Christmas Chocolate Traybake Tiffin

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This Christmas chocolate traybake is the easiest no-bake sweet treat! It's a tiffin packed with crunchy biscuit pieces and chewy cranberries, with a layer of chocolate and festive sprinkles on top. It's super quick to make with just 5 simple ingredients and it's perfect for sharing with friends and family.

a plate of no bake christmas chocolate traybake tiffin slices

If you've been looking for the perfect Christmas tiffin to make this festive season, look no further! Say hello to my gorgeous Christmas chocolate traybake!

This tiffin is made with only 5 ingredients, is an easy no-bake recipe, and you can customise it according to your preference. Add pretzels or raisins, use white chocolate for the topping, add glitter or crushed candy canes... anything you fancy!

Here's what you'll need

If you're ready to get started, grab the following ingredients:

Dark chocolate: I personally recommend the cheaper 'dark' chocolate bars, which are more like semi-sweet chocolate bars. I used Ms. Molly's from Tesco. This will give you the perfect amount of sweetness while keeping the mixture nice and smooth. Do NOT use milk or white chocolate for the chocolate base as it will split.
Butter: I like to use salted butter, as this recipe is pretty sweet.
Golden syrup: This helps the chocolate and butter melt together without separating. It also makes the Christmas tiffin a little softer and therefore easier to cut into. Runny honey works as a decent replacement.
Digestive biscuits: Traditionally, tiffin is made with digestives, but you can use any other biscuits that you like. I think gingernuts and shortbread would work really well.
Dried cranberries: I used these instead of the classic raisins to make the recipe feel more festive.
More chocolate: For the topping. As it won't be mixed with any other ingredients, you can use milk, white or dark chocolate here.
Christmas sprinkles: I used Dr. Oetker's 'Deck The Halls' sprinkles and some edible gold stars from Sainsbury's. You can use other festive toppings such as crushed candy canes, your favourite Christmas chocolates, dessicated coconut, or royal icing decorations.

Kitchen stuff

You'll also need the following equipment:

Baking tin: An 8x8-inch one is best. If you want to use a larger one, make sure to increase the 'servings' slider in the recipe card before you begin, to ensure you have enough mixture to fit your tin. You can also use my cake pan converter to adjust the recipe.
Baking paper: To prevent sticking.
Saucepan: Or a microwave-safe bowl, for melting the ingredients.
Large bowl: For mixing everything together.
Utensils: A wooden spoon or spatula for mixing, a tablespoon for measuring the golden syrup, and a sharp knife for cutting the finished tiffin.

stack of 2 slices of christmas chocolate tiffin

How to make a no-bake Christmas chocolate traybake

Step 1: First, line an 8x8-inch tin with baking paper, leaving a bit hanging over the edges to allow for easy removal later.

Step 2: Pour 150g of digestive biscuits into a large bowl. Use your hands to break them up into medium-sized chunks then stir in 100g of dried cranberries.

dried cranberries and crushed digestive biscuits in a large bowl

Step 3: Next, let's melt the chocolatey base! Add 300g of dark chocolate to a saucepan along with 100g of salted butter and 3 tablespoons of golden syrup.

Step 4: Place the saucepan over low heat on the stove, then stir gently until there are no lumps left. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for around 5 minutes.

If you prefer to melt your mixture in the microwave, do it in 20-30 second bursts, stirring in between each burst to prevent splitting or burning. Make sure your bowl is heatproof too!

Step 5: Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with your biscuits and cranberries. Mix well until they're fully covered.

Step 6: Pour the mixture into your lined tin then press it down into place. I like to press it in using the base of a cup to make sure that it's packed tightly enough.

pressing the chocolate biscuit mixture into lined tin

Step 7: Now, melt 250g of chocolate for the topping. As I mentioned above, you can use any type of chocolate you like for this part. I used semi-sweet. Pour the melted chocolate over the Christmas tiffin base and spread it out evenly.

Step 8: Top with your choice of Christmas sprinkles or other edible decorations. Then pop it in the fridge for 3 hours to set.

adding christmas sprinkles on top of the melted chocolate

Step 9: Once set, remove it from the tin using the baking paper overhang, cut it into squares and enjoy! I cut my Christmas tiffin into 16 squares but you can make your slices bigger (or smaller) if you prefer.

Tiffin top tips

Leave a bit of baking paper hanging over the edges of the tin, which will act as 'handles' for you to pull the tiffin out after it's set.
When you're cutting it into slices, use a warm knife to prevent the chocolate topping from cracking. To warm your knife, run it under boiling water then wipe it dry between each slice.
You must use dark or semi-sweet chocolate in the base; otherwise, the mixture will seize or split. Milk or white chocolate can be used in the topping if you like.
Digestive biscuits can be swapped out for a more festive alternative such as shortbread, gingernuts, or any other biscuits that you like!

FAQs

How long does Christmas tiffin last?

This will keep well for at least 1 week if you store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It's such a nice treat to grab throughout the week!

Can I freeze it?

Yes! To preserve your Christmas chocolate traybake, pop slices into an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can wrap the entire slab up tightly in cling film or tinfoil. To defrost, transfer it to the fridge overnight. Do not refreeze.

Can I make it vegan?

Yes! All you need to do is swap out the butter for a dairy-free version, and use dark chocolate that's made without milk (Sainbury's Stamford Street dark chocolate is great for a recipe like this). For the sprinkles and toppings, make sure they're free from animal-derived ingredients like beeswax or carmine. This vegan E-numbers guide will help keep you right.

overhead image of no bake christmas chocolate traybake

More Christmas traybakes:

I hope you like my Christmas chocolate traybake tiffin! If you make it at home, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!