Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers
I love surprises, so maybe that is one of the reasons I love to cook. I love the creative aspect of developing new recipes, reinventing the tried & true, and never quite knowing what the outcome will be until I’m done or the oven timer dings.
When something totally unexpected happens, the process makes me even happier and that is how Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers were born.
Chocolate Toffee Crackers are one of my favorite treats, so I thought it would be a fun tweak to substitute oyster crackers for saltines. In earlier posts, I’ve mentioned how much I love cute, little things and Chocolate Toffee Oyster Crackers would fit that bill.
When I made Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers, I followed the directions for making Chocolate Toffee Crackers until it was time to add the chocolate. When I took the toffee-covered oyster crackers out of the oven and tasted one, I thought, “Okaaay – these are delicious even without the chocolate.”
I had my trusty, taste-tester husband try them and he loved them. Voila!
That is how Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers came to be.
That is the “thing” about cooking. Experiment, have fun and when the oven timer dings and hands you a bowl of Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers…
Enjoy!
Salted Toffee Oyster Crackers
Ingredients
- 4 cups Oyster Crackers
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or other seasoning - optional
- ½ cup salted butter
- Coarse Sea Salt or kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil then spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
Melt butter in a medium sized, heavy-bottomed, saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and cayenne pepper (if using). While stirring gently and very slowly, bring the mixture to a boil slowly and over steady heat. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Continue stirring very slowly and gently (it is a slow process). Boil 3-4 minutes or until the thermometer registers 270°-290°F and becomes lighter in color and “fluffier”. Turn off the heat and add the oyster crackers."
Now, working quickly so the brown sugar/butter mixture doesn’t set up, pour the toffee/oyster crackers onto the prepared baking sheet and try to spread them out to a single layer. (If it is too difficult to spread the crackers into a single layer at this point, don’t worry – it will be possible in a few minutes.)
Sprinkle the crackers lightly with coarse sea salt or kosher salt.
- Place the crackers on a middle rack in the hot oven and bake 2 minutes.
- Remove the crackers from the oven and smooth them out to a single layer.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 3 more minutes.
After a total 5 minutes baking time, remove from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, pick up the edges of the aluminum foil that is under the crackers and bring the edges together so the crackers roll together.
- Remove from the foil, break into individual pieces and place on foil or parchment paper to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Becky | The Cookie Rookie
Love this recipe and LOVVVVVE these pictures! Gorgeous!Patricia @ Grab a Plate
Oh. My. Goodness! I had to call my husband in from the other room to take a look! I love this idea and will be making them soon! Thanks!Susie Gall
Ha-Ha!! Thanks Patricia. We have only a 1/2 cup of these left and my husband has asked for more. thanks for coming by.Linda (Meal Planning Maven)
What a terrific holiday party nibble!Susie Gall
Thank you, Linda.Angela Althide
I love the Saltine Toffee crackers too, so this will be a great snack to make. I may add a few mini chocolate chips to the bag and make a "trail mix" of sorts.Susie Gall
Let me know how it turns out, Angie. Sounds delish!!Debra Clark
Salty, sweet - spicy too? Perfect!Susie Gall
Thanks Debra!The Better Baker
BRILLIANCE at its finest!! I want a big bowlful...NOW! ;-)Susie Gall
Thank you so much and thanks for stopping by Simply Sated.Lisa
I just finished making these - they are WONDERFUL!!! I did try something that worked really well - instead of aluminum foil, I put a Sil-pat on a cookie sheet and sprayed it very lightly with olive oil. Then I put the brown sugar and butter coated crackers on the Sil-pat and spread them out before baking them in the oven. No sticking at all and easy clean-up! I really might not have had to spray the Sil-pat with olive oil, but didn't want to take a chance of them sticking. Just a quick tip.Susie Gall
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for letting me how well the crackers worked for you. Great idea using Sil-pat. I really appreciate you stopping by, Lisa and please come again soon.Elizabeth Conte-Vitullo
Simpl addicttive goodness and so easy to make. Made my first batch yesteray and I have to make more today. Yummy!josh
