So how are you all doing with your holiday to-do lists? Are you the kind who loves wait until you truly feel “inspired” and save everything until the very last minute, or are you more the kind who thrives on being meticulous, which may include a to-do list that includes such tasks as “make more to-do lists”? For those of you who love to list, please add “Make Julie’s Take Five Cracker Bark” to your Baking To-Do List. You may find that particular list filed until “B” for baking, or “C” for Christmas.
I’m feeling a bit more relaxed than usual about the holidays this year. I’ve been spending more time than is necessary in comfy Christmas pajamas, drinking tea, listening to podcasts or Christmas music while I wrap presents, and just trying to be aware and feel the weight of what I truly celebrate at Christmas. Sometimes the weight of the brokenness of this world feels heavier than the relief my Hope offers, but I know that I truly can be weary with the world and rejoice with expectancy in the very same breath.
Maybe you feel this tension too?
I made this Take Five Cracker Bark one day on a whim, happy to find I had everything I needed already in my pantry. There are lots of different versions of cracker bark out there, and this one is inspired by that Take Five Candy Bar… if you haven’t had one, they have a cookie base with peanut butter, caramel, pretzels and chocolate.
Can’t go wrong there!
The peanut butter swirl was so fun to make here, and you really could make this with whatever toppings sound good to you.
Once you have your layers piled on, let is cool completely and the break it into pieces. Give it as gifts, or add it to your cookie platters. That sweet and salty combo wins every time, and no surprise it was a huge hit around here!
However you handle the beautiful chaos of the holidays, good luck with those lists… or that last minute push! You’ve got this.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen
Can't get enough?
Subscribe and I'll send all my recipes right to your inbox! You can also keep up to date by following me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Print
Take Five Cracker Bark
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 40 pieces 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Take Five Cracker Bark has a butter cracker base with layers of caramel, chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels and peanuts! So delicious and addicting!
Ingredients
- 54 Club Crackers (or enough to cover your half sheet pan – 12 by 17 inches)
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- 30 tiny pretzel knots
- 1/4 cups salted peanuts
- Any other toppings you like!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining with foil and spraying with nonstick spray, or by lining it with a Silpat baking mat.
- Lay out the crackers in a single layer.
- In a medium size pan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the caramel mixture over the crackers and spread evenly with a spatula, then bake for 6 minutes.
- In the meantime, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Start with 30 seconds, then stir. Add 15-20 seconds more and stir again until smooth. Be careful not to burn the chocolate!
- In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter chips in the same way.
- When the crackers come out of then oven, place large dollops of the melted chocolate and peanut butter over the top, and then use a butter knife to swirl them together.
- Press the pretzels into the chocolate and peanut butter layer, and then sprinkle peanuts over the top. Allow the bark to cool completely (you can refrigerate to speed it along) and then break it into pieces.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Piece
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9.8g
- Sodium: 126mg
- Fat: 9.3g
- Saturated Fat: 4.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 14mg
Chris Scheuer says
This is a wonderful “take” on crack bars, love that creamy peanut butter swirl!
Julie says
Thanks Chris, Merry Christmas to you!
Nova | LittleKitchenBigEats.com says
This is exactly what I was looking to make Julie!!! I followed your recipe-was SUPER easy to make & came together quickly. And of course this was DELICIOUS!
I have always loved following your blog-thanks Julie!
Julie says
That’s so great Nova! Thanks for letting me know.