​​Turn Saltines Into Sweet And Crunchy Toffee Treats With 2 Added Ingredients

Saltines crackers are likely languishing in the depths of your pantry, considered only in the rare cases when dealing with an unsettled stomach, or if you're particularly desperate for a snack. But with a quick two-ingredient glow-up, this largely undersung staple can really deliver the perfect salty-sweet hit. By combining the plain crackers with brown sugar and butter for a super-quick caramel, you end up with craveable saltine cracker toffee.

More of a hack than a true recipe, this treat comes together easily and might not even require a trip to the grocery store, since the ingredients are all pantry staples. Food scientists toil endlessly to come up with products that land on the tongue with just the right amount of balance, and this three-ingredient wonder somehow hits all of the right notes. The toffee adds not just a deeply nutty and nuanced sweetness, but also a heft and sturdiness to the otherwise brittle yet buttery crackers. What's more, you can easily store the remainder in an air-tight container for when another dessert craving hits, although you've been warned it may not last that long.

Whipping up a batch of saltine cracker toffee couldn't be simpler. The butter and brown sugar readily melt together on the stove top for the toffee, caramelizing in under four minutes after being gently dissolved and brought to a rolling boil. The key to getting the smoothest toffee is to arrange the crackers in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. That way, when you slowly pour the gooey goodness over the saltines (aka soda crackers), you'll get an even coating.

Before you can break apart your sweet and crunchy bounty, the toffee and crackers need to mingle in the oven. Luckily, it only takes about eight minutes (until the surface is bubbling) to produce a confection with both a satisfying crispness on the bottom and a crunchy, toothsome upper layer. As tempting as it will look when finished, make sure to wait until the confection cools and hardens, since the sugar will be hot enough to burn you.

Many people add a chocolate coating and toppings like toasted nuts to their saltine cracker toffee, especially as a treat around the holidays. You can even play with the garnishes and add festive elements like crushed peppermint candy canes or pretzels. Once broken up, this treat also make an ideal hosting gift when packaged in a clear bag with some holiday ribbon. If you'd like to play with the salty and sweet dynamic and add a dose of umami, consider switching out plain saltines for the cheesy profile of Cheez-It crackers.