Homemade Ritz Crackers

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This recipe for homemade Ritz crackers is even better than the store-bought version – and it’s so easy to make!

I spent weeks developing the copycat recipe so that it would taste as close to the original as possible and would use natural ingredients. These are made without high fructose corn syrup and without partially hydrogenated oils.

Tray of homemade Ritz crackers

Developing this recipe was a bit of a challenge. Take a look at what went into making these perfect:

Columns of homemade Ritz cracker experiments on a cutting board

Each column on this cutting board resulted from a slightly different recipe for the crackers (and the board doesn’t even show all of my trials).

I experimented with:

  • using only butter, only vegetable oil, and a combination
  • brushing with melted butter before baking, after baking, and partially through baking
  • sprinkling salt on top, mixing salt into the butter, using kosher salt and regular table salt
  • using different amount of baking powder

You get the idea.

A closeup of a cracked homemade Ritz cracker with a number of others in a serving dish

I came pretty close to getting this recipe perfect. The real cracker [paid link] is slightly more fluffy, but the taste of mine is spot on. (Most of my tasters actually preferred my version’s flavor!)

Ingredients and Equipment

Though the recipe’s ingredients are standard baking staples, you will need some special equipment:

  • Food processor (Using a food processor lets you fully combine the ingredients without over-mixing. If you make them in a stand mixer, you could easily over mix them and the crackers would end up less flaky.)
  • Something to roll the dough with (A rolling pin is ideal, but you could also use a wine bottle in a pinch!)
  • Cookie cutters (I use scallop-edged cutters to create the Ritz cracker look, but you can make them any shape you like.)

How to Make Ritz Crackers

A serving dish with homemade Ritz crackers

Pulse flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Add butter a little bit at a time and pulse. The butter should be very cold – straight from the fridge. You want the dough to come together at the end, but ideally you’ll still see little specks of butter in it. It’s not totally smooth.

Add vegetable oil and pulse to combine.

Add water and pulse to combine until the dough forms a ball.

Roll out the dough as thinly as you can. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. If you have a pasta maker, then you can push the dough through to make it all even and thin. The cracker recipe will be fine without it.

Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out.

Ritz cracker dough cut out

Use a toothpick or a metal skewer to poke holes in each unbaked cracker. This makes it look more like the real deal, but the holes aren’t just for appearance; they help the crackers to bake more evenly.

Poking holes in Ritz crackers

Bake the crackers on a parchment- or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet until they just begin to brown.

Brush the crackers with salted butter while still hot.

Brushing Ritz crackers with butter

Cool on a cooling rack before eating!

Store in an airtight container at room temperature, and add a piece of toasted bread to your container to keep the moisture level regulated.

Serving Ideas

Once you have baked your homemade Ritz crackers, try serving them with:

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!
Tray of homemade Ritz crackers
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4.29 from 70 votes

Homemade Ritz Crackers Recipe

Homemade Ritz crackers are even better than the store-bought ones and they are easy to make!

Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 36 crackers
Calories 59kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/2 tsp of the salt in the food processor.
  • Pulse to combine.
  • Add cold butter a few small pats at a time, and pulse to combine.
  • Add vegetable oil. Pulse to combine.
  • Add water a little bit at a time. Pulse to combine after each addition. The dough should start to form a ball.
  • Roll dough out as thin as you can. Mine ended up being all different thicknesses. Don't sweat it; they are homemade crackers! If you are really concerned, use a pasta maker to make the dough all one thickness.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out. You can make them Ritz-shaped [paid link] or any shape that you like.
  • Poke holes in the dough in the Ritz pattern or any pattern you like (smiley faces would be fun!). Keep in mind that the holes are not just decorative; they help the crackers to bake evenly – so be sure to poke some.
  • Bake the crackers on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet for ten minutes or until the crackers just begin to brown.
  • While the crackers are baking, melt the remaining butter and mix in the remaining salt. (Some people said that my crackers weren't salty enough, so add more or less salt to your taste.)
  • As soon as you remove the crackers from the oven, brush them with the salty butter.
  • Cool and eat!

Video

Notes

Store crackers in an airtight container at room temperature, and add a piece of toasted bread to your container to keep the moisture level regulated.
While this homemade Ritz cracker recipe is a Cupcake Project original, I used Jeffrey’s recipe from What’s 4 Dinner Solutions as a starting point. Huge thanks go out to him.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Rating




155 comments:

  1. Melinda Reesesays:

    I just finished making these. They truly do taste like the original Ritz cracker. I divided the dough in half, and the first batch I did not roll nearly thin enough. They were thick and puffy and not crisp. The second batch I worked really hard to roll thin. They were better, but still could have been thinner. I realized I should have let the dough rest for 15 minutes or so to let the gluten relax. I will try that next time. Perhaps I will stretch it like I do strudel crust to get it cracker thin. I think my littles will love these! Thank you so much for the recipe, and the time you put into perfecting it.

  2. Joliesays:

    5 stars
    This makes for perfect crackers. The amount of water seemed a bit much but once baked they were the right amount of crisp for a cracker. Thanks for all your practice!!

