Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee
Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee rivals the real deal and are much easier to make; everything is layered and baked in a pan and then drizzled with chocolate. Absolutely addictive!
Larimer Square is a bustling street in downtown Denver, one of those chi-chi one block areas that harken to days when cities had main streets and you could go there to find a gathering of merchants. When I discovered the inspiration for this recipe for Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee in a local cookbook, they had labeled them Larimer Square Bars.
There seems to be no history that indicates the area gave rise to a namesake cookie. It’s not too late; forget gold, they should claim them now! I can only imagine that the person who titled these bar cookies Larimer Toffee Squares had to have been making a play on words with this historical area; elevating the cookie to both the distinction and history that being associated with Larimer Square would convey.
Larimer Square was the first main street in Denver, born during the gold rush of the mid 1800’s when it was settled and named by General William H. Larimer Jr.
Back in those ‘olden’ days, merchants would include purveyors of feed, flour and furniture but today is a designated Historical District and a destination for both city residents and suburbanites to grab a cocktail, shop a bit and have dinner in some of Denver’s best restaurants.
It’s gone through its share of changes in the years I’ve lived in Denver but I love that this charming street is mostly filled with local shops and restaurants and lit all year round with strings of white lights.
While I have changed the name to more correctly identify what this recipe is; I’m happy to share this history…all of Denver loves Larimer Square and I know you will love these bars!
Once made in our home? Who cares about a fancy distinction, we thought they were wonderful. While I do love my recipe for Homemade English Toffee, it is a more difficult and time consuming effort. Not to be forgotten but also not made easily on a middle of the week afternoon…make these instead!
I’ve found since publishing this recipe more than 10 years ago that they are well known as Graham Cracker Toffee Squares. My twist? How about some milk chocolate and finishing salt?
Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee Squares…all the better right? They are elevated and updated once again. If choosing to go the same route, please be sure that you have some ‘finishing salt.’ Regular table salt would be much too salty. I love a brand called Maldon and ue their Sea Salt Flakes whenever I want to top something like this. Beautiful and a more mellow salt taste.
The original recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Creme de Colorado, the 2nd cookbook published in the 1980’s by the Junior League of Denver; makes sense that for a Colorado cookbook that someone would create a name about Larimer Square, right?
The original recipe is a mixture of just four ingredients; graham crackers, butter, pecans and sugar and while they are good; trust me…these made with some chocolate and a bit of finishing salt are better…way better!
The beauty of this treat is their ease…they definitely emulate English Toffee but no burning toffee is necessary, they are baked in the oven before being drizzled with chocolate and topped with the Maldon Salt.
Make them and make a lot of them…I promise you they will disappear!
PIN IT! ‘Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee Bars’
Salted Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee
Ingredients
- 12 graham crackers
- 1 and 1/4 cups chopped pecans
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup milk chocolate chip morsels
- Maldon or other finishing salt do not use tabletop or Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a 10- x 15-inch rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
- Break 12 graham crackers in half and fit in pan in a single layer.
- In a saucepan, whisk together butter and light brown sugar over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour evenly over graham crackers.
- Sprinkle pecans evenly over graham cracker base and bake until bubbly about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave on low power.
- Remove cookies from oven and using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies; sprinkle lightly with the salt.
- Cool completely and then break into portions.
I’ve got one precious box of graham crackers in my pantry and I’ll be making these ‘Larimer Squares” for the boat parade party on Saturday night. They look great!
I love those cups!!
Do make them; they will not disappoint!
These sound delicious, I love chocolate and toffee! Looks awesome!
They’re wonderful and so much easier than real toffee; I love it but it’s a bear to watch and not have burn!
Always good to bring back classic recipes! Love toffee, so I know you made these for me. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
If you were close I would have given you some, but, well…you know. You’re not. 🙂
Just found this recipe and saved it in favorites… want to make it for GNI.
What does 11/4 cups nuts mean??? 11 cups or 11-1/4 cups?
they sound sinful 🙂
That’s 1 and 1/4 cups of nuts. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
These are KILLER, and I mean that in the most lustful, gluttonous way aka, I want the whole pan! Larimer Square looks darling..perfectly quaint and lovely.
