Springtime Chocolate Toffee Bark
Spring has sprung. The days are getting longer, and the temps are getting warmer, and Easter candy is out on the shelf calling my name. I love seasonal M&Ms in all their shapes, sizes and colors – so it’s not surprising I’ve already gone through multiple bags of pastel springtime M&Ms this baking season. Also, I like to put them in mason jars in my kitchen because they look super cute, and then are very easily accessible … for eating by the handful. Yolo. Often times inspiration for a new recipe comes from the need to get candy out of a jar and into some baked good so that I won’t snack on it. Like this Springtime Chocolate Toffee Bark, which has about 3 handfuls of brightly colored M&Ms as a decorative topper, and is just as addicting as those sweet chocolate candies. This is the perfect combination of salty and sweet … synergy.
I’ve made this base toffee bark recipe a few times before in different variations, but usually it’s been gone before I can get a photo. It’s just that good. I have a version that I’ve made where I mix peanut butter and chocolate, and I bet if I topped that with Reese’s pieces that would be dang good. The thing I like about this recipe is the simplicity in both ingredients and how to prepare it. The entire prep and baking takes about 15 minutes, and then you just need to let it set in the fridge for a bit before breaking up and serving. It’s a lot like my recipe for White Trash that’s been my go-to quick crowd pleaser for years.
There’s something mesmerizing about watching sugar boil and change it’s consistency. When you pour the hot toffee over the saltines, you can see how the ooey gooey mixture starts to seep into the holes of the crackers and create the sticky base to this treat.
It’s key to use high quality chocolate for this recipe. Since the chocolate is the star of the show, it will make or break the recipe if you use chocolate that doesn’t have great flavor. I’m not particularly a fan of using melting chocolate for recipes like this, so I always stick to my go-to of Ghirardelli milk chocolate.
Just look at those layers of sweet deliciousness. The toffee is both on the bottom and on top of the salty cracker, topped with delicious milk chocolate and more M&Ms and sprinkles. The perfect combination of salty sweet. So the next time you’re looking for a super fast, sweet and delicious recipe to brighten up any dessert table, whip up a batch of this Springtime Chocolate Toffee Bark!
Springtime Chocolate Toffee Bark
Yield: 10 Servings
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 6 Minutes
Total Time: 16 Minutes + Cooling
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 sleeve Saltine crackers
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup M&M candies
- Sprinkles
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment and spray with non-stick spray. Place the saltines in an even layer, leaving a bit of space in between each cracker.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the butter and sugar until melted. Let it come to a boil and then let it boil without touching it for 3 minutes. Pour the hot toffee mixture over the saltines. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the toffee and pop back in the oven for 1 minute.
- Use a spatula to evenly spread the melted chocolate over the toffee and top with sprinkles and M&Ms. Let it chill for 1 hour before breaking into pieces to serve. Enjoy!