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These melt in your mouth Zesty Ranch Ritz Crackers are loaded with robust flavor from ranch seasoning, parmesan cheese, and a kick of heat from spicy red pepper flakes.
A little bit spicy, a little bit zesty and a whole lot of yum, these crackers are perfect for party appetizers or just for snacking.
Zesty Ranch Ritz Crackers
One of the things you’ll love most about this easy snack recipe is it only takes a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
They start with Ritz crackers, which are a staple in my house. I always keep a box on hand in my pantry. They’re perfect to top off casseroles, like this Pineapple Casserole or to use in sweet treat recipes like these Ritz Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies.
But just when you think Ritz crackers can’t get any better, along comes these Spicy Ritz Crackers! If you haven’t tried this cracker recipe, sometimes called Fire Crackers or Alabama Fire Crackers, let me warn you; go ahead and make a double batch because they are the most addicting thing you’ll ever make.
Tip: They are even better the next day. So, if you need them for a party of some sort of special event, make them up the night before. The flavors only get better!
Ingredients for Zesty Ranch Crackers
- 1 box Ritz crackers
- 8 tbsp melted butter (1 stick)
- 1 packet dry Ranch seasoning mix (I used Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
How to Make Ranch Ritz Crackers
Preheat oven to 350
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (or silpat liner) and set aside.
In large bowl, combine all ingredients except Ritz crackers. Stir the butter mixture to combine, then add Ritz and gently toss with your hands to coat all the crackers.
Place crackers on baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. And that’s it! They are just that easy to make!
How Long Do Zesty Ritz Crackers Last?
I would love to speak from experience on this, but around my house these zesty ranch Ritz crackers are a family favorite, so they go quickly!
If you have leftovers or want to make a double batch in advance, just store them at room temperature in a large Ziploc bag or in a large airtight container for up to a week.
Can I Use Homemade Ranch Seasoning?
If you aren’t a fan of packet ranch dressing mix, you can certainly make your own. You’ll use about 3-4 tablespoons of your homemade ranch seasoning to equal the amount of the packet of regular ranch mix.
If your homemade seasoning recipe makes a big batch, the good news is, once you use the amount of seasoning you need for these spicy ritz crackers, you can mix the leftover seasoning with a little sour cream for a cool ranch dip to serve with them.
What Can I Serve with Spicy Crackers?
These crackers are a great snack alone or served with a bowl of Chili or Chicken Tortilla Soup. They’re also great with any of these homemade dip recipes:
Other Crackers You Can Use with this Recipe
The flavors in the recipe will go with a number of different crackers. For mini versions of these, you can use oyster crackers, Ritz bits, cheese crackers or even snack sized pretzels or goldfish crackers.
You can also use full size saltines instead of Ritz.
Variations for this Spicy Ranch Ritz Crackers Recipe
Once you see what a quick and easy snack these crackers are, you may want to experiment with other seasonings next time.
- Steak Seasoning: Make Spicy Comeback Crackers by substituting the ranch packet for your favorite dry steak seasoning.
- Taco Seasoning: Tex-Mex Crackers add a great twist of flavor. Use some taco seasoning in place of the red pepper flakes. They are perfect served with this Black Bean Dip or this 7-Layer Dip.
- Italian Seasoning: Add extra zest to these crackers by using a packet of dry Italian dressing mix in place of the ranch.
- Mild: To makes these crackers mild enough for the whole family to enjoy, just omit the red pepper flakes.
- Extra Hot: If you like things with extra spice, add one teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne pepper to the mix. Easy though, a little goes a long way.
Want More Snack Recipes?
- Pineapple Cheese Ball
- Bisquick Sausage Balls
- Cowboy Caviar
- Crockpot Smokies
- Easy Guacamole
- Crockpot Meatballs
- Apricot Jalapeno Poppers
Zesty Ritz Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 box Ritz crackers 13.7 ounce box
- 8 Tbsp butter melted (1 stick)
- 1 ounce dry Ranch seasoning mix 1 packet
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (or silpat liner) and set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except Ritz crackers. Stir to combine then add Ritz and gently toss with your hands to coat all the crackers in the buttery mixture.
- Place crackers on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Recipes notes: this works well with oyster crackers and cheddar crackers
- For less spice, use ½ Tbps red pepper flakes
Nutrition
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Lisa says
15 minutes at 350 charred my crackers. Perhaps a lower temperature, or less time?
Tammy says
Having these with some cheddar cheese right now… they’re amazing!!
Evonda Kelley says
First and most important, I put my first pan full in the over at 350° on a nice Oneida baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and went about preparing the second pan. I peeked in the over at about 12 minutes and they were badly burned. Dark brown, black on bottom! I nearly fainted! I set the timer for 7 minutes in the second pan. Still a little over done. Three next two pans I set for 5 minutes and they were perfect. 15 minutes! I can’t imagine!
Also, the recipe didn’t say what size box of crackers. I bought a box with four sleeves of crackers. I barely managed to do two sleeves with that amount of butter. I melted another stick one the bowl with the seasonings and proceeded with a third sleeve. I then melted another half stick to continue with the fourth sleeve. There was not nearly enough butter to coat the crackers. The peppers and other ingredients did not stick to the cracker very well at all.
I used ready-made grated Parmesan. I did not buy fresh Parmesan and grated it. I don’t know if that was a problem, but the Parmesan in my mixture was very gummy.
I made a dip from sour cream and a pkg of ranch dressing mix. It complimented the cracker very nicely.
The crackers are delicious but the recipe wasn’t a good guide.
Gloria Nowakowski says
Just made – very disappointed- 350’ too hot – 15 minutes way too long – burnt them – will try again – maybe 300 for just 5-6 minutes