Cajun Firecracker Crackers Recipe

Colorful, spectacular fireworks and their noise-making cousin, firecrackers, are invariably associated with Fourth of July celebrations. But who said you have to wait for Independence Day to make some culinary fireworks? That's where this recipe for Cajun firecracker crackers comes in. "The recipe is an easy, no-bake snack," according to recipe developer Beth Chen, who blogs at Bon AIP/Petit. This is the ideal snack for various occasions, but the best part? It comes together easily in a pinch. Plus, it's super easy to keep all of the ingredients you'll need for this recipe stocked in your pantry so you can make it anytime you get a craving for it.

And while you definitely don't need to save these delightful Cajun-spiced explosions for the fourth of July, it is, nevertheless, "perfect for summer get-togethers," as Chen told Mashed. So, what are you waiting for? Turn up the heat with these spicy crackers, and your family is going to have a new favorite snack.

Elizabeth Chen's recipe for Cajun firecracker crackers is so easy, it's almost unbelievable. But believe it! The ingredients you'll need include one pound of unsalted saltine crackers, a packet of dry ranch dressing mix (Chen uses Simply Organic brand), one and a half teaspoons each of red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of McCormick Old Bay Seasoning, and one and a half cups of avocado oil. And since there's a good chance you already have a lot of this stuff in your pantry, this should be an incredibly easy recipe to throw together.

In addition, you'll also need a large (two-gallon) zip-top plastic bag for preparing this recipe.

Get out your large zip-top bag, which is where you're going to create the spicy coating that gives your Cajun firecracker crackers their complex flavor. Open it up, and pour in the dry ranch dressing mix, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning. If you want to tone down the spiciness, Chen suggests omitting the cayenne pepper, which does add a considerable kick. Chen also notes that although ranch dressing isn't Cajun, it does add a cooling sensation to the overall flavor profile in this recipe for Cajun firecracker crackers. 

The next step is to add the oil to the bag. The oil will help the spice ingredients adhere to the crackers. Chen's recipe calls for avocado oil, which — assuming you're using refined avocado oil — has a neutral taste. Therefore, it shouldn't significantly impact the flavor profile for your Cajun firecracker crackers. However, if you don't have any avocado oil on hand, you can also sub in a different kind of oil.

Once the oil has been added to the bag, seal it and massage the ingredients together to combine thoroughly.

Unseal the bag, and gently — as in gently enough to minimize cracker breakage — add all the crackers. Then seal the bag and gently shake until you can see that all the crackers have been evenly coated with the spice mix. Now, all that's left to do is let the crackers sit in the bag, absorbing the oil and flavors, which Chen says should take about two hours. During this time, you won't have to do anything but give the bag a gentle shake every 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the liquid to be better absorbed by the crackers.

When time's up, serve up. Store any leftovers you might have (if you have any) in an airtight container.