No Bake Caramel Apple Cracker Bites Seasonal Recipe

Momma Told Me: It came from the microwave.

Momma didn't care much for the decorating aspect of the holidays, when I was a child- She was much more content whipping up some seasonal treat in the kitchen while my father silently cursed over the assembly of our artificial tree to the background tune of Mannheim Steamroller. Yes, they're the things my childhood holiday memories are made of. One year, Momma found herself low on energy and time, and decided to bring back a simple snack her own family had enjoyed, growing up. Most commonly known ad 'holiday bark,' or 'Christmas Crack,' a plate full of Saltine crackers covered in caramel chunks and chocolate chip cookies, melted, made for the perfect tradition. It was something so simple and delicious, Momma made it on demand every year after.

The crispy crunch of the cracker covered in gooey caramel, topped with smooth melted chocolate has stuck with me my entire adult life. I'm a sucker for the contrast of salty and sweet- and who doesn't love simple holiday snacking solutions? So, in homage, I devised these similar Caramel Apple Cracker Bites with just a touch of modern styling and food sophistication. While some of my guests call them 'cookies' they really rely on ready-made ingredients, so I have a hard time taking credit for their amazing texture and flavor.

Start with some round butter crackers and your favorite caramel sauce. I typically use a salted caramel jarred sundae sauce- just make sure you've either chilled your sauce, or are beginning with a thick/slow flow sauce that will not just run off your cracker. Drizzle or scoop a heaping teaspoon of caramel onto one side of your cracker 'sandwich,' place a pretzel stick in the caramel, sticking out, as your 'stem' and top with the other cracker half.

You'll want to chill your cracker apple creations a bit before dipping them, as the hot, or even warm, dipping chocolate will make the caramel want to run. I place my tray in the freezer for about 40 minutes, prior to dipping. Choose a chocolate dipping base that is sufficiently cut/thinned with coconut oil or shortening, but not too thin, to allow for quick and even coating. If possible remove your meting chocolate from the heat source before dipping.

Dip chilled cracker 'apples' with a quick 'flip' style roll in the melting chocolate. Here I've used Caramel Apple flavored Wilton chocolate baking melts, but you can also use any white chocolate tinted green. Once they are dipped, place them on a piece of parchment, on a cookie sheet, and immediately return them to the fridge or freezer. Be careful not to freeze the caramel, you simply want it chilled in a solid state for consumption!

When I first served these my guests were expecting dipped OREO cookies- since I'd made seasonal bats and pumpkins from OREOs a few weeks prior. They were certainly surprised to pick up this lighter treat with an addictive, crispy crunch. They were an instant hit with the perfect balance of salt, caramel, and chocolate. We specially love that they aren't overly sweet, and won't 'weigh' one down when grazing through a holiday spread! Have you ever served crackers in a sweet recipe such as this?

What Daughter Says:  There's no doubt, home cooked is best-not everything can take hours to make, though!