9 Cracking Crackers That Are Bursting With Gifts People Actually Want

We’re not quite sure why, but we are unable to find anything that’s more delightful and filled with to the brim with Christmas glee than a Christmas cracker. I guess it brings together all the best-things about Christmas - the playfulness; the joy; the anticipation and suspense of what goodies your cracker holds; the bringing together around a table as you all cross arms and pull together, leaving the room filled for just a second of bangs, and crackles followed by laughter and excitement as you all scramble to see who has won - and more importantly, what you have won. If you could bottle that moment, you could most definitely label it Christmas Joy - but we have found something even better - a Christmas Cracker 2.0 if you like. Christmas crackers whose sole purpose is to encapsulate the perfect gift for that specially chosen person, so you can get just as much joy out of it, as they can. And there’s crackers for every age, likes and preferences. From alcohol fuelled goodies, to delicious squidgy marshmallows, poppin’ popcorn and even one filled with tomato ketchup - yes, you read that right. Tomato. Ketchup. There’s a cracker out there for everyone. And it’s our job to make sure you find the right one. Just call us the Consommé Christmas Cracker Elves and here’s 9 to get you started.

Joe and Seph’s

Giant Christmas Cracker - Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel

This unapologetically large and best-selling Christmas Cracker (£16, Joe and Sephs) takes 6 delicious bags of Joe & Seph’s gourmet Salted Caramel popcorn and stuffs them inside a giant Christmas cracker alongside 6 splendidly royal golden hats and of course, 6 terrible Christmas jokes that are sure to get the entire table cracking up (pardon the pun!). This cracker makes a great gift for any popcorn lover or even as a beautiful showstopping centrepiece for this year’s Christmas table. Their Salted Caramel popcorn is a favourite of mine - it’s buttery, and rich on the tongue with those all important sweetened caramel notes followed by just the right amount of saltiness to balance it all out; with the perfect amount of crunch. It’s meant for 6 - but I’d happily keep this one all to myself.

Rock Rose/ Dunnet Bay Distillers

Rock Rose Gin Cracker

Adding a little bit of festive fun into their usual repertoire, Rock Rose, the premium Scottish spirits from Dunnet Bay Distillers has created the perfect gift for any gin fan. This delightfully fun cracker (£5, Dunnet Bay Distillers) includes a miniature bottle of their best-selling original edition Rock Rose gin which is packed full of fresh and zesty flavours but finishes with long-lasting and smooth berry notes. Rock Rose Gin carefully select both local and traditional botanicals, each one meticulously chosen to create the perfect taste that is best served with tonic and a sprig of rosemary.

La Fleur de Chocolat - Melted Inside

La Fleur de Chocolat Christmas Cracker - Melted Inside

This cracker not only looks impressive as a gift but is actually the gift itself. Designed to look like a beautiful cracker, this delicious creation (£10, Melted Inside) by La Fleur de Chocolat is entirely edible, and an incredible and unique gift for any chocolate lovers or artisanal foodie fans. Crafted from 70% crisp dark chocolate, the cracker encapsulates a soft fluffy vanilla marshmallow and hides a chewy sour cherry filling, sitting atop a toasted chocolate almond base. Rich in taste, full of texture and one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth this year. Best cracked into immediately and then chopped into pieces and each bite savoured. It’s rich and sweet and is the gift that keeps on giving - as the flavour memories will stay with you forever, and you count down the minutes until you can steal a few ‘me-moments’ to enjoy another bite.

Sipsmith

Sipsmith Collection - 4 Gin Crackers

Not only do these incredible crackers from Sipsmith (£15, Tesco) look divine, include a range of miniature bottles but also give you the chance to win a range of out-of-this-world experiences ranging from: a year’s membership to Sipsmith’s Gin Society, a tour of their West London distillery, a Michelin Star dinner and so much more. Hidden inside a select few crackers is a shiny golden ticket - so, if you have been extra nice this Christmas, you might just be getting an extra present this year. But fear not, if you don’t - you’ll have 4 delicious gins to lift your spirits. The set contains Sipsmith’s outrageously good gin’s including their Classic Dry Gin, the Zesty Orange Gin, the delicious Lemon Drizzle Gin and their Christmassy Sloe Gin. Sipsmith pride themselves on pouring everything they’ve got into creating you the perfect pour - and this cracker does all that, and more.

