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My Favorite New Years Cocktails and Appetizers.
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Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers. The holiday appetizer/snack that everyone asks for…year after year. They’re 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 they’re perfectly crisp, but oh so buttery, and very well seasoned. There never seems to be enough…addictive, festive, and perfect for holiday entertaining.
Happy Christmas Eve to everyone who is celebrating today! And if you don’t celebrate, well I hope you’re 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 I’ve had in, well, I can’t even really remember. I’m spending the day with Asher in the kitchen cooking away and wrapping gifts. My family is thankfully all together here in Colorado and I can’t 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 I’ll jump right into the details.
The Inspiration.
First up, these are addicting. If you love a salty, smoky, savory cracker, you’re going to love these.
They’re inspired by this year’s sweet and savory bacon twists. But also by the seasoned saltine crackers, or “fire crackers” I’ve seen on Pinterest. I enjoy their saltiness, but I’ve always wondered why you’d 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 cracker…and by a landslide.
With that info, I was sold on my idea. I’d make seasoned, buttery Ritz crackers…
And you guys?! I really can’t 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 it’s 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 don’t like any kind of smoky, simply use regular paprika.
You can assemble these crackers ahead of time. They’re 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 I’m making a double batch. My brothers have already requested them, along with a good cheese board and mom’s Christmas Eve Chex mix!
And with that, I think I’ll leave you all with this recipe so you can recreate it to share with whomever you’re celebrating with.
Just a reminder, there will be no blog post on Christmas Day, but we’ll be back on Saturday for a special cocktail post. And if you follow along on Instagram, I’ll be cooking my holiday recipes and sharing some family fun as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas…filled with (many) HBH recipes! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!
Looking for other last minute and easy appetizers? Here are my favorites:
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Mom’s 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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sweet and Spicy Seasoned Crackers.
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 93 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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 300° 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.
What sauce do you use to dip? The one in the pictures?
Hi Hannah,
I just served these with some ranch. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
These are a great treat! Made 1/2 recipe to just try out. I used 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne-because we like it on the hot side. Perfect for us. Taking to a friends tonight. Will serve with red pepper jelly and cream cheese. Highly recommend! PS Butter needs to be on hotter side to mix with spices and you will have to “goop” the spices onto the crackers because they really don’t want to stick. Still toss all together with crackers but then take the extra butter/spice mixture and goop on top.
Hey Sherry,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Hi, excited to make these but not sure how many Ritz in a sleeve. In Canada they are sold loose in box. Any idea? Thanks
Hey Mary,
Sorry, I really have no idea, I would say about 30:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
I have Keebler Town House crackers, very similar to Ritz. There are 35 in a sleeve. I hope that helps.
I made a batch of these and absolutely loved them. Along with my entire household.
Hey Kate,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
I am obsessed with these! So tasty and an awesome addition to a charcuterie board.
Hey Kara! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Hi! What ranch do you use?
Hi Nina! I usually make my own by using this recipe:
Creamy Ranch
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup olive oil mayo
1/4-1/2 tablespoon buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
kosher salt and black pepper
Enjoy! xTieghan
My batch turned out yummy! I didn’t have fresh sage but used fresh rosemary instead and it was delicious! Great snack for holiday get togethers.
Hey Candace,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
What type of dip are you serving with these?
Hey Tara,
I served my crackers with some ranch. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So I’m late to posting (never did this before). I am addicted to these crackers, made them for the holidays and a couple of times since. I am gluten free (amongst other things). I’ve been in search of the best cracker substitute for a Ritz and found that Lance Gluten Free Baked Original comes pretty close and works great for this recipe (if I’m allowed to use brand names). I use between 2 1/2-3 boxes of them to match the 3 sleeves of the Ritz (there are many broken crackers per box which I weed out). Everything else is the same. Love these!!!!!!
Hey Sheila,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful holiday weekend ?? xTieghan
I see there is a dip but no recipe, what would you suggest?
Hey Erica,
I just served my crackers with some ranch, but anything you like will work. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These crackers are amazing! We made them for New Years Eve and will be making them again for Super Bowl Sunday!
Hey Olivia,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
How many crackers in a sleeve? I have a box of Ritz that are in a bag.
Hey Yolli,
Sorry I don’t know the exact amount of crackers, these are the ones that I used: https://shopstyle.it/l/bp6x8
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made them with Captains wafers and they were delicious!! I also doubled the red pepper flakes and added fresh thyme instead of sage. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hey Tammy,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
All I can say is WOW. Looking for a snack cracker without ranch powder as the main ingredient. Love these!
Hey Joan,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
So good!
Thanks Paula! xTieghan