and enjoy. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days!
65 Comments on “Paleo Christmas Crack”
Hi Mary! Can you use regular cane sugar vs. coconut sugar?
If you’re going to substitute, I would do brown sugar only! This will ensure it maintains the caramel color/consistency!
Thanks so much 🙂 Also, for the ghee – do you think a butter substitute like Earth Balance would work just as well?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure! I know regular butter works well…let me know if you try Earth Balance!
Did you try it with the alternative butter?
I tried it with Earth Balance Soy Free. It tastes wonderful but it’s not hardening?? Left it in the refrigerator overnight and the caramel layer is sticky but not hardened. Would this be because of the butter substitute instead of butter? Tastes delicious though! Just messy!
Yes it’s definitely because of the butter substitute. This recipe really only works best with grass fed butter or ghee! I’m glad it still tastes good at least!
Hi, Mary! Any extra tips on making the caramel? My attempt this weekend went from “Oh! It’s starting to look like caramel” to “OH MY GOD WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” in a matter of seconds.
Oh no! My only advice would be to make sure you are whisking constantly – it will start to separate, but don’t worry – keep stirring and it should turn into a thick caramel consistency in about 3-4 mins!
My would really enjoy this recipe for sure! It looks simple to make too so hopefully I don’t mess it up. Thank you
Did you end up making it? Let me know how it went 🙂
Can I use honey or maple syrup in place of the coconut sugar?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure! But let me know how it goes if you do. If anything, I would do brown sugar in it’s place!
Did you use a rectangular pan?
9×13 rectangular rimmed sheet pan
This is so good! It’s so easy and can be whipped up in no time! I will be making this many more times.
I’m so glad you liked it!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Do you think I could use semi sweet chocolate chips or does it need to be the Enjoy Life ones to turn out properly?
You can use any chocolate chips that you want! 🙂
Does it have to be stored in the fridge?
Ideally! But it will be okay at room temperature for a bit.
This looks so good! I bet the coconut cream texture works well with this one!
Thanks for sharing! Can it be frozen?
Yes it can! You’re so welcome!
Yum! I made this today and it is so delicious! Thanks for such a great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You’re so welcome!
Everything went well until I put it in the oven. It was supposed to bubble after 5 minutes. After about 12, and constant checking, I took mine out and all that had happened was my crackers turned black. It never bubbled. Is this step absolutely necessary? It looked good prior to that.
I’m sorry to hear that! The step is necessary to get it to eventually harden like caramel/toffee. Did you use butter or ghee?
Turned out great! I doubled the recipe and sprinkled coarsely chopped pecans on the caramel before baking it. Are these cookies going to get gooey when I put them in my gift boxes with my other cookies? They are really good!
Yay! They may start to melt a little bit – these are best kept in the fridge long term!
I mean, oh my goodness. I went the ghee route and it was soooooooo good!!!
It cant be the dessert you bring to share at a potluck because it does begin to soften pretty quickly out of the fridge, but who wants to share something so delicious anyway!? 😉
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Can I use lankanto brown in place of coconut sugar? I need to keep it keto
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. if you do and it works out please let me know so I can update the post with that as an option!
I made this recipe today and it turned out great. It’s definitely addicting and very, very sweet. Perfect for a festive occasion. It needs to be stored in the fridge or the freezer or else it gets gooey and melty, so it is not the best treat for putting in a box and gifting or for sitting at room temperature for any length of time. The caramel is so delicious and was easy to prepare with the very clear instructions. I love the Simple Mills crackers and buy them all the time, but I would not use them again for this recipe–they contain some onion and garlic and I could taste it a little over the caramel and chocolate. I would try it again with a more neutral, gluten-free Saltine-like cracker. Really fun recipe, though–thank you!
You’re welcome, Cindy! Glad you enjoyed it! I agree the simple mills crackers do have a bit of herb flavoring. I’ve made this with regular gluten free saltines and it’s delicious as well!
Masking this now and forgot to grease the parchment paper! Fingers crossed! :O
I hope it turned out well!
