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The 22 Most Popular Holiday Appetizers.
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Everything Ranch Crackers and Pretzels (the addicting snack mix). This is the ultimate holiday snack! Made with saltines, pretzels, plus a mix of homemade everything bagel spice and a spicy homemade ranch seasoning. This mix is oh-so GOOD, some may even say addicting! Each bite is perfectly seasoned, salty buttery, crunchy, and cheesy. It’s seriously good and the easiest holiday appetizer to prepare!
With so many people staying with my parents, quick dinners, appetizers/snacks, and drinks are especially important. Many times I’ll make a big cheese board for everyone to enjoy before dinner. But cheese boards can take a little more time and work to prepare. And sometimes you just want something different.
That’s when I switch things up. I have a lot of go-to appetizers, but I’m enjoying making fun snack mixes. They’re not something I think to make throughout the year, just around the holidays.
They’re always fun and easy to make and can even be made ahead of time. Plus I love that this is not Chex mix, which I always try to save for Christmas Eve since my mom’s recipe is so special, plus it’s a tradition for us! I only make it on Christmas Eve, so just one day every year!
Details
This is pretty easy. You just need saltine crackers, large pretzel twists, and then a big mix of dried herbs and spices!
Oh and butter. You definitely need butter for the mix.
I melt the butter in a big bowl. Use the biggest mixing bowl you have. Then literally everything gets added to that bowl. I start with the crackers and pretzels. Then, the herbs and spices, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parsley, chives, dill, smoked paprika (this is key), garlic, and onion powder.
To keep the mix spicy, I add chili flakes. If you don’t love spice, just use less or omit it altogether. And of course, if you enjoy things spicy, add more!
For me, the real star of this recipe however is the smoked paprika. I don’t think we use this wonderful spice enough! It adds the flavor of paprika, but with a very