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Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers. The holiday appetizer/snack that everyone asks forโฆyear after year. Theyโre quick, easy, and everyone loves these spicy, salty, sweet crackers. Buttery Ritz Crackers tossed in a mix of herbs and spices. Bake these crackers in the oven until theyโre perfectly crisp, but oh so buttery, and very well seasoned. There never seems to be enoughโฆaddictive, festive, and perfect for holiday entertaining.
Happy Christmas Eve to everyone who is celebrating today! And if you donโt celebrate, well I hope youโre actually still celebrating by taking the day off and hopefully cooking and baking up some delicious food!
Today is one of the first real days off Iโve had in, well, I canโt even really remember. Iโm spending the day with Asher in the kitchen cooking away and wrapping gifts. My family is thankfully all together here in Colorado and I canโt wait to celebrate Christmas with them.
I wanted to share one more last-minute recipe with you guys, simply because I LOVE these crackers so much. Trying to keep this short today, so Iโll jump right into the details.
The Inspiration.
First up, these are addicting. If you love a salty, smoky, savory cracker, youโre going to love these.
Theyโre inspired by this yearโs sweet and savory bacon twists. But also by the seasoned saltine crackers, or โfire crackersโ Iโve seen on Pinterest. I enjoy their saltiness, but Iโve always wondered why youโd choose a Saltine when you could have a Ritz instead. Personally, Ritz are my crackers of choice, so I did a quick Instagram poll to see if you all would agree.
And the verdict?
Ritz won as the favorite crackerโฆand by a landslide.
With that info, I was sold on my idea. Iโd make seasoned, buttery Ritz crackersโฆ
And you guys?! I really canโt express enough just how good these are. As I said above, they really are addicting. Salty, a touch smoky, herby, and spicy, but with a hint of sweetness. All the good stuff, and all SO delish.
The Process.
One of the great things about these crackers? They are so EASY.
Simply toss the seasoning mix, brown sugar, garlic, onion, fresh sage (or try thyme/rosemary), oregano, lots of smoky paprika, cayenne, and chili flakes, together with melted butter. Add the crackers and toss very well to fully coat, then bake until golden crisp.
All. The. VERY. GOOD. Things. And so simple too.
The key spice here is the smoky paprika. You guys know itโs my favorite spice to use. I love pairing it in a sweet and savory way with just a touch of brown sugar. It makes the spice even more delicious. If you donโt like any kind of smoky, simply use regular paprika.
You can assemble these crackers ahead of time. Theyโre delicious warm out of the oven, but equally delicious once cooled.
So you see? These are pretty close to being the perfect holiday appetizer. And the herbs keep them flavorful and festive too.
Excited to bake these up today, but Iโm making a double batch. My brothers have already requested them, along with a good cheese board and momโs Christmas Eve Chex mix!
And with that, I think Iโll leave you all with this recipe so you can recreate it to share with whomever youโre celebrating with.
Just a reminder, there will be no blog post on Christmas Day, but weโll be back on Saturday for a special cocktail post. And if you follow along on Instagram, Iโll be cooking my holiday recipes and sharing some family fun as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmasโฆfilled with (many) HBH recipes! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!
Looking for other last minute and easy appetizers? Here are my favorites:ย
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Momโs Secret Christmas Eve Chex Mix
Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
How to Make an Easy Holiday Cheese Board
Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey
Lastly, if you make these Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, using to your taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 sleeves Ritz crackers
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 300ยฐ F. Place wire racks on top of two baking sheets. 2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and a generous pinch of pepper. Add the Ritz crackers and toss to combine, making sure all crackers are coated in butter.3. Spread the Ritz out in an even layer on top of the racks. Bake for 15-25 minutes turning them halfway through cooking. You want the Ritz to be golden brown. Allow the Ritz to sit on the baking sheet until cooled and dry, about 20 minutes. Store the Ritz in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious!! Has anyone tried freezing these?
Hey Jill,
Amazing! Thanks for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out!
I think freezing would work well for you.
Have a nice week!
When you say turn them half way through , do you mean the pan itself or flip each cracker
Hi Penny,
I like to flip each cracker:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
More easy but amazing recipies like this please!! I love snack ideas like this…
Could these be frozen?
Hi Deborah,
I have not tested that, but I don’t think I would recommend freezing this recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
hey did you try freezing these out of interest?
Love this recipe and come back to it over and over. A simple way to improve a cracker.
When making for a crowd, I lighten the cayenne and when making for us, I pump it up! Pairs great with ranch dip or a creamy mild cheese. These are always a crown pleaser.
Hi Dana,
Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback, Iโm so glad to hear it always turns out well for you! Happy New Year!๐ฅณ๐ฅ xx
What is the dip you serve with these crackers? I am going to try these out!
Hey Tina,
I just did a little homemade ranch:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Absolutely the best recipe ever!! Thank you.
Hi there,
Happy Holidays!! Iโm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you making it! Thanks for your comment:) xx
Perfect amount of seasoning. Easy to make. Thanks for this recipe!
Hey Marsha,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
Im now cooking in Europe and therefore dealing with conversions. Can you help me out on the weight (grams) of a sleeve of crackers?
Thank you
Diana
Hi Diana,
So sorry, I do not have the weight of the sleeve of crackers, I would say it’s about 60 crackers. I hope this helps! xT
Wonderful appetizer, almost too easy as they are devoured readily
Hi Diana,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! xT
These are fantastic. Always rave reviews when I serve these!
Thank you Melissa! xT
Made these for a cocktail party tonight.. everyone raved about them. There were no crackers left to take home. Will definitely be adding these to my collection!
Thanks sooo much! Love to hear that this recipe was a success! xT
Is 3 sleeves of ritz same as 3 boxes? Or how many grams?
Hi there,
It’s not the same as 3 boxes:) There should be multiple sleeves of crackers in the box. I hope this helps!
Whatโs the dip that you have in the photo with them? I make these all the time and it just hit me it would be good with some kind of dip! Any suggestions?!
Hey Kara,
So glad to hear you had been enjoying this recipe! I like to serve them with a little ranch:) I hope this helps! xx
I donโt have any wire racks. Can I pit crackers directly on baking sheet? These look amazing!
Yes, that should be fine! xT
What is the dip shown in pictures
It’s a ranch dip! xT