I have a confession to make: I always have Saltine crackers in my pantry and I eat them all the time.
Behind maybe tortilla chips, they are way up on my list of all-purpose snacks. They are crispy, salty, and can be used in a variety of ways depending on if I’m craving salty or sweet.
I hesitate to call some of these “recipes” because they are almost too easy. Some of them are closer to hacks or just good snacking ideas!
What are Saltines?
Saltine used to be a trademarked term by Nabisco, but they lost the trademark because the term just because too generic. The term “saltine” became so pervasive in society that they weren’t able to keep their trademark on it. There is actually still a trademarked version of Saltine available in Australia, but in the US any company can make a cracker and label it a saltine.
Generally though, a saltine will be a hard, thin cracker that isn’t leavened and is lightly dusted with salt.
You can find a wide range of saltines these days ranging from health food versions using natural sweeteners and sea salts or even no salt saltines which makes zero sense to me. For me, personally, I try to buy a brand that doesn’t have too much sugar in it, but I’m not too picky.
Why I Love Saltines
I love these little crackers so much. Growing up, I’m not sure I knew you could serve a bowl of soup without a big stack of the crackers next to it for dipping. These days though, I use the crackers for so much more.
I take advantage of their super-crunchy and light texture to make mini sandwiches and to make quick snacks, but I particularly like them paired with sweet things! I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but I do have a salty-sweet tooth. I just love that flavor combo and saltines makes it easy.
Also, crackers are a real pain to make at home and unless you are making some fancy version of them, these are clearly in the “just buy it” category for me.
Saltine Cracker Recipes
Fire Crackers
If I’m going to just eat crackers plain, I want them to pack a little extra punch. This is a great little trick to bake some extra flavor into the crackers!
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. and melt about 1/2 cup of butter (one stick). Stir in 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Add two sleeves of crackers (about 80) to a large container and pour the mixture over all the crackers. If you can cover the container and shake them up gently to make sure they are evenly coated.
Then spread the crackers out on a baking sheet and bake them for about 10-12 minutes until they are mostly dry.
Once the crackers are cool you can keep them in an airtight container for a few weeks. You’ll eat them quickly though so don’t worry too much about that!
Cracker PB & J
Betsy thinks I’m crazy when I do this, but it’s seriously one of my favorite snacks.
For some reason the crunchy cracker combo with the light salt is so perfect with creamy peanut butter. It’s also one of the few times that I prefer grape jelly over other jellies. I think that’s also just a holdover from my childhood.
This is far from a recipe. Feel free to use big smears of PB&J or go light with the filling. Personally, if I’m gonna make them, I make them on the thicker side!
Cracker Crust
The next time you have a recipe that calls for breadcrumbs, crunch of a few saltines instead and use that in the recipe. The crackers stay really nice and crispy and I think they do a great job of creating a perfect crust on baked foods.
I like to crunch up about 10 crackers, mix them with some spices like paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper and pack that mixture onto chicken breasts (don’t add any salt to the mixture because the crackers are already salted). Brush the chicken with a little olive oil or melted butter first so the crust sticks.
Bake the crusted item as you normally would until it’s cooked through. Deliciousness!
Cracker Brickle
This recipe was one of my first wake-up calls to how awesome crackers can be in sweet foods. I first had a version at a backyard BBQ party many years ago. I’ve probably made some sort of version of this a dozen times sense then.
Saltines, caramel, and chocolate were made to be together.
You can check out my full cracker brickle recipe to get the rundown on this addictive stuff!
Want another cracker snack? Try these Chocolate Covered Pita Crackers!
Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… SALTINES.
These are surprisingly delicious and my new favorite ice cream treat. The trick is to scoop your ice cream into a baking dish lined with plastic wrap and press it flat into about a 1/2 inch layer. Then re-freeze the ice cream in that layer. Once the ice cream is frozen you can slice it into perfect squares that fit the crackers!
Once the sandwiches are made you can store them in the freezer and they will stay frozen and perfect until you want to eat them which will be approximately five seconds after you make them.
Again, the saltiness of the cracker with the sweet creaminess of the ice cream is amazing. My favorite flavor to use: COOKIES AND CREAM.
Share the Saltine Love
You probably knew a few of these, but hopefully it gave you some new cracker snack ideas!
Leave a comment with any great saltine ideas that you have!!
Grossvater
No-salt-on-top saltines make perfectly good sense when crushed up and used as a binder in my meatloaf.
Nick
That’s a great point. They are perfect for mix-ins like that.
merry
Your brickle recipe is my go-to whenever I have to bring a dessert to a party and everyone loves it, so thanks for that. I pair Saltines with everything; my latest southern living magazine had them as a pie base for a chocolate bourbon icebox pie and I can’t wait to try that!
Nick
Thanks Merry! Chocolate bourbon icebox pie sounds up my alley. I’ll have to look that up. :)
Katie
Cracker ice cream sandwiches – try adding jelly! I’ve been on a kick of Nilla wafers, strawberry preserves, and vanilla ice cream sandwiches lately and now I can’t wait to try it with saltines.
Ellen
One of my three staple meals in college (other than stir fried chicken & broccoli and black bean quesadillas) was “deconstructed egg salad” which consisted of saltines smeared with mayo, topped with a slice of hard boiled egg and a sprinkle of black pepper. So much easier than trying to chop egg on my dorm room and all the ingredients could be found on the salad bar!
