Vegan Christmas Crack
(aka: Vegan Soda Cracker Cookies)
If you have never had soda cracker cookies before, buckle up because I am about to blow your mind!
But, you may be asking yourself “Soda crackers? Like, soup crackers? In a cookie? That sounds questionable” Yes, my friend, good ol’ soda crackers, when smothered in sugar and fat and chocolate, are so delicious, so decadent, I promise you will be addicted (which is where the name Christmas Crack comes from).
My mom used to make it every Christmas (with real dairy butter) when I was a kid. But, the great thing about this recipe is that it is so easy to veganize. The foundational part of the recipe is already usually vegan (I buy Saltine soda crackers and they are basically just flour, vegetable shortening and salt) and the other four ingredients are either vegan or an easy swap.
Also, these are kinda cookies, but they also kinda not. They’re closer to a chocolate bark. So, there is no baking science to take into consideration, like how something will bind or rise, which does need to be accounted for when veganizing a traditional cookie recipe that calls for eggs.
So, enough out of me, let’s get crackin’:
Vegan Christmas Soda Cracker Cookies (aka: Vegan Christmas Crack)
Ingredients:
Soda crackers are the base of this “cookie” - you’ll need enough to fully line your pan.
30-40 soda crackers (enough to line your pan completely. About 1 sleeve)
1 Cup vegan butter, softened (I used Melt vegan butter sticks, but Earth Balance is also great, and Becel has a vegan margarine that will work)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 cups dairy-free chocolate chips (I used no name brand, and they are accidentally vegan! Woot! Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips should be vegan most of the time. If it says “May contain” milk, that’s just for allergy considerations, but it’s still vegan so don’t worry!) If you don’t have chips, you can also just chop up some chocolate into chip-sized pieces.
Optional: 1/2 cup toppings (In my case, I used sliced almonds - it’s what my mom always used so it’s what I like best. You can also use walnuts or pralines. For nut-free options, try shaved coconut, chopped pretzels or crushed candy-canes. Or you can totally just do without!)
Optional: Salt, to taste
Equipment:
Cookie sheet
Tin foil
Parchment paper (NOT wax paper. Parchment)
Rubber spatula would be nice, but a big spoon will work too!
Directions:
Prepare your pan properly for easy clean up
Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
Prepare your cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (Okay, this is an important tip: We’re gonna make a caramel kinda thing with the butter and sugar, and it’s VERY sticky and a huge pain to clean, BUT if you follow these directions, it’ll be a snap. Wrap your cookie sheet in foil, all the way over the edges. Make sure nothing can get under that foil. Now, place the parchment paper on top of the foiled-wrapped cookie sheet.
Line the cookie sheet with crackers. If you have to break crackers to make them fit, that’s totally fine.
Melt the butter over medium heat.
When melted, turn it up to high and add the sugar. Stir. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil and then cook another 1-2 minutes. Do not over-cook this, or you’ll end up with crunchy toffee that sticks in your teeth. Unpleasant.
Pour the caramel-esque mixture over your waiting soda crackers. Spread it evenly over with a rubber spatula. Get in those corners.
Place pan in the oven. Bake for about 3-5 minutes. Everything should be bubbly and the crackers might even look like they are floating in a boiling, bubbly caramel mess. Yum. Once again, do not over cook or the texture will be too hard-candy like.
They should get all bubbly in the oven.
Spread the melty chocolate over it all!
- Remove and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. They should get melty pretty fast, but if they don’t, pop it back into the oven for a minute.
- Spread the melty chips evenly over the whole pan. Immediately top with your toppings (like the sliced almonds). Sprinkle with salt if that floats your boat.
- Let cool completely. You can even pop outside if it’s cold, or into the freezer. Break into pieces like chocolate bark and enjoy.
I think these are best served cold, so I usually keep them in a cookie tin in the fridge. They should keep about a week in the fridge, and they freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. But I promise you, they will not last that long, because they are truly addictive.
If you’re looking for more Christmas recipes, Verena Erin has a round up over on her blog, My Green Closet. My Christmas Crack is featured in the dessert section!
And, if you make these, or if you are already familiar with the wonders of Christmas Crack, pop over to instagram and tell me what topping is your fav!
