A classic Christmas treat, made paleo! This Christmas Crack recipe is so delicious and made healthier without refined sugar, grains, gluten, or dairy…
A Classic Christmas Treat!
I feel like Christmas Crack is a staple on festive cookie trays over the holidays. There was no hope of practicing self control when it came to this treat- it’s literally a combination of all of my favorite things: dark chocolate, caramel, and a buttery cracker base. Topped with a sprinkle of salt and coconut flakes of course!
Naturally, since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and following a paleo-based anti-inflammatory diet I’ve been on a mission to create a recipe that comes close to this favorite recipe of mine.
This Christmas treat also looks incredible on a cookie tray. Since it tends to slice apart in irregular shapes, it stands out among all of the perfectly shaped cookies carefully iced and sprinkled with red & green. The deep rich flavors of Christmas Crack is also refreshing alongside classic sugar cookies, fruit cake, and cinnamon rolls!
Paleo/SCD Caramel Recipe
My paleo caramel recipe was one of the first to hit the blog almost 2 years ago! CRAZY. And it’s still going strong.
All you need is creamy cashew butter (bonus points if its salted!), coconut oil, and honey.
This caramel was created when I was strictly following a Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) protocol to heal my gut after a severe IBD flare. In short, this diet simply eliminates specific inflammatory refined carbohydrates and sugar while focusing on healthy fats and high quality protein. The link to the full “Legal/Illegal” foods list is below:
Click HERE for the full Paleo/SCD Caramel recipe, but its super simple. Microwave the three ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl (or melt over the stove), transfer to a food processor, and blend until creamy. It gets thicker the longer you allow it to cool!
For the perfect sticky caramel-y consistency, I usually let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Ingredients for Paleo Christmas Crack
The “Cracker Base”: almond flour + an egg + sea salt. That’s LITERALLY it!
The Caramel/Toffee Sauce: cashew butter + honey + coconut oil.
The Chocolate topping: a 2.1 oz. bar of paleo dark chocolate (or about 60 grams of paleo chocolate chips).
Although it’s totally optional, I also love topping the melted chocolate layer with unsweetened shredded coconut and sea salt for extra flavor and texture. The touch of white coconut also looks super cute and wintery!
How to Make Healthier Christmas Crack
Step 1: Make the almond flour cracker base: mix the almond flour, sea salt, and egg together to form a thick dough. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Use the bottom layer of parchment paper to transfer the rolled cracker dough on to a cookie sheet and bake.
I like to leave the edges raw and irregular to contribute to the simple rustic charm of this treat on a cookie tray! It looks so good contrasted with the perfectly formed sugar cookies.
Step 2: Make the Paleo/SCD Caramel Sauce and pour it evenly over the baked almond flour crackers. Bake for another 5 minutes. While its still warm out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the chopped paleo chocolate bar over the caramel/toffee layer. When its melted enough to spread with a spoon, evenly spread the chocolate over the whole cracker base.
It’s totally optional but I HIGHLY recommend topping the melted chocolate layer with unsweetened coconut flakes and course sea salt!
Step 3: Freeze overnight and slice into irregular chunks while frozen for the best results! I like to store it in the refrigerator or freezer for the best texture.
More of My Favorite Holiday Treats:
- Cinnamon Roll Cashew Spread
- Paleo Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Paleo Russian Tea Cake Cookies
- Paleo Buckeyes
Paleo Christmas Crack
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: about 20 pieces 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
One of my favorite holiday treats, made healthier with paleo ingredients! The buttery cracker base, sweet toffee caramel filling and rich dark chocolate make this treat irresistible at any holiday party. Paleo, Refined-sugar-free, Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free.
Ingredients
Cracker base:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 tsp. course sea salt
- 1 egg
Caramel Toffee:
- 1/3 cup creamy salted cashew butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Chocolate:
- 1, 2.1 oz bar of paleo dark chocolate. (or 60 grams of paleo chocolate chips).
Optional Toppings:
- unsweetened coconut flakes to taste
- course sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the “cracker base” in a mixing bowl. Stir and knead with clean hands until a thick dough forms. Roll the dough out to be about 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Use the bottom layer of parchment paper to transfer the rolled out mixture onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the cracker base bakes, combine all of the “caramel toffee” ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for about 1 minute on high, until all of the coconut oil and cashew butter has melted. Transfer to a food processor and blend on high for about 30 seconds. It should be very smooth and creamy.
- Pour the caramel over the cracker base evenly to cover it. Bake for another 5 minutes.
- Immediately sprinkle chunks of the dark chocolate over the hot caramel layer. When the chocolate is melted enough to spread with the back of a spoon, spread it out to cover all of the caramel.
- (Optional) Top the melted chocolate with course sea salt and unsweetened shredded coconut to garnish!
- Freeze overnight and slice while semi-frozen for best results. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve!
- Category: something sweet
- Method: bake
Keywords: paleo, Christmas crack, holiday recipe, healthy dessert recipe, paleo dessert, grain-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, Christmas cookies