  3. Patrick L Laheysays:

    I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I just wanted to mention that I chose the “metric” measuring option, and it converted the flour and water quantities, but none of the teaspoon or tablespoon quantities.

  4. Aeryn M.says:

    A tip for poking the holes, if you dough is sticky, dip your toothpick in water then proceed to poke holes.

  5. Elizabethsays:

    4 stars
    These were great! Hearing all the testing you did, made me a lot more willing to follow this recipe as is. I rarely follow recipes exactly, but this one was great. My family did like the crackers a little crunchier, so I baked a little longer. I also got tired of the cookie cutters, so i just cut them. This would be a tasty pita chip recipe too.

  6. Bevsays:

    5 stars
    Great recipe! My first time making crackers and they turned out perfectly. And they taste yummy!

  7. Nikkysays:

    4 stars
    easy and quick. id emphasise to roll VERY thin.

  8. phanessays:

    I imagine that Nabisco probably uses some kind of specialty flour or some other “modified” ingredient to acquire their oh-so-light crispiness. Personally, I think it might be worth a try to attempt using something like cake flour or pastry flour to make these crackers. I know Ritz crackers are so delicate that one can crumble easily if you try to take it out of a package that hasn’t been opened enough. Pastry flour should give that extra-crumbly texture that might make the crackers more delicate and more like the packaged crackers. I know I use cake flour when I make shortbread cookies and they turn out so much better, texture-wise, than when I use all-purpose flour.

  9. Joansays:

    5 stars
    So close to a Ritz. Every buttery, will definitely make them again. Easy to make,

  10. Susan Callanansays:

    Hi, how would you get the crackers more yellow/orange looking like the real Ritz crackers?

    • phanessays:

      If you want them to be more yellow/orange, you could try adding just a little turmeric to it. I put the slightest pinch of turmeric in the water I cook rice in. Just a tiny amount gives my rice a very pale, buttery-yellow color. This made my friend enjoy the rice because he thought it was some kind of buttery rice I made from a package. He had no idea it was just plain Jasmine rice cooked with water, butter, salt, and turmeric.

  11. Jansays:

    4 stars
    I needed to try a homemade version of the Ritz crackers to top my broccoli cheese casserole for Thanksgiving. Yours sounded easy and good!
    I used a good old fashioned pastry blender, not food processor though. Did half recipe and got 36 crackers.
    Once I removed from oven and topped with melted butter, I tried one. Thought the middle was a bit doughy, so I popped them back in the oven to “dry” as the oven cooled down. Maybe I’m just impatient to wait for them to cool and dry, but the taste sure was yummy!

  12. Nicolesays:

    What is the shelf life on these crackers? Have you tried freezing the crackers or the dough?

  13. Carolsays:

    5 stars
    Great recipe, I cut the crackers out with a gingerbread man cutter and did a fork poke for the eyes and buttons.

  14. Rachealsays:

    I want to make these but I have to stay very low carb and no wheat products. What flour can I substitute in place of wheat flour?

  15. Juliane Femenellasays:

    4 stars
    I put 1/4 cup each dry milk and potato starch in mine~ the outer ones (I rolled & pizza cut them for speed) were crisp and light. Interiors were not as crisp but soft~ perhaps if more time avail I’d separate them. 1/4 rolling pin worked well over wax paper. Thanks!

  16. Øyvind Saltviksays:

    2 stars
    To make as crumbly as the real ritz, add more butter. 2.5 times as much to be specific.

  17. tondkhanisays:

    Thank you very much

  18. diane scheiersays:

    My husband is on a low salt diet and these are perfect because I can adjust the salt at will

  19. Pamelasays:

    Thank you for this quick, easy and delicious recipe. I tried to follow the recipe exactly but had to sub 1c AP flour for 1c bread flour because I was out of AP flour; I’m not sure how significant this is though. Anyway, the taste of my crackers was more saltine cracker like. Next time I may try brushing the baked crackers with butter only to see if they taste more like a Ritz cracker. Also, I followed another commentators suggestion to use a pizza cutter to cut out the cracker shapes and that worked great and made the work so easy. I didn’t bother separating the crackers any more than the pizza cutter in which I was fine with the end product but if I wanted each piece to truly be crispy then I would separate them more. My final comment is more of a question. I may have missed it, but didn’t see any notation of the blade to use in the food processor (one of the best investments you’ll ever make is buying one of these beauties) so I used the dough (plastic) blade. Is this correct or does it even matter?

  20. Darylsays:

    Note to anyone looking to make this.

    I believe 2/3 cup of water is a mistake. Use 1/3 of a cup or you will end up with a soupy batter instead of a dough.

    I made this yesterday, and 2/3 cup of water to 2 cups of flour is WAY too much water to make a firm rollable dough.

  21. BettyBopsays:

    They cost about $3 a box. You probably spent 10x that or more. Ridulous.

  22. Billsays:

    Made these turned out well very tasty indeed will be making another batch soon.