Kathleen
And then there’s the apple pie made from saltines instead of apples.
I have always loved saltines in soup, especially tomato-based soups. My father went through a whole sleeve with PB&J every night. My friend can’t have steamed lobster without saltines on the side.
So simple, so useful!
Kathy
The apple pie you refer to is made with Ritz crackers, not saltines
Betty
Kathy, the original during The Great Depression was made with saltines. We made it in our home ec class in 1962.
Heather
Oh man, I used to LOVE these when I was a kid. I could eat a whole carton in one sitting. That and stoned wheat thins. I stopped buying convenience food, so I haven’t had either in years. That’s kind of sad. Maybe I need a reunion soon..
Linda
Summer Squash
3lbs of summer squash
(onion, chopped)
1 sleeve of saltines
milk
cheese
S& P
Cut squash (and sweet, diced onion, or not) into bite sized pieces and steam or nuke to crisp tender. Put into a casserole with the saltines which you have crumbled. Add milk to cover, and then add grated cheese and S & P to taste. I like sharp cheddar, myself. Mix fairly well and bake until bubbly.
Anna
My grandmother made a recipe along the lines of the firecrackers, but used oyster crackers instead (very poppable). She would do less heat and put a package of ranch dressing mix and a teaspoon or so of dried dill. Yummy! A yummy sweet is to get Ritz crackers (I know, not exatly the same…) put peanut butter on it and make a ritz sandwich, then dip it in chocolate or white chocolate bark. My nieces and nephews think I created them and named them after me.
Sue
How about crispy crumbled hickory smoked bacon on top. Too much??????
Sue
For the Cracker Brickle -How about crispy crumbled hickory smoked bacon on top. Too much?????
Denise
Saltines with butter spread on them. Perfect!
Sheri
saltines with miracle whip. I know. It’s all kinds of wrong, but it’s so good! And we are from the South we eat weird stuff!
Felicity
I love our version of saltines too even though I shouldn’t. I love them with Vegemite, plain butter, pate, cheese, slices of hard boiled egg…. so many different ways! Slices of really good tomato with pepper is also delicious! I love your ideas :-)
kim
Miss saltines so much, English cream crackers just don’t have as much crunch and flavour. Our family used them as binders in meatloaf and meatballs as well as breading stuck on with tartar sauce for oven baked fish. My grandad and I used to have a few saltines topped with ketchup while we were waiting for our diner chilli order, so delicious as an impatiently hungry 8 year-old!
Jeff
I think one question that needs answering is, do you have a recipe for homemade Saltines?
Nick
Hey Jeff, to be honest I’ve never tried to make them just because they are so easy to buy… they are clearly in my “buy it” category, but I have made fancy crackers before with interesting toppings… those might be worth the work and you can’t buy them!
https://www.crunchtimekitchen.com/lavish-crackers/
Sarah O.
I once treated a hangover with Saltine “sandwiches” filled with chocolate frosting and bacon bits. I look back on it as my finest hour.
Nina D
O, Sarah, O.
You are my kinda gal!
Erin
My husband and I love mixing up tuna and mayo and spreading it open face style on saltines with fresh black pepper. Such a great snack!
LAYCEE
I eat my saltine crackers with chilli, peanut butter or chicken noodle soup. I never known that you can use them for others.
Erma
I’d like a recipe using dry ranch mix and maybe onion salt … does anyone have something like this?
Jill
Amazing for s’mores instead of graham crackers. Lighter with a bit of salt. Also sub the plain chocolate for a peanut butter cup!
RO
My DAD came from a family of thirteen. He was the baby and his widowed mother led the pack. Foodwas scarce and many meals consisted of a bowl of crackers with milk in But he loved it and I picked up the habit; it’s really good!
Sedaira
It’s such a strange combination and sounds like it shouldn’t be a thing but I’ve always loved crackers and milk too. Literally read the comments to see if anyone would bring it up lol
Amy
I made Fire Crackers for Independence Day and they were a huge hit! I came by a few boxes of crackers that I stashed in the freezer and found your site when I was looking for something to do with all of them! Thanks!
CRYSTAL TAFRALIAN
A tube of saltines. (I use low salt )
spread on a baking sheet.
Brush each with melted butter ..
Sprinkle sugar with 1/3 part cinnamon on them.
Bake at 350 until sugar melts into butter.
It takes just a few minutes. Watch them.
At my house , it is often a late night treat for two.
Merrilee Morse
Cracker pie. Addictive! Beat three egg whites til they are stiff, then beat in 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Gently fold in 2/3 cup chopped walnuts and 14 crushed up crackers. Bake at 325 30 minutes. Let cool then cover with whipped topping. This makes enough for an 8 inch square pan, but I usually double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan, because this goes fast.
Diane
I remember as a kid I loved to mix maple syrup with peanut butter and spread that on saltine crackers and eat a whole bunch of them. So yummy good!!
Ruby
I like you love saltines from my childhood. I have done a few of your ideas just by instinct. I like the idea of saltines and ice cream I am going to try them soon. Thank you. Have you done ice cream and graham crackers? Very good!