These classic chocolate crackles are made with rice bubbles, cocoa, coconut and copha, and they take just 10 minutes to make. They're an Aussie kids party essential, right alongside my Honey Joys and Chocolate Spiders.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Crackles
🕒 Ready In: 40 minutes (including 30 minutes chilling)
👪 Makes: 24 crackles
🥣 Main Ingredients: rice bubbles, icing sugar, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, copha
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, egg-free, no-bake, freezer-friendly, Thermomix method included
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Just 5 ingredients, no oven and a big batch for parties, school fetes and Christmas!
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There's just something about chocolate crackles that brings back ALL the childhood party memories! They're still the first thing to disappear from the table, whether it's a birthday, a school fete or a Christmas get together.
Planning a party spread? Add my Tic Toc Tea Cups, Tiny Teddy Racing Cars and an easy rocky road, or browse my full list of classic kids party food.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 5 ingredients: and you've probably got most of them in the pantry already.
- No baking: melt, stir, spoon into cases and pop them in the fridge.
- Kids can help: little hands love spooning the mixture into the patty cases.
- Make ahead: they keep in the fridge for 4 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
- Thermomix or conventional: both methods are in the recipe card below.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Chocolate Crackle Ingredients
- Chocolate Crackle Variations
- What Can I Use Instead Of Copha?
- How To Make Chocolate Crackles
- Making Chocolate Crackles In The Thermomix
- Top Tip
- How To Store Chocolate Crackles
- Recipe Tips
- Chocolate Crackles FAQs
- More Kids Party Food
- Chocolate Crackles
Chocolate Crackle Ingredients
You only need 5 simple ingredients for this classic chocolate crackles recipe. Here's what you need to know:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Rice bubbles: known as Rice Krispies in the US. They give crackles their famous crunch.
- Copha: a vegetable shortening made from hydrogenated coconut oil. You'll find it in the butter and margarine section of the supermarket. It's what sets the crackles and holds them together.
- Icing sugar: don't skip it or swap it for a liquid sweetener! It helps bind the mixture together.
- Desiccated coconut: use the fine desiccated kind, not shredded or flaked coconut.
Chocolate Crackle Variations
- Coco Pops crackles: swap the rice bubbles for Coco Pops for an extra chocolatey crackle.
- Sprinkle crackles: top each crackle with sprinkles or hundreds and thousands before they set.
- Christmas crackles: turn them into reindeers and Christmas puddings with my Christmas Crackles.
- Crackle slice: press the mixture into a tin instead of cases, like my Chocolate Crackle Malteser Slice.
What Can I Use Instead Of Copha?
Copha will always give you the best chocolate crackle crunch, but if you can't find it (or would rather not use it), these substitutes work:
- Coconut oil: the closest swap, as copha is made from coconut oil.
- Melted butter: gives a richer, more buttery crackle.
- Melted chocolate: leave out the cocoa powder if you use chocolate.
Just keep in mind that each substitute will change the taste and texture a little, so your crackles won't be quite the same as the classic version.
How To Make Chocolate Crackles
These come together in just 10 minutes. Here's how (the full recipe card is below, with both conventional and Thermomix methods).
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa powder in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Melt the copha. Melt the copha in the microwave on 50% power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until melted.
- Step 3: Stir it through. Pour the melted copha over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Step 4: Spoon and chill. Spoon the mixture into patty cases and pop them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.
Making Chocolate Crackles In The Thermomix
Team Thermomix? It's all done in one bowl:
- Melt the copha: chop it, then melt for 4 minutes at 90°C on Speed 3.
- Add the dry ingredients: add the rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa and mix for 5 to 10 seconds on Reverse, Speed 3.
- Spoon and chill: spoon into patty cases and refrigerate until set.
Top Tip
Sit the patty cases inside a muffin tin before you fill them. They'll hold their shape while they set, and the tray is much easier to carry to the fridge!
How To Store Chocolate Crackles
Store chocolate crackles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep them chilled until you're ready to serve, especially on a hot day.
To freeze, wrap them individually or layer them with baking paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. That makes them perfect for making ahead of a party or the school fete!
Recipe Tips
- Melt the copha gently: use 50% power in the microwave so it melts evenly.
- Coat everything well: stir until there are no dry rice bubbles left, so the crackles hold together.
- Use paper patty cases: they make the crackles easy to serve and pick up at parties.
- Serve them cold: crackles soften at room temperature, so keep them in the fridge until party time.
Chocolate Crackles FAQs
Copha gives the best crunch, but you can use coconut oil, melted butter or melted chocolate (leave out the cocoa powder if you use chocolate). Each one will change the taste and texture a little.
Copha is a vegetable shortening made from hydrogenated coconut oil. You'll find it in the butter and margarine section of Australian supermarkets.
This recipe really needs icing sugar to work. It helps bind the mixture, and liquid sweeteners like maple syrup stop the crackles from sticking together.
Chocolate crackles will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Yes! Wrap them individually or layer them with baking paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes! The Thermomix method is in the recipe card below. You melt the copha and mix everything in the one bowl.
More Kids Party Food
If you love chocolate crackles, these classic party treats are always a hit too!
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Chocolate Crackles
Ingredients
- 4 cups (100g) rice bubbles
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
- 1 cup (100g) desiccated coconut
- 3 tbs cocoa powder
- 250 g copha (see notes)
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Place the rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa powder in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Melt the copha in the microwave on 50% power for 2-3 minutes or until melted.
- Stir the copha through the mixture, spoon into cupcake cases and place into the refrigerator to firm.
Thermomix Method
- Melt the copha (chopped) in the Thermomix bowl for 4 minutes, 90 degrees, Speed 3.
- Add the rice bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa powder and mix for 5-10 seconds, Reverse, Speed 3.
- Spoon into cupcake cases and place into the refrigerator to firm.
Notes
- Copha is a brand of vegetable fat shortening made from hydrogenated coconut oil and can be bought from the margarine/butter section of any major supermarket.
- Substitutions - copha will always give you the best chocolate crackle crunch, but you can substitute it for coconut oil, melted butter, or melted chocolate (just remove the cocoa powder if you're using chocolate).
- Storing - place chocolate crackles in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezing - you can freeze these treats, too! Once chilled, wrap them individually or separate them with paper in an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months.
Katharina says
Your recipes are lovely, It is a pleasure to read them and to create all the good things.
Greetings from Germany.
Lucy says
Thank you so much Katharina! I'm thrilled you enjoy them! Thank you from Australia xx
Kate says
Hi,
I dont want to use icing sugar, I substituted maple syrup and they weren't sticking together so well. I thought i might try monk fruit sweetener now, maybe i might whip it up in the blender to make it finer. Do you think the icing sugar helped bind it?
Lucy says
Hi Kate, this recipe definitely needs icing sugar to work!