  23. Kim Nordholzsays:

    So I needed some crackers to go with my soup today for lunch and found your recipe. This recipe makes a very good cracker. I found that rolling them as thin as I could gave me a cracker about 1/16 of an inch. 10 minutes was too long and I reduced to 8 for the really thin ones. I found 1/8 inch to produce more of a cracker instead of chip. They didn’t stick to the baking sheet – no need for parchment unless you are rolling onto it and cutting them directly on it. I’m going to try this with White Lilly soft wheat flour and see if it’s a little flakier. Oh and I didn’t use the full 2/3c water probably about 1/2c.

  24. d. griggssays:

    I will be trying since I read back of Ritz cracker box made in Mexico

  25. Noellesays:

    I did not like them. They are noting compared to the ones you buy at the store.

  26. Barbsays:

    I am thinking of running the dough through a pasta maker to get consistent thickness. Anybody tried that?

  27. Esthersays:

    I needed cracker crumbs for a recipe. I found this recipe and tried it though as first I was a little intimidated by it. I could not believe how simple this was to do. I sued ghee instead of the oil and they tasted just like Keebler, not Ritz at all. Didn’t matter tho because they ere still buttery and that is what i needed. One reviewer said they tasted like a biscuit. Some of mine tasted that too but I think that might have been because I didnt roll them thin enough. I rolled them so paper thin and that batch was perfect…the perfect Keebler cracker.

  28. Sabrinasays:

    Thanks for this recipe! I had been trying to duplicate chicken n a biscuit crackers and this recipe is perfect. Add 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder (not bouillon, no salt) to the dough and also use to sprinkle before baking with a little onion powder and garlic powder. Yum! Last note – I roll the recipe out to cookie sheet size (two sheets) and place the rolled dough on the sheet and then just use a pizza cutter to cut into rectangles. They shrink enough in the oven to separate. Thanks again!

  29. Emilysays:

    LOVED these! Didn’t tell my family what these crackers were meant to be but they all said they tasted exactly like ritz crackers! Will definitely be making these again :)

  30. Catherinesays:

    My kids and I made these tonight. OMG. So wonderful. They said they were better than real Ritz crackers, and I agree. More flaky, kind of like a cracker version of a biscuit. My only suggestion is that refrigerating the dough before rolling it made them a lot easier to roll out and cut very thin. Might want to add that as a step. We plan to make these from now on for our weekly soup dinner. :-)

  31. Jennifersays:

    Hello. This looks like a good recipe but what I actually need is a recipe for a cracker crust. I’m wondering if I can skip the step of making the crackers and then crushing then with butter to make a crust. I’d like to just make a crust instead. Any ideas how I could do that? Thanks.

  32. mohsinsays:

    I made these about a year ago, the food my food processor was too tiny lol! When i struggled, I threw it into my kitchenaid mixer and pounded the butter and flour together on high speed with a paddle attachment. It did the trick :) Tne crackers that had the biggest ritz taste were the ones that still had more coarse salt on them. I’m going to make these again, this recipe made enough crackers to fill a large canister. They were crisp and delectable as long as you let them cool to room temp!

    If you are new to baking, you have to let the crackers cool so they can harden and crisp up. Putting warm crackers into a canister creates steam and soggy crackers, and mold!

  33. Joyce Fsays:

    Thank you for your recipe!! I’ve been craving crackers for about a year. I refuse to eat anything like that from a store. I used sprouted white wheat flour and a little einkorn flour and they were heavenly!! I had to add 1/4 cp more of the einkorn flour because I used all the water. Baking with einkorn you need to decrease the liquid by about 20%. I baked them for 12 mins. at the 400 degrees. Had some homemade turkey soup and put cream cheese on the crackers. Question….how to keep them crispy the next day? They still taste good but not crispy like a cracker from the store. I’d appreciate any info on this.

    • Connie Kennysays:

      I put all my ‘stale’ (wimpy) crackers in the toaster oven for just a quick heat up….and they’re crisp.

  34. Jessicasays:

    This recipe is a STAPLE at my house. I make a batch every Sunday for my kids snacks throughout the week! THANK YOU!

  35. Las Vegas GE Appliance Partssays:

    Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but aftr browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new
    to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it
    and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

  36. Laurensays:

    Curious how long they keep? I’m assuming they usually disappear well before that time approaches, but just curious. :) Also, has anyone tried to freeze the dough? I like to pre-make a lot of things (like pizza dough, cookie dough, etc.) and usually do it all in a day with my kiddos. Thanks! Looking forward to trying this!

    • Stefsays:

      I wouldn’t keep them longer than a few days. They won’t be as crisp.

      • Suzysays:

        5 stars
        Hi, I made these a couple of weeks ago, while searching for a few good recipes for a goodie basket. Well, let me tell you, this one makes the cut! I noticed that the crackers did absorb some of the humidity in our Oregon rainy fall air, so I put them back into the oven at 210 degrees for between 30 minutes and an hour. Perfect!

