Umami Saltine Cracker Toffee (Fish Sauce Saltine Cracker Toffee!)

A holiday classic but made with a Vietnamese twist! This fish sauce saltine cracker toffee is the combo you didn't know you needed. It's sweet, salty, and has all the umami! I know it's sounds odd, but if you like miso caramel, you'll love this. The best part? It's a fun way to use that fish sauce that's tucked away in your pantry (and it's naturally soy-free from the fish sauce).

I can't help but put fish sauce in everything and if you're looking for new ways to use fish sauce, you'll love my hasselback potatoes, Vietnamese mayak eggs, and French onion pot roast!

What's so great about this umami saltine cracker toffee?

This umami saltine cracker toffee recipe uses fish sauce as the secret ingredient! It creates a sweet and salty umami flavor that keeps you wanting more. It's kind of like a salted caramel but with an extra depth of flavor and it's the easiest way to elevate this classic "Christmas crack" that everyone loves!

Why you'll love this xyz

• Only uses 5 ingredients!
• Makes for an easy snack or holiday treat!
• No special equipment needed.
• A sweet treat everyone will love.

Ingredients

• Butter: Use real butter!
• Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is preferred but the brown sugar from Trader Joe's works great too. I find that it's a mix between light and dark brown sugar.
• Fish sauce: Use a fish sauce that is just anchovies and salt for the purest fish sauce flavor. I use Red Boat Fish Sauce here.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Use high-quality chocolate! This fish sauce saltine cracker toffee only uses 5 ingredients, so make it count. I used Ghirardelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Saltine crackers: This would be great with any cracker but saltine crackers are a classic!
• Flaky sea salt: Optional, but adds a nice extra touch of saltiness to balance out the sweetness. Maldon sea salt flakes or any fleur de sel works!

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Fish Sauce Saltine Cracker Toffee

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan (10x15 is the most ideal for the saltine crackers to fit better but a half sheet baking pan works too) with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat.
3. Line up the saltine crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, covering the entire surface. Feel free to break a few crackers to fill in any gaps, depending on the baking sheet you end up using.
4. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Once the mixture begins to boil, set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes is up, stir in the fish sauce until it's combined and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Immediately pour it over the saltine crackers. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the toffee mixture evenly over the crackers. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes until the toffee mixture starts to bubble. Remove the crackers from the oven and turn the oven off.
6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crackers and place it back in the oven, with the heat off. The residual heat will melt the chocolate chips without overheating it. Leave it in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the chips started to look glossy. Spread the chocolate evenly around the crackers and top with flakey sea salt, as desired. Allow it to cool completely before breaking it into pieces, about 1-2 hours.

Substitutions & Variations

• Miso paste: Use miso paste in place of fish sauce for that same umami flavor! In step 4, boil the mixture for 3 minutes and then remove it from heat, before stirring in the miso paste until it is evenly combined. Continue with step 5.
• Toppings: Top it off with your favorite mixed nuts, pretzels, or dried fruit!
  • Sesame seeds.
  • Crushed pretzels.
  • Cranberries.
  • Hazelnuts.
  • Slivered or sliced almonds.

Other recipes to try:

• Vietnamese bo kho with mashed potatoes
• Thai-ish shrimp cocktail
• Bun cha burger
• Fish sauce chicken on crispy rice paper

Print Recipe

Fish Sauce Saltine Cracker Toffee

The best treats are the ones with a layer of umami flavor and this treat is no different! This fish sauce saltine cracker toffee uses just a splash of fish sauce to create an irresistible toffee flavor that will keep you coming back for more. It's better than the classic!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Cooling Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vietnamese

Servings: 20

Calories: 247kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 sleeves of saltine crackers
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• Flaky sea salt for garnishing optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400F.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan (10x15 is the most ideal for the saltine crackers to fit better but a half sheet baking pan works too) with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat.
• Line up the saltine crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, covering the entire surface. Feel free to break a few crackers to fill in any gaps, depending on the baking sheet you end up using.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Once the mixture begins to boil, set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes is up, stir in the fish sauce until it's combined and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour it over the saltine crackers. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the toffee mixture evenly over the crackers. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes until the toffee mixture starts to bubble. Remove the crackers from the oven and turn the oven off.
• Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crackers and place it back in the oven, with the heat off. The residual heat will melt the chocolate chips without overheating it. Leave it in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the chips started to look glossy. Spread the chocolate evenly around the crackers and top with flakey sea salt, as desired. Allow it to cool completely before breaking it into pieces, about 1-2 hours.

Notes

• Place the finished fish sauce saltine cracker toffee in the fridge to set faster!
• Use high quality chocolate for the best flavor.
• Use 2-ingredient fish sauce for best umami!

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg