Spice up your snack game with these irresistible Seasoned Oyster Crackers! With a simple blend of ranch herbs and a dash of Worcestershire sauce for that extra savory kick, these crunchy bites are seriously addictive. They stay crispy for days, making them the perfect make-ahead snack for your next party, movie night, or game day gathering. Also great on soup!
Why I love this snack, and hope you will, too
Seasoned Oyster Crackers are popular now, but they’re actually an old-timey snack that I have snapshot memories of from my childhood. You know, the kind of memories that aren’t a movie of events, but just single moments; a picture. Crackers in a familiar bowl on a card table in the living room. That kind of thing.
But, skipping ahead to today, it’s hard to argue the sensibility of ranch-seasoned crackers. They’re crispy and crunchy. Perfectly spiced. Easy to make with very little prep time. What’s not to love!
Reasons these crackers are a hit at Casa SoupAddict:
- Budget-conscious: Uses inexpensive pantry staples.
- Flavorful: The perfect balance of savory herbs and umami.
- Crowd-pleasing: A hit with adults and kids alike, they’ll disappear fast at any gathering!
- Make-ahead friendly: Can be made in advance and stored for days in an airtight container.
- Versatile: Perfect for parties, game day, movie night, or everyday snacking.
Main Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Oyster crackers — These crunchy nibbles are already sort of addictive, even in their plain form, for those of us who love to mindlessly nibble on salty snacks (raises hand). So, they’re the perfect candidates for a little spiced up treatment. Plus, they’re budget-friendly: you can get a whole bag for under two bucks.
Ranch seasoning — In the U.S., ranch seasoning is so ubiquitous that it’s sold in convenient little packets as a dried herb mix. While this recipe can actually take on other flavors — such as taco or cajun or Old Bay — I always reach for the ranch seasoning, because at a party, it’s probably the most reliably beloved flavor.
Worcestershire sauce — I don’t have any surviving recipes from my youth but some part of my brain remembers my mom adding umami-loaded Worcestershire sauce to these snacks. I decided to add some, and sure enough, that little food-memory burst of nostalgia kicked in, and I knew I had (miraculously) not misremembered.
Butter — You can make these snacks with either butter or a neutral oil. I think using butter tweaks everything just slightly in favor of a rich and ever-so-slightly sweet flavor.
Cook’s Notes
- Do the crackers really need to be baked? I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, but for my tastes, yes, they do. Baking does three things: It dries out the liquid seasonings and fat so that the crackers aren’t greasy AND so that the crackers don’t get soggy. It helps the seasoning blend adhere to the crackers. And baking adds an extra irresistible, solid crunch to the crackers. I can’t recommend baking enough, even though I know it’s an extra — although almost effortless — step.
- I tested this recipe using vegetable oil or butter, and during one of the butter tests, there was an interesting glitch, where all of the seasonings clumped together in a pasty glob. That never happened with the oil batches, but I rescued the butter batch by blending it in a small food chopper with a little vegetable oil until everything loosened up. So, if it happens to you, don’t fret; you know what to do now. My recipe below still calls for butter, but also a tablespoon of oil to keep everything smooth.
- Can I just pour the entire packet of the ranch seasoning mix in there? I wouldn’t do that, unless you increase the amount of fat, too (i.e., more butter or oil) and crackers. A one-ounce packet of ranch seasoning is 3 tablespoons. I think part of the problem in the bullet point above was that I was being a little sloppy and used heaping tablespoons of seasoning – instead of two level tablespoons — resulting in too much “powder” for the melted butter to handle.
- Can you use saltine crackers instead? Yes! Saltines and oysters are basically the same type of cracker. Servings-wise, you’ll need to double all of the ingredients, as 9 ounces of saltines is not very many crackers! Personally, though, I love the one-bite nibble factor of using oyster crackers.
- Can you make these ahead of time? Yes! These crackers store incredibly well when kept in an airtight container. It was a big ask of myself to not just blow through one of the test batches in a couple of days, but I persevered, and they were still crispy and super flavorful at Day 10. So, make a big batch and keep them on hand for surprise guests (especially during the holidays).
How to Make Seasoned Oyster Crackers
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the recipe.
Prep notes
There’s minimal prep needed for this recipe. Just measure out a few ingredients and you’re good to go!
Step 1: Melt the butter
Melt the butter on the stovetop in a small pot, or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, until completely melted.
Step 2: Mix the seasonings
Pour the melted butter into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the oil first, followed by the dried seasonings.
Step 3: Season the crackers
Add the crackers to a large mixing bowl and pour in half of the butter mixture. Stir well. Then add the remaining butter mixture and stir again.
Step 4: Bake!
Spread the seasoned crackers on a parchment-paper-lined, rimmed baking pan in a single layer (as best you can!) and bake in the preheated oven. Let cool a bit before serving or storing.
Storing
Store the crackers in an airtight container, such as a ziplock bag or a container with a tight fitting lid. Their crunch lasts for days — I’ve tested up to 10 days — so this is a great make-ahead snack!
In terms of snackability, these Seasoned Oyster Crackers are a 10 out of 10. For crave-ability, they’re a good 15/10!
Seasoned Oyster Crackers
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 9 ounces oyster crackers*
- 2 tablespoons ranch dip seasoning (e.g., the dried seasoning in a packet)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275ºF. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean-up).
- Melt the butter in a small pot on the stove top, or in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Whisk the oil into the butter, and then add the remaining seasoning ingredients, whisking well.
- Pour the crackers into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle 1/2 of the butter mixture over the crackers, and then gently stir the crackers with a spatula, bringing the crackers on the bottom up to the top as you stir. Pour the remaining butter over the crackers and stir again. This two-step addition ensures a better distribution of the seasoning throughout all of the crackers.
- Spread out the crackers on the baking sheet, leveling them out into a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the bake and re-leveling. The crackers should take on a lightly golden hue, and the heat from the oven will dry out the crackers so they won’t be greasy.
- Let the baked crackers cool on the pan, and then serve. Store in an airtight container.
Lydia
Saturday 14th of December 2024
I love these little crackers! Been making them for years. I aree! Baking is a definite! I sometimes use half ranch/half Italian dry dressing mix. Also, I add in some crushed red pepper flakes for a little zip! Love all the appetizers! Let's have a party!