  37. Christinasays:

    Thank you for all your trial and error! Some lucky people will be the recipients of all your hard work. I promised to make home made Kit Kat bars (organic and boycotting Nestle products…land grabs, water rights etc.)…

    Where was I…right…so I’m looking all over the internet and Pinterest for genuinely home made Kit Kat recipes that might allow for the most to be made from scratch. I found the perfect homemade butterscotch recipe, graham cracker recipe and finally, crispy buttery crackers…those were the hardest to find! I can already tell that they are exactly what I was looking for! A million thanks!

  38. Ivy Manningsays:

    HI
    Cute pictures. If you have a thing for crackers, you really ought to check out Crackers and Dips (Chronicle 2014), it’s full of cracker recipes and spreads! You also might try adding barley malt syrup to your own unique recipe, it really adds a lot of buttery, toasty flavor.

  39. Reevasays:

    Just found this recipe and tried it, its great! Biscuits are so light and tasty :) thank you!

  40. Organic Girlsays:

    My married son asked if it was possible to make Ritz crackers. He wanted something healthier for his family. I lfound this recipe and made it with 100% red whole wheat. I used extra virgin olive oil for the vegetable oil and rolled directly onto a rectangular baking stone, using a piece of parchment paper on top. I used a pizza cutter to score into squares and pricked with a fork. The measurements given in the recipe were perfect, even with the 100% whole wheat variation. By the way, I made half a recipe and mixed it in the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor. It was so easy and in no time, we had delicious crackers. This recipe is a winner and we will make this again and again. I’m eager to try it with Einkorn flour, as was mentioned by someone else in this post. Thank you, Stef, for all the hard work that went into creating this wonderful recipe!

    • Organics Onlysays:

      I just tried this recipe. Next time, I will use salted butter or add the full tsp of salt. But the real trick is in rolling the dough out very thin. I will also use my mixer instead of the food processor because by the last roll out, the dough was getting tough. Still, they were very tasty! I’m enjoying them with peanut butter and grape jelly!

  41. MDsays:

    Amazing, I’m some glad you called this a homemade ritz cracker. I would never have found this had it been named anything else. I used shortening in replacement for unsalted butter and subbed olive oil for vegetable oil. Yikes I know, but let me tell ya, it tasted better than ritz and the texture was more like cream crackers, in my case. Mmmmm…. made about fifty, well let me tell ya about half of them were gone in the first day!

    I don’t recommend using a blender I tried that first and had a burning smell coming out of it. To finish mixing the mixture I kneaded like bread dough. Next time I will use a mixer with a spiral dough hook.

    This recipe was awesome, I will be making another batch sooner rather than later!

    So thanks for sharing this one, as I’ve noticed many others feel the same.

  42. Simonstersays:

    Hi,
    Love the crackers – a tip for making them as “fluffy” as Ritz™ – use ice-cold liquid and let the dough rest and refrigerate for 1 -2 hours before rolling out, then release the dough from your work surface after rolling, rest 5 min and then cut out – this way the dough will shrink way less. Chill before baking too…both you and the dough.

    yum.

  43. Juanitasays:

    This is a fantastic recipe and what’s even better is that it worked so well with einkorn flour. The crackers came out fantastic, even better than the Ritz crackers I grew up with. My mother even liked them and she said, that as a child she hated Ritz crackers.

  44. Suesays:

    These are wonderful. I split the water 50/50 with buttermilk and rolled between two silpat matts for thickness. They came out flakey and way better than Ritz. Thank you.

  45. Dawnsays:

    I am interested in giving this recipe a try. Any idea how long they will stay fresh?

  46. siansays:

    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, they turned out beautifully. Unfortunately I had run out of butter so had to use margarine instead, but still taste amazing :)

  47. barbiesays:

    I made these tonight super yummy. I have fall cookie cutters and they are bite size. The kids loved them crackers with chicken salad.

  48. Lindsaysays:

    These are great! I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil (almost always do, I just make sure it’s in liquid form first) and a little extra salt in the crackers as well as a little extra salt and melted butter for the top. They came out very good! I made some very very thin and some just a little thicker and I think we like the thicker ones better! They stayed just a bit softer in the middle but still very crunchy on the outside. Yum! I will definitely be making these again, and probably try with wheat flour next time. I also used my stand mixer instead of a food processor (with paddle attachment) and it worked great.

    Thanks for the recipe!! :o)

  49. Marybethsays:

    I am wondering if anyone has tried a Gluten free variation of this recipe? Has it turned out?

    • Amysays:

      I just did a batch right now. I added 1/4 tsp Gum-Tex to 1 cup of GF flour and then followed as directed. I just increased the salt in the very last step. Taste is really close to the real thing, and the thicker-cut crackers had the closest texture.

      It is a bit crumbly (I’ve never baked GF before, so maybe this is my inexperience), so I just took small lumps and pressed them flat on the parchment paper (instead of rolling out a large sheet) and then cut circles. Used my flattest spatula to position them. Bake time was a little longer, too.

      Hope that helps :)

  50. Peggysays:

    The BUTTER can be ROOM TEMP when mixed in with the flour!

    All the needless stressing over mixing in and using a food processor is unnecessary. I used ROOM TEMP butter and it was so easy and the finished product was perfect.

    Forget having to have the butter cold and stressing over machines and “working it in”.

  51. GDsays:

    How long can they keep. How to store them?

  52. Beckysays:

    Hubby and I just made these and they’re awesome! Tastes great and super easy. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  53. Solsays:

    Thank you for sharing the recipe. <3 I made those, and posted it on my blog. I did some small changes on the recipe, but I linked your blog in the post. Mine didn´t become as pretty as yours, but they tasted delicious!

  54. halcyonsays:

    Delicious! I think next time I’ll ratchet up the flavor by adding shredded cheese. Mmmm.

    • Suesays:

      I have done that! Try cheddar with a dash of cayenne and a few drops of worchestershire sauce and you’ll have the perfect chez-it cracker. Yum!

  55. Anonymoussays:

    If I were you i wouldn’t use a blender for doughs. I’ve tried making dough with a hamilton beach that I had just bought and the dough was so tough to mix that it ended up blowing out the motor. Just use your hands it’s less clean up :)

  56. Anonymoussays:

    can you make it in a blender…i don’t have a food processor.

  57. Bonycellssays:

    Thank you for this delicious Homemade Ritz Cracker recipe. I have made them several times using homemade oat flour in my food processor. I still use about 1/2-3/4 cup of regular flour to 1-1/2 cups of oat flour since the oats don’t seem to absorb the wet ingredients as well. I use Extra virgin olive oil and also substituted 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda instead of the 3 tsp of baking powder to eliminate the aluminum. Oh and I also substituted Stevia “cup for cup” for the sugar. I add enough flour when kneading the dough so that the dough doesn’t stick to the surfaces of the rolling pin or the stainless sheet I roll them out on. I use a pizza cutter to cut them in squares and with a pie slicer/server and some flour I pick up the pieces to transfer to the pans. I don’t poke them either. They turn out light and fluffy when cooked to a golden brown, about 10 minutes on either a baking sheet or a wire rack. And since my oven is a tad hot I set it at 390 degrees. I then dip the crackers in butter flipping them over with tongs to coat the other side then set them on a cooking sheet to cool. They seem to absorb the butter uniformly too. I don’t add any more salt as they taste good just with the coating of butter. This last batch I used unsalted butter for the coating and still love them just as much. My wife does too! Thanks again. Very healthy crackers. Now to try them with some cream cheese, Neufchâtel sounds delicious too! I need to learn to make that homemade next.

  58. Anonymoussays:

    my wife just made them, here are some of our LAZY changes.

    1.used canola instead of vegetable because that is what we had
    2.rolled them out and just cut squares (oh, the heresy)
    3.used a fork for holes and just moved it around a bit to enlarge them a bit
    4.did not use parchment

    dough was moist but okay
    real real thin ones not as good as medium ones
    lowered heat to 390 as the first batches were browning too much
    made a tad over a pound

    will make them again but next time will roll them out on the underside of a cookie pan, score them, prick them and bake, brush, and break -lazy tom

    • Dianasays:

      I agree–I liked the medium thick ones better than the thinnest ones.

      I also rolled them out on a pizza stone and used a pizza cutter to cut into rectangles. They separated as they baked and were very easy to remove from my stone.

      I used palm shortening instead of butter to make them dairy-free. And no butter baste and the end and they taste great! Not identical to Ritz, but they are definitely the best homemade cracker I’ve ever made. I’d say they’re like a cross between Captain’s wafers and Ritz. I’ll be making these again–thanks!

      Oh, I also did a half batch and it worked great in my little Chefmate food chopper. Thanks for the suggestion–I don’t have a full-sized one!

  59. Jodisays:

    I made these tonight to have with sausage and lentil soup for supper. I used a teacup to cut them out as I wanted bigger than ritz crackers. When I took the dough out of the food processor I thought maybe I should have held back some of the water-but it was super easy to roll out. I got 30 crackers out of this recipe. I had only 10 left to put away. They turned out wonderfully. Thank you for all your testing.

  60. Sarah Campbellsays:

    Hi and thanks for this recipe! I know this is kind of old but if you get this message. . . I was wondering if the salt in the dough is important or if it is just for taste. I’m trying to make low-salt versions for my cracker loving toddler and would like to reduce the salt but I’m worried that it is important for proper rising etc. Do you think 1/4 tsp would be ok? I’m so excited to make ritz without that nasty cottonseed oil!!!
    THinking about using the palm oil shortening I have instead of butter but I know that is iffy because of the water content of butter.

    • Annasays:

      Lowering salt in the diet is not healthy. Eating salt temporarily raises blood pressure, but eating a low salt diet actually increased the risk of heart attack in more than one study. In fact, in one study, the increase in heart attacks increased to such a degree they aborted the test for the subjects safety! Please don’t put toddlers on low salt diets! See 180degeeehealth.com for more info and sources.