Quick question....in the directions it says to mix the oyster cracker in with the toffee, then spread it on the foil lined pan....in your pictures you have the oyster crackers on the pan already....then I assume you poured the toffee over them. is there one way that works better than the other?Susie Gall
Hey Josh, I replied to your comment in an email, but I wanted to post my reply here as well.Yes, I can see why there is some confusion and I appreciate you pointing that out to me. I first tried pouring the toffee mixture over the oyster crackers (like I do in a different recipe), but it was difficult to coat the crackers evenly. I then poured it all in a bowl and gently mixed it together.This recipe works either way, but to be sure the crackers are evenly coated with the toffee mixture, first combine crackers and toffee mixture in a bowl, then spread the toffee-coated crackers out on the sprayed foil-lined pan to bake.Thanks so much for stopping by - I hope you love these crackers as much as my family does.Suzzi34
Can the salted toffee oyster cracker recipe be doubled? Thanks.nancy
My butter and brown sugar separate and then burn. What am I doing wrong? I have tried both salted and unsalted butter. The first fee times I made these they were wonderful. I have tried several different brands of butter but all seem to separate when boiled. Help, i love this recipe. Thanks in advance.Karen
Butter will tend to 'break' in the toffee making process if you stir too vigorously. Stir only enough to gently keep the toffee moving. I discovered this when making English Toffee one time. Never had it happen in the last 20 yrs. I was in a hurry and was stirring very fast to run the temp up quicker....Elisa
I've made this many times in mass quantity and twice I had this happen. I believe it can be attributed to two things. Not washing the pot out in between making batches (remnants of the cooked sugar can throw off the chemistry of the new batch) and/or rushing the melting/cooking process. The butter really does need to be melted completely first, then add sugar, than cook as directed without turning the heat up too much. And don't forget to stir. These things have eliminated the separation problem for me.Beth
I had the same issue Nancy did. I am an experienced cook and read through the recipe several times before I started. Any suggestions?Susie Gall
Hey Beth, I'm so sorry you had trouble with the butter and sugar from separating. After Nancy commented me by email, I researched the problem you both had. The most important step in this recipe is Step #3..."Melt butter in a medium sized over low-medium heat in a non-stick skillet then add brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Stir continuously while slowly bringing the mixture to a boil. Turn up the heat and boil on medium heat 3 minutes or until it becomes lighter in color and “fluffier”. Stir continuously. Turn off the heat and add the oyster crackers."...and the most important part of Step #3 is bringing the butter to a slow boil while stirring continuously. The butter should not separate when heated this way. Here is a terrific article that explains the process better than I. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705267581/Toffee-break--How-to-avoid-the-dreaded-separation-anxiety.html?pg=allI hope you try them again, they are delicious (and rich). Thank you for stopping by Simply Sated.Donna
Just finished making these. They're delicious!! I must stop eating them. I must stop eating them. I can't stop eating them!!lois dynes
Does it have to be dark brown sugar?Susie Gall
Hello Lois, As far as substituting light brown sugar for the dark, I think it will work fine. I haven't made the toffee crackers using light brown sugar, so I can promise it will work, but, both light brown and dark brown sugars are almost always interchangeable. The only difference between the two is the different percentage of molasses in each. Dark brown has 6.5% and light brown has 3.5%. Please let me know your results and...have fun. Thanks!Bernice Knight
I used a half and half mix of light and dark because it was what I had left to work with a d it turned out beautifully.Bernice Knight
I made these today for a party. I left out the cayenne but I added a cup of chopped pecans. It was wonderful!Susie Gall
Hello Bernice. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know - I truly appreciate it. Adding pecans is a terrific idea and I think I'll make these today with pecans. Have a wonderful New Year and thanks again.Ceil
Just an idea. Before breaking the crackers up i would drizzLe a little melted chocolate on them yum yum. Love your recipe.shannon
i have made this so many times! I love it!! I usually double the recipe each time i make it. and everywhere i take it, it gets rave reviews! i don't add the cayenne or other "hot" spices to it. but i will often drizzle melted chocolate over it after taking it out of the oven. yum! i also don't use tin foil, i use parchment instead. i've never had any issues with it sticking this way. love love love this recipe!!!Emily Castillo
Oh... my... goodness... I made these for a party but they tragically never made it out of the house. These are delicious!