Larimer Square is all that…I mean not far beyond that block is the quintessential downtown atmosphere; tall buildings and parking structures and all…it’s like stepping back a bit in time.
These look wonderful Barb.. Trying to decide what to take to the superbowl party on Sunday… this might be the winner!
You know I didn’t know that the Clumsy Gourmet was YOU Chrissy until I saw your avatar…welcome to the crazy world of food blogging!
I am so going to make that with white chocolate chip! I am not much of a chocolate fa but Hubby would love that.
Um, yumm…I would like that too!
Love a little sweet history with recipes! I’m not a huge fan of toffee but this looks like I’d love them!
I think I love it more than toffee…not quite as hard and that touch of graham cracker both flavor and texture. Umm umm good.
Very cool – don’t you love recipes/foods with a bit of history and local color? These look scrumptious and decadent and the drizzle of chocolate makes them perfect (what isn’t better with a drizzle of chocolate?)!
I think this cookie is an example of one that was sent all across the country in the old fashioned way. Word of mouth. No one person claiming it. Can you even imagine that?
I love the simplicity of the this recipe! Adding the crackers sounds fun, and unique:-) I would say adding the drizzle of chocolate was a must, and a perfect addition:-) Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra…I don’t need much encouragement to do that but your affirmation…it’s appreciated!
Oh I love these, simple as well! Perfect for my sweet tooth!
Toffee is something I can’t say no to and these look fantastic! I’m glad you added the chocolate because they do belong together. 🙂
Thank you ma’am…can’t imagine without now.
These sound fantastic. I am a chocolate and toffee luvah…
We have an area like that here in Olympia. And now I need to go shop and have an afternoon to myself. MUST make that happen.
I’ll be by there tonight going to another event but I mostly love it during warm weather…the sit on the sidewalk with a cup of coffee or a cocktail and watch people kind of weather 🙂
These sound so wonderful! Can you tell me when the toffee goes on? The recipe skips this step! I would hate to mess it up! Thank you so much for sharing!
Heather
Even easier Heather…there is no toffee. They become like a toffee bar when the butter and sugar bakes into the graham cracker. So the recipe is correct and they are so easy.
Thank you! Step 4 says to whisk together the butter and brown sugar. I’m assuming I pour that over the graham crackers and then sprinkle the pecans.
I look forward to making it!
Aha! You are right…I changed recipe. You pour the butter sugar mixture evenly over the graham crackers, sprinkle with pecans and then bake. Thanks!
Thank you, sweetheart! These are brilliant!
I hope you enjoy them. Ahem…I might have bought a box of graham crackers at the grocery today. We’re expecting up to a foot of snow tonight; if I get snowed in I want some cookies!
OH My gosh. We made these when I was in Junior Auxiliary (similar to Jr League). They are as good as they look. (mine never looked quite as good as yours though).
I think it’s the chocolate…that drizzle sure ‘dressed’ them up a lot. Didn’t hurt the flavor either. 🙂
Oh… anything with toffee has my name written all over it. These look marvelous!
Thanks Brian…and easy. And impossible to eat just one. My girls favorite treat ever.
These just look so very decadent. I wish we could get graham crackers here. When does the toffee go in? Assuming before or after sprinkling the pecans on? Thanks Barb for sharing xx
Actually the combinations of the sugar and the butter melting into the graham cracker sort of ‘makes’ the toffee. That’s why they are so easy…I’ve actually seen similar recipes over the years using saltine crackers too.
I fell in love with Larimer Street when my friend and I flew over from NYC in the mid 80s, as exchange students. Unfortunately, we had only one day to spend in Denver before continuing on to the Rockies:) One day I’ll have to come back:)
Great, Barb, “ruin” these with chocolate! Just kidding, I am a chocolate fiend and the sqyares look dangerously good.
When I worked for the LAT, visiting our Denver bureau in Larimer square was always a treat; my favorite part of Denver. And now I have to try these squares.