  61. Anonymoussays:

    Thank you very much for this recipe! I have a nephew who’s allergic to soy and nuts. Try finding a store-bought Ritz that doesn’t have soy or isn’t made in a facility with nuts! I live in a rural area, so no specialty stores. These crackers fit the bill and allowed me to make a family favorite recipe that he could have, too. No worries about those nasty allergens! We subbed canola oil for vegetable oil, and they turned out fine. I liked these better the second day. Thank you, again, for these fine crackers!

  62. Anonymoussays:

    I tried this recipe with several different flours and they came out ok but nothing at all like Ritz Crackers….and mind you I’ve been eating Ritz for over 50 years…..maybe that’s the problem…..can’t fool my tastebuds. Think I’ll stick to the real thing.

  63. Anonymoussays:

    Thank you SO MUCH for posting such a wonderful recipe!! My kids love them and so do I :) Quick question for anyone who has made lots of these- what do you find to be the best way to store them to keep them crisp? Rubbermaid? Plastic baggies? Empty cereal bags? Thanks!

  64. Kylie Wallssays:

    The recipe looks great, and the pictures are so vivid, but it’s your blog that has blown me away…. How did you get the top to look like that? Please share, I’m open to anything.

  65. Christysays:

    I just made these with my girls and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe! :)

  66. Erin K.says:

    I have a question on these… What is the texture like of the dough before you roll it out to cut it? Mine was very soupy, so I wasn’t sure if it should be up to 2/3c. water or if you actually use a full 2/3 cup?

    Thanks,
    Erin

    • Darylsays:

      I ran into the same issue when I made them yesterday, after adding just 1/3 cup of water, I noticed the dough was extremely sticky. So I added a bit more flour and dumped the remaining 1/3 cup of water down the drain.

      Makes me believe this is just an error in the original recipe. Came out fantastic with 1/3 cup of water instead of 2/3.

      Also used a pasta roller for uniformity and a kitchenaid mixer instead of a food processor.

  67. Ruxisays:

    Wow! Thank you, on behalf of my family, for your patience and determination. Tomorrow I will try them, for sure! I really enjoyed your post and your blog.

  68. Astrid Mariesays:

    Thank you!!! I have been looking for this recipie for a long time! Cannot wait to try it. You have done so much work to find it! I just love Ritz-crackers but there are too many bad ingredients (palm oil etc) in the ones from the store

    • Anonymoussays:

      palm oil is actually very good for you and Coconut oil is one of the very best oils for you, just avoid the hydrogenated versions. My doctor who has gotten diabetics off of meds & insulin told me this. Plus I have done a lot of research. I controll my diabetes with diet only (brought it down to around 125 from 215). The natural fats are the bests ones to use. We have been lied to about fats. The mainstream medical establishments blindly believe what they have been told & pass it on without doing research. The polyunsaturated fats are causing a lot of health problems. Do some research. foodrenegade.com is a good place to start. I’ve seen sites run by other doctors that say the same thing.

  69. Anonymoussays:

    These turned out perfectly! They were a huge hit with my kids for an after school snack. I don’t have a food processor so I just used my hands to work in the butter and oil. For fun I used a variety of cookie cutter shapes. Great recipe!

    • Anonymoussays:

      I just used my fingers to work in the butter. Add the butter to the flour in small cubes and just use your fingers to make the flour mealy. Drizzle in the oil in a small stream with one hand while stirring with the other hand and then gently stir with bare hands working in any clumps. (They will be small). Work the water in with a fork. It doesn’t take that long. It probably takes less time to do that then to get out, clean, and put away a food processor. I made mine this way and they turned out perfectly.

  70. Anonymoussays:

    Nope, they are not like Ritz crackers at all. Very mild taste and salt was no where to be found.

    Sorry

    • Rebekkahsays:

      Well, ‘Anonymous’, you are very unpleasant. No wonder you would not give your name.

      Stef cared enough to take the time and trouble to put a gorgeous recipe out there for all of us like that and you have to say something sarcastic and complacent? How rude.

    • suflerksays:

      i did not try yet, but if you think that it is not at all like the real stuff, maybe you can give us recipe that is like the Ritz, I will wait for your recipe before attempting

      Appreciate in advance

  71. Unknownsays:

    Thank you for duplicating these crackers. They were an occasional childhood treat that was stopped when they were manufactured with bad quality fat and sweetener; it also changed the taste. Looking forward to eating “Ritz” again.

  72. Unknownsays:

    Thank you for duplicating these crackers. They were an occasional childhood treat that was stopped when they were manufactured with bad quality fat and sweetener; it also changed the taste. Looking forward to eating “Ritz” again.

  73. Andrea Roudasays:

    For those with little extra income.

    http://arouda.blogspot.com/2012/02/recipe-for-disaster.html

  74. Anonymoussays:

    These were so good. I wonder if a coupleof super thin layers would mimic the puffiness of Ritz.

  75. Nikisays:

    Man oh man these look amazing! I tried to convert it to GF using Bobs all purpose flour and they definitely did not turn out as beautiful. If anyone figure out how to o it PLEASE let me know, I miss buttery crackers like crazy.

  76. Tanissays:

    Tried these in a blender as I do not have a food processor, so they were a bit tougher I thought. Will get a food processor and try again! My family loved them though just the way they were! Some people are having trouble with wheat more and more. I found out for myself, it is the bromine put in many flours. I try to stay away from them now!

    • Anonymoussays:

      I don’t have a food processor either. I cut the butter into small cubes, added them to the flour and worked it in with my finger tips until flour was mealy. I drizzled the oil in slowly with one hand while gently stirring the mealy flour with the other hand. I continued gently stirring the mealy dough with both hands working in any clumps (there were few and they were small.) Then I slowly added the water working it in with a fork. It doesn’t take very long to do this. It probably takes more time to get out, clean, and put away a food processor and they turned out perfectly.

  77. Jasminesays:

    Tried the recipe tonight and LOVED IT!
    Will post soon on my blog as well.
    Thank you!!
    xoxo
    Jasmine

  78. Justinesays:

    Do you think it makes a difference if you poke holes in the cracker all the way thru to the cookie sheet or if you just press holes in them, not piercing the dough completely?

  79. Anonymoussays:

    I tied making these, liked the pastry like texture alot, but for flavour, I didn’t like it. For me there was to much baking powder which left quite a bitter flavour. I’ll try again with less baking powder. When I cooked them I found 2 minutes to be to long and they just about burnt. 8 minutes was just right for my oven. I’ll give it one more try and see what we come up with. I love making homemade crackers!

    • Anonymoussays:

      Use aluminum free baking powder!

    • Anonymoussays:

      I also made the and endup throwing them away. They test too much of baking soda. I will try one more time with less baking soda. I guess 3 tspn is too much. When it tested like soda, I thought I must used the wrong measure spoon.

      • Marionsays:

        The recipe calls for baking powder, not baking soda.. Baking soda would definitely change the flavor for the worse. I’ve made that mistake more than once! :/ bleck.

    • m0onlitangelsays:

      only thing i changed was the oil i used olive oil baking soda was fine once you have the salt/butter on it was just a buttery crisp was delicious!

  80. Dawnsays:

    Just made these… SUCCESS!!! I am a caterer and have been looking for a Ritz-type recipe. I have a salmon spread I make as an appetizer that simply taste better on a Ritz. But I Ritz is not bite-sized. This will be perfect! I rolled them out right on to the parchment then just used my pizza cutter to cut squares the size I needed. I then went crazy with a fork to make the holes and baked. The first batch I did exactly 10 minutes and while they were good, they were too soft – cookie-ish. So I left the next batch in for 12 minutes. This was exactly as needed for my purposes. And the taste is spot on! Thank you!

  81. kimsays:

    Just tried these and they seem to be a hit (I can’t eat wheat right now, so haven’t gotten to try them, but kids’ loved making them and eating them.) We did pumpkin shaped ones with faces poked into them.

    Thanks for your testing!

  82. alexersays:

    Thank you for a simple wonderful recipe.

  83. Lindasays:

    My family also needs to be wheat free but we can handle spelt–the spelt crackers recipes out there leave a lot to be desired. This recipe is perfect. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow!! My teens and I miss “real” crackers!

  84. Chef Chrissays:

    Best of all is you can crumble the broken ones and use it as a cracker coating for fish!

  85. Anonymoussays:

    Thank you thank you thank you for all your testing! My spouse and I are wheat free and one of the things I miss most are crackers, but when I tried to make my own I figured out just how difficult they are. Now, thanks to you I’ll be able to have *good* crackers again, yay!!! Seriously, thanks a million. :-)
    –Kate

  86. Mariasays:

    Very good. I ran out of AP, so I used whole wheat pastry flour for half. Not quite like the store-bought, but very pleasing in their own right. We ate them with this Salmon Salad. http://upstatecalikitchenadventures.blogspot.com/2011/08/dill-cucumbers-bell-pepper.html

  87. Anonymoussays:

    Delicious! It’s almost too bad they taste so good – you want to gobble them up! :) I used olive oil and just put them straight on the cookie sheets (w/o paper) & they came out great! I started cutting them with my bunny & duck (Easter) cutters, but then decided that cutting the rest into squares was just about as nice and way quicker! So glad to find this recipe, as we’ve banned all goods with HFCS & partially hydrogenated oils too. Next time I might try using coconut oil instead of the butter or olive oil….
    ~Julie :)

  88. Apron Appealsays:

    These just came out of the oven. I love that I can whip them up quickly. I had to make some modifications to make them dairy free but they are tasty and my teething toddler can actually gum at them and I don’t have to worry about him choking on the pieces he bites off. Thank you, would you mind terribly if I post the altered recipe on my blog and link it back to you for the credit?

  89. Brigittesays:

    I just made this recipe and yes, you captured the Ritz flavor. I’d like to get them thinner so next time, I’ll roll them on the silicone baking sheet. That way I can slide the entire thing right onto the baking sheet. I did have to leave them in the oven 3 minutes longer (with the convection fan running) because I wanted a more golden cracker. Wonderful recipe…

  90. Mo 'Bettasays:

    This is AWESOME! I put the Ritz crackers back on the shelf during my last shopping trip due to the hydrogenated oils. My little boy loves them, so I’ll have to give these a try!

