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    You Are Here Home » Sweets Recipes

    Published: Dec 26, 2017 Updated: Apr 25, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 9 Comments

    Toffee Bars Recipe

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    This Toffee Bars Recipe is also referred to as "crack cookies," amongst some of my friends. I guess you could say they're quite addicting! Crispy graham crackers are topped with a gooey brown sugar and butter toffee mixture, loaded with ground pecans and walnuts. The results are heavenly!

    toffee bars stacked

    The original version of this recipe was called "MJ's Can't Stop Eating Them Cookies." MJ was a teacher that worked with my sister, Beni.

    Beni shared the recipe with me, but like most recipes, I couldn't just leave it as is. I added some of my favorite spices and reduced the amount of butter. After sharing the recipe with my friends, the recipe got a new name, "Hilda's Crack Cookies."

    How to Make This Recipe

    Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

    Step 1: Finely grind the nuts using a food processor and set aside.

    ground nuts in a bowl

    Step 2: Line a 10"x15" cookie sheet with graham crackers. You will have to break the last graham cracker in half, lengthwise, to fit in the unfilled section of the tray.

    graham crackers on a tray

    Step 3: Place brown sugar, butter, spices, and vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir ingredients over medium heat until the butter is melted, and the ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a boil, then continue boiling for two minutes.

    caramel boiling in a pot

    Step 4: Add the nuts and continue to boil and stir for an additional minute.

    toffee being stirred in a pot

    Step 5: Quickly pour the mixture over the graham crackers, making sure to cover the entire surface. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool for at least 15 minutes.

    toffee cookies in a tray
    crack cookies on a tray

    Step 6: Break cookies into squares or smaller rectangles.

    bar cookies piled on each other

    We have been making these cookies for several years. They are also really good made with saltine crackers, have even had them with different snack crackers.

    —Mitzi

    Pro Tips

    • This recipe requires that you work very fast. Especially when spreading the caramel/nut mixture over the graham crackers. It sets pretty quickly.
    • Cooling the cookies in a fridge speeds up the time it takes for the cookies to set.
    • Try adding other nuts or spices based on your preference to make this toffee bars recipe your own.

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    toffee bars stacked

    Toffee Bars Recipe (Crack Cookies)

    These toffee bars are very delicious, simple to make, and highly addicting!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Dessert, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 38 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 squares
    Calories: 145kcal

    Ingredients

    • 13 graham crackers
    • ¾ cups salted butter
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom
    • ¼ teaspoon cloves
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup ground pecans (or walnuts)

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Finely grind the nuts using a food processor and set aside.
    • Line a 10"x15" cookie sheet with graham crackers. You will have to break the last graham cracker in half, lengthwise, to fit in the unfilled section of the tray.
    • Place brown sugar, butter, spices, and vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir ingredients over medium heat until the butter is melted, and the ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a boil, then continue boiling for two minutes.
    • Add the nuts and continue to boil and stir for an additional minute.
    • Quickly pour the mixture over the graham crackers, making sure to cover the entire surface. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool for at least 15 minutes.
    • Break cookies into squares or smaller rectangles.

    Notes

    • This recipe requires that you work very fast. Especially when spreading the caramel/nut mixture over the graham crackers. It sets pretty quickly.
    • Cooling the cookies in a fridge speeds up the time it takes for the cookies to set.
    • Try adding other nuts or spices based on your preference.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl says

      December 09, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Have you seen this made with Saltines instead?

    2. HildaSterner says

      January 31, 2018 at 6:42 pm

      Hi, Mitzi, thanks for stopping by! Yes, I have had the saltine cracker version, they are great too. I don't think you can go wrong with the combination of butter, sugar, nuts and a cracker!

    3. Mitzi says

      January 31, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      We have been making these cookies for several years. They are also really good made with saltine crackers, have even had them with different snack crackers.

    4. HildaSterner says

      December 30, 2017 at 7:30 am

      Yes, walnuts can easily be replaced with other nuts such as pecans or almonds. Thanks for stopping by!

    5. Danielle@wenthere8this.com says

      December 30, 2017 at 6:45 am

      OMG these look absolutely amazing! I love all the flavors (except walnuts, but I can just leave those out). YUM!

    6. HildaSterner says

      December 29, 2017 at 10:37 pm

      When my daughter was little, she's now 23, we used to have tea parties with my mom. We would dip the graham crackers in our tea. My daughter always referred to them as "grandma crackers." We call them grandma crackers to this day, and I still love to dip them in my tea!

    7. anastaciast says

      December 29, 2017 at 10:17 pm

      You had me at "graham"

    8. HildaSterner says

      December 26, 2017 at 10:44 am

      Oh, a little background info on the recipe, I like it. Thanks for letting me know. What's interesting is I'm finding a lot of similar recipes (like MJ's) on Pinterest. Some are called "Crack Praline" and others have the name "crack" in the title. I guess Teresa was onto something!

    9. beni says

      December 26, 2017 at 10:21 am

      And MaryJane got the recipe from Mr. Food, the TV. program, I think on Channel 9 in Chicago.

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