Heinz

Heinz Tomato Ketchup Crackers

The lovely people over at Heinz wants to wish you all a Happy Heinzmas, and to start things off with a bang, they have released these brand-new festive crackers (£15, Heinz to Home) that contain limited-edition mini jars of it’s most iconic sauce - the Tomato Ketchup. Each cracker, designed to get any party started and adorned in red and gold comes complete with a punny sauce-based joke, your own Christmas hat, an exclusive seasonal recipe and of course, the rival to the cranberry sauce on this festive day - the tomato sauce. An iconic gift and one the whole family can enjoy and no need for double dipping, when you all have your own personal jar to hand.

Fudge Kitchen / Produced in Kent

Fudge Kitchen - Produced in Kent

Looking for something a little different to the usual over-indulgent chocolate goodies this year? Then why not try these luxury festive fudge Christmas crackers from Fudge Kitchen (£20, Produced in Kent) which are sure to impress any guest or recipricantt. Fudge Kitchen are an award-winning, gourmet fudge makers who make all their products fresh to order using only natural ingredients and no added preservatives resulting in the most delightfully creamy and soft fudge which oozes flavour. Coming in a box of six, each cracker contain three delightful fudges each: Sea Salted Caramel Fudge, Speculoos Fudge and Chocolate Orange Fudge. You can hang these on the tree, stick them in a stocking or just gift as is - they even leave them unsealed so you can add your own personalised message inside. We think these are the perfectly sized, sweet, seasonal sensation for any Christmas Celebrations - not sure we could say that after a few egg noggs though!

Virgin Wines

Wine, Prosecco and G&T - Virgin Wines

Not offering just one festive tipple secretly stuffed inside a Christmas Cracker, Virgin Wines have options for every taste. From Prosecco, Wine and even G&T’s these crackers (£32.99, Virgin Wines) are sure to lift anyones spirits. Coming in a pack of 6 - each cracker is filled with your chose of alcohol miniatures to add a touch of luxury and delight to the festive season. Great as a unique gift or even more special as an after-dinner tipple treat. Unfortunately you’re unable to mix-and-match but whether you chose their carefully selected wine, Prosecco or gin (which comes with a baby can of tonic) you are sure to be merry - or rather, you will be after opening… both the cracker AND the tipple inside!

ManiLife

Christmas Charity Cracker - ManiLife

Coming in two different varieties - The Exclusive Deep Roast (contains 1x ManiLife Deep Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter and 1x ManiLife Deep Roast Smooth Peanut Butter) or the Exclusive Original Roast (contains 1x ManiLife Original Crunchy Peanut Butter and 1x ManiLife Original Smooth Peanut Butter) both (£9.99, ManiLife) are in collaboration with Campaign to End Loneliness, which is a dedicated charity to help end loneliness and social isolation which is the perfect chance to give a gift that keeps on giving. ManiLife are donating 100% of the profit from both crackers to this incredible charity that is needed now more than ever. So - you can gift your best peanut-loving pal (fancy some more nut butter choices, check this out) with ManiLife’s delicious smooth and crunchy PB that is all completely natural and suitable for vegans (for best extra thick spreads, store in the fridge, or eat straight from the jar!) and give back at the same time.

Belinda Clark

Giant Christmas Marshmallow Cracker with Four Flavours - Belinda Clark

We started this off with a giant bang, so it’s only right we end it on one too - and this GIANT (and I do mean giant) marshmallow Christmas Cracker from Belinda Clark (£19.95, Belinda Clark) is 40 cm long and full to bursting with FORTY pieces of gourmet, hand-made marshmallow in four different flavours: Raspberry, Vanilla, Gingerbread and Salted Caramel. If you know someone who loves marshmallow, then this is the gift for them! The best part about these is that they are made with all natural ingredients, and the raspberry flavour really shows that because it's got the biggest, most punchy flavour of any marshmallow I've ever had - it will be really hard to gift this one away, because once you’ve had a taste of Belinda’s marshmallows you’ll never hand them over to anyone else. They’re dangerously addictive.