  91. Anonymoussays:

    The pasta machine is a terrific tool for guaranteeing uniform thickness. I use mine for pierogi dough and for the dough for my chrustyky (Polish bow-tie cookies). Perfect every time… I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  92. Anonymoussays:

    What a great recipe! Finally a crispy homemade cracker! Yay! I’ve made these twice now. The first time as written. The second time I did 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat and skipped the butter/salt baste at the end. I cut the crackers using these super cute mini animal shape cookie cutters. PERFECT! I am in love! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, and the kids loved them too :)

    • Kristinsays:

      I realize this is an old post, but do you remember what kind of whole wheat flour you used, white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour? I was hoping to make these with half AP/ half wheat flour as well.

  93. Deasays:

    OMG I made them and they came out excellent!! My husband’s expression when he saw them and tasted them was priceless!!
    I made half the recipe and ended up with 54 crackers.
    I’m sending you a pic! :D

  94. Deasays:

    Thank you so much for your quick and detailed reply, Stef!! I’ll be making these very soon, I just went to the store today and bought the cutter! :D Can’t wait!

  95. Stefsays:

    Dea – I used the end of a candy thermometer. A toothpick would work fine, just be sure to swirl it around a bit so the hole is a bit larger than just a little dot.

  96. Deasays:

    My husband loves those, I will def. try to surprise him with this homemade version! I feel confident in trying these knowing that you tried so many versions, thank you so much!!
    What did you use to poke the holes? Do you think it works with simply a toothpick? (sorry, very beginner baker here…)

  97. Stefsays:

    Anon – I used canola oil.

  98. Anonymoussays:

    What was the vegetable oil you used?

  99. Stacy and Elliesays:

    I just made these and they came out great! Thanks so much!
    http://whatcupcake.blogspot.com/2011/03/homemade-ritz-crackers.html

  100. Brendasays:

    You can roll things out a uniform thickness if you buy a dowel the thickness you need, break it in two and put them on either side of your dough. The rolling pin will roll down to the dowel(ie. 1/8 in.) and all your dough will be that thickness. This sounds like a great recipe. Thank you for your testing!

  101. angiesays:

    Ritz crackers are my almost 2 year olds favorite “Cookies” and now we can make them together! Thanks for this recipe.

  102. Stacy and Elliesays:

    So cool, thank you so much for sharing, I can’t wait to try these!!

  103. jeffsays:

    Hey! Thanks for the shoutout! I was mentioning to Mrs J just today that we were due to make a batch of crackers. I’ll use your recipe and hope to do as well. Yay!

  104. Anonymoussays:

    I am so excited to make these!!

    Now I am hoping to find a recipe for Homemade Triscuits! My collection would be complete.

  105. Being Me: Daniellesays:

    Hey Stef!! Thanks so much for your comment after I posted about your Ritz Crackers on my blog!! :)

    Trying my best to reduce using plastics… I nearly jumped out of my chair with excitement when saw you posted this recipe :) Thank you thank you thank you!!

  106. Cindy Rowlandsays:

    I will be making these in the very near future.
    You have two #12 steps in the recipe instructions. I don’t mind, but thought you might like to know. ;)

  107. Stefsays:

    Anon – I wish I could tell you. I did so many batches and kept playing with the batter so much that I never got a good count of how many were in a single recipe. :( If you make them, please tell me so I can tell others.

  108. Anonymoussays:

    About how many crackers did the recipe make? Just wondering if I should make a half batch or a full batch…

    Thanks.

  109. Sarasays:

    Great idea…these look really yummy and I love the idea of Ritz crackers with out all the junk they put in them. Thanks for doing all the testing for us! :)

  110. Flavor Creatorsays:

    I omitted the salt altogether, then brushed with salted butter & dusted with powdered sugar. They make wonderful cookies. Then I used the remaining dough to form tarts & filled with cream cheese and mini choco chips. Soooo good. They do, of course, make excellent crackers.

  111. theopinionatedbakersays:

    You’re my hero-ine! These were my favorite biscuits as a child! But they got banned due to the partially hydrogenated fat. I’m so glad there’s a healthier recipe.

  112. Marysays:

    Wow! Love the health factor! These looks great!

    Great blog; happy I found you!

    Mary xo
    Delightful Bitefuls

  113. Charissasays:

    I just love how healthy you made these. It makes me so happy when old “bad” favourites are made into something great! Love it!

  114. Joysays:

    Oh my word…Ritz crackers are some of my store-bought indulgences. Not anymore, thanks to your thorough experimentation. Yay!

    • Elida Garzasays:

      I did enjoyed these very much. The texture isn’t like a real ritz cracker but still crunchy. They tasted more like a country homemade biscuit rather than that sweet buttery flavor ritz crackers have. They remind me of a crunchy biscuit rather than a cracker but they are good and tasted delicious with my goat cheese and dill spread.

  115. Victoria at Party Puffsays:

    Wow, I could never do all of that testing…way to go!

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