Chocolate Crackles

March 26, 2021 Erin

Chocolate Crackles are a classic New Zealand and Australian Kid's Birthday Party Classic! It is super simple, requires no baking, and can easily be made gluten free or Vegan. This recipe for Chocolate Crackle has two versions - the more nostalgic tasting one made with coconut oil and cocoa, and a fancy chocolate crackle made with chocolate.

pulled back shot of chocolate crackles

Chocolate Crackles

Hi hi! I hope you are well! Just popping in to share this recipe for chocolate crackles with you! These are a NZ (and Australian) Kid's birthday party classic, and I decided a while back I absolutely needed some, so here is a wee recipe!

Chocolate Crackles are made with Rice Bubbles (What we call Rice Krispies in NZ and what I will be using as the name for the rest of the post), chocolate, and coconut. The ones we ate growing up use cocoa powder and either Copha or Kremelta, which is vegetable shortening which is made with predominantly coconut oil. I can't able to find either of those here in the US, so I have two versions - one is a more 'fancy chocolate crackle' with chocolate instead of just cocoa powder, and the the super nostalgic version too.

Both of the Chocolate Crackle recipes are amazing and super easy to make - you will have to let me know which version is your favourite!

  • chocolate rice krispies treats
  • chocolate rice krispies

Two Recipes for Chocolate Crackle

As I mentioned before, there are two versions of this recipe here for you today. One is the super nostalgic one which is just cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, icing sugar (powdered sugar), rice bubbles and then refined coconut oil. A bunch of people asked for Chocolate Crackles with no Copha, so here you are! Refined coconut oil is processed so it does not have a coconut taste, and works great here.

Then for the second version, melted dark chocolate replaces some of the coconut oil. I still use a little coconut oil in there because it helps with texture, and some cocoa for depth of flavour. The images in this post are of the chocolate version so if you make the coconut oil version it will turn out a little more matte. Both are so, so good. You do you here - the recipe is easy enough that you could easily just make both and compare! I like to cut them into little pieces and then keep them in a box in the fridge.

chocolate crackle in pan
  • corner shot chocolate crackle
  • chocolate crackles on sheet pan

FAQ for Chocolate Crackle

Can this be made Gluten Free?

Rice Bubbles / Rice Krispies are actually sneakily not gluten free, so if you want to make sure this is GF, use regular puffed rice.

How do I store Chocolate Crackle?

The coconut oil ones hold up ok at room temp (bear in mind we are in the middle of winter here in NYC) but I found the chocolate based ones do get a bit melty so I would store it in the fridge!

Can I make this without the coconut?

I haven't tried but I am sure it would be fine - just add an extra handful of rice bubbles!

Is Chocolate Crackle Vegan?

The coconut oil / cocoa version of this is vegan (provided you are using vegan icing sugar), if you want to make the chocolate one vegan make sure you are using a vegan chocolate!

Can this recipe be made in cupcake liners?

The chocolate crackle I remember was always made in cupcake liners. I popped it into a square pan just to make it easy but if you want to do it in cupcake liners, you go for it.

What is desiccated coconut?

I used desiccated coconut which is different to shredded coconut - it's lightly ground so smaller pieces. You can either pop shredded coconut in the food processor or just use it and have slightly bigger pieces!

Can I use unrefined coconut oil?

I did this with refined coconut oil - unrefined would be too strong in coconut taste I think!

What sort of cocoa did you use?

I used dutch process cocoa but it doesn't matter what you use - whatever you have on hand is fine.

Can I halve / double the recipe?

A half recipe will work great in a loaf pan, but this keeps really well in the fridge so I'd make the full amount if I were you. If you want to double it, it will work great in a 9"x13" pan (20cmx30cm)

Can I add other things to this recipe?

Yep! Go for it - add whatever you like!

close up shot chocolate crackle recipe

For more Classic NZ recipes, check out:

Made this recipe and love it?

If you make this Chocolate Crackles recipe, I would LOVE if you could leave me a review below and let me know how you liked it! Please also make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. Posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups, then you are welcome to convert it yourself via google. However, please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!

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chocolate crackles on sheet pan

Chocolate Crackles

  • Author: Erin
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings
  • Category: No Bake
  • Cuisine: New Zealand

Description

Chocolate Crackles are a classic New Zealand and Australian Kid's Birthday Party Classic! It is super simple, requires no baking, and can easily be made gluten free or Vegan. This recipe for Chocolate Crackle has two versions - the more nostalgic tasting one made with coconut oil and cocoa, and a fancy chocolate crackle made with chocolate.


Ingredients

For the chocolate based version:

  • 70g rice krispies / rice bubbles
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 20g powdered sugar
  • 4 tsp cocoa powder (any kind is fine, I used dutch process)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 160g chopped chocolate (I used half milk and half dark)
  • 25g refined coconut oil

For the Cocoa / Coconut Oil based version: 

  • 70g rice krispies / rice bubbles
  • 70g powdered sugar
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 2 Tbsp Cocoa (any kind is fine, I used dutch process)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125g refined coconut oil, melted

Instructions

FOR THE CHOCOLATE BASED VERSION

  1. Grease an 8" (20cm) square pan and line with a piece of parchment that extends over the ends slightly to help remove the slice once set.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the rice bubbles, coconut, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
  3. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water), or in a microwave, melt the chocolate. Add the coconut oil and mix until well combined. The heat of the chocolate should be enough to melt the coconut oil, but re-warm very briefly to help incorporate if needed.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix well with a spatula until well combined.
  5. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread out and then use an offset spatula or spoon to spread smooth.
  6. Refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes to an hour, then cut or break into pieces. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

FOR THE COCONUT OIL VERSION 

  1. Grease an 8" (20cm) square pan and line with a piece of parchment that extends over the ends slightly to help remove the slice once set.
  2. In a large bowl, combine rice bubbles, powdered sugar, desiccated coconut, cocoa, and salt. Add the coconut oil and mix well to combine.
  3. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread out and then use an offset spatula or spoon to spread smooth.
  4. Refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes to an hour, then cut or break into pieces. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Keywords: Chocolate Crackle, Chocolate Crackles, New Zealand, No Bake, Rice Krispies, Chocolate

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The post Chocolate Crackles appeared first on Cloudy Kitchen.

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