You have justified my typical answer to someone coming to Denver who asks me,’What should I do when I come to Denver’ and I always answer, ‘You must visit Larimer Square.’ Who needs the Denver Mint anyhow? 🙂
Oh my goodness those squares! Must have one now.
My job here is done. Perfect response. 🙂
Larimer Square is beautiful! I love the architecture of the buildings! These bars look insanely delicious and your addition of the chocolate just raises them to a whole new level, in Colorado and elsewhere!
It’s beautiful at night too. All of those wires evident in the photo? Tiny white lights all year round. I love sparkling white lights; they make it festive for the holidays…including the 4th of July!
I love toffee! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
They are a quick version that I think I might love more than the candy Maria…I love that graham cracker crunch!
A friend described her father’s only dessert in his repertoire, and it was a pan of graham crackers covered with melted butter, a sprinkling of sugar and nuts. Maybe he was from Denver! So simple, but it’d be a great treat. Imagine breaking that up over vanilla ice cream…
It’s not like they’re not already decadent enough…but boy that does sound good!
I’ll take an order of these and a matching cocktail, STAT!
Now? Come on over…I’ll have it ready by the time you get here, promise!
Wow, Barb, those look seriously incredible!
Sadly neither low carb nor GF…sorry to tease.
Cant wait to try!
I want to make this, but we don’t have Graham crackers in Oz. Will have to work out a similar substitute, but don’t have one off the top of my head. Are Graham crackers sweet, savoury or neutral? Are they crispy and/or oaty? Any ideas, Barb?
Let’s see…they are sweet but just slightly. They are definitely a crisp cookie; shaped in a bar with perforations that can see them separated into four smaller pieces. I found this article, I have seen people make their own if you can find graham flour:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090621214610AAWvspH
How long have I lived here and have never heard of these cookies. I’m embarrassed to say the least. So glad you post the recipe!
Well, I think the author may have made up the name for the purposes of submitting the recipe to the Junior League…seems they have versions all over the country. But they are great. If you have plenty of help when you make them…they are also highly addictive. I know this for a fact. 🙂
I first had these at a cookie exchange I went to a couple of years ago and I was smitten! I went right home and made a batch and vowed I’d have to wait a long time before making them again since I COULD NOT STOP eating them!!
Think I will make a batch to ship to the collegiate!!!
No surprise that this recipe has gotten around…I’ve also heard of something similar with saltines but I just love the graham crackers. I’m sure the boy (and his friends) would devour them!
This is my type of cookie/candy – huge fan of toffee – i have to stay away or i would eat this whole thing 🙂
No…you need to come help ME!
When I was a kid we always made toffee with my best friend’s mom and peanut butter fudge at my house – funny to see this post as I was just thinking about those treats yesterday!
Always love to hear the stories of how food reminds us of friends and places in our life.
I totally forgot about this recipe. It is so good and easy. My kids used to make these. Now I have to make it again. Thank you!
Next time you can come have some. Really rescue me from them. 🙂
wow these look so easy and sound fantastic! Ha I love your “history” – people loving them for a long time is good enough for me!
Lovely and soooooo easy! I, too, love the Denver Jr. League cookbooks. I have two others but not the one you mentioned above. Chocolate and toffee are natural partners so I think that was a great addition!!
Barb, these look amazing! Love the chocolate drizzle. YUM!
Oh these look fabulous Barb! I’m going to have to make a batch of these when family comes in next week. They’ll love them.
Love this recipe, Barb. Very similar to one I have from an old cookbook as well. You really find gems in some of those old cookbooks, don’t you? I think I’ll go have a look through some of mine right now 🙂
I just love this. Honestly, I love anything toffee, but these look especially good. Thank you so much for the recipe.
You are most welcome Sarah. Until you make them and eat the whole plate. No fair blaming me. 🙂
These look yummy and easy! Now another cookbook I want.
We’ve been lucky we have had so many wonderful cookbooks put together by the local Junior League…this first one I used so much I had to buy a new copy a couple of years ago.
What a great recipe! These look delicious. Thanks for sharing!
: ))
Jen
Sure Jen…they are one of those simple, old type treats that are decadent…and hard to walk away from. Trust me.