These are soooo yummy! I made a regular batch for Christmas a couple of days ago – a regular batch, and small batch using Nut Thins since I’m very allergic to Sunflower seeds and oil. Both turned out great! So great in fact, that I have another batch cooling as I type. So easy and ADDICTING.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! And that’s great to know it worked with Nut Thins!
So easy and yet one of the best candies I’ve ever tasted! My family devoured this over Christmas. We used ghee because of dairy issues and it was amazing!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!!
These are good. Dangerously good. Like I can’t make them unless we are going somewhere or take (most of) the leftovers to friends. I had hubby help me the second time I made the recipe and he was surprised how simple it was, he was expecting a more difficult process. I have shared this recipe multiple times, it is definitely a new favorite!
Hi Heather- thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
I literally can’t say enough about this recipe! I made these with my husband for Christmas and we have made them so many times since. I was shocked with how much the caramel tastes like the real thing. They are so easy to make and taste amazing! The most difficult part about this recipe is having enough self control to not eat them all in one sitting! 🙂
Thanks Kelsey! I know these can be quite addicting 🙂 haha I appreciate your kind words!
I enjoy these year round! My family (who doesn’t eat paleo) LOVED them too and probably ate more than me 😂. Super yummy!
I used vegan butter and it was delicious!
Hey Beth, with the vegan butter, did you go the Ghee route with the coconut milk, or the other? Trying to figure out which version of the recipe to use with vegan butter. Thanks!
Hi Mary, any tips for getting the parchment off the bottom? Seems really melded together and not peeling off. I made with butter!
Did you possibly use wax paper instead of parchment? The reason I ask is that my husband did the same thing when helping our son bake some macaroons and it would not peel off the bottom. Typically parchment paper doesn’t have that same reaction.
I use parchment every time – I don’t have wax paper here. As long as you spray it first with cooking oil as directed, you should have no issue removing it! 🙂
I’m making this for the first time with ghee. I see coconut cream listed in ingredients but it’s not listed in the instructions so I added it to the ghee, coconut sugar, maple syrup and water (after already boiled and whisked so I did the process over.)
Hi Lindsey! There is a separate set of instructions for using ghee – you just need to scroll down a little bit. You did it the right way if you added the coconut cream after you removed everything from the heat! Hope it works out for you!
This was my first time trying the recipe. We have a dairy allergy so we used Flora Plant Butter. It worked great as a substitute. The reason for two stars is that we disliked the flavor profile. The “herby” flavor from the crackers mixed with the sweetness of the Carmel and chocolate just didn’t blend well together. Highly suggest using a different cracker. Otherwise the recipe works well.
I love this idea. However, the final taste had an undertone of onion and garlic from the crackers. I made another batch with gf graham crackers and it was SO MUCH BETTER.
Hi Tara – I specified that you could use any type of cracker you want (but that I had used Simple Mills) – glad it worked for you with graham crackers!
Great recipe!! I used Miyoko’s vegan butter and half coconut sugar and half light brown sugar and it was amazing! You definitely don’t taste anything off with the crackers she recommends since there is a hint of rosemary in them. The key is to cover your cookie sheet with parchment paper so it’s easier to remove from the pan. I did the quick cool method by putting in the freezer for 2 hours. It’s SO addictive and I can’t stop eating it!
Thanks so much Brenda!!
These taste very good. A bit sweet but my main gripe is that after refrigerating there was a slight white film of butter that hardened on top making them not the prettiest to display 🙁 Did anyone else have the same issue? Not sure if I did something wrong. I otherwise enjoyed them and will still serve them to friends.
Hi! Sorry there was a film – not sure why that would occur? I am curious what type of coconut sugar did you use?
I love being able to enjoy treats without worrying about being in pain later. Last year I tried with ghee and it did not turn out well. This year I used the vegan butter and it turned out perfect.
So glad to hear it turned out well- thanks Faith!
Oh man, I wish I had looked at the comments before diving in! I tried to use some soy free earth balance butter that I had left over from the holidays and like someone else has already shared, the caramel came out as a (very tasty!) sticky mess. Oops! So easy to make though, I’ll have to try again when these run out.
I can taste the rosemary in the crackers but I really don’t mind. These are very sweet but that just means I’ll eat a smaller portion at a time which is probably for the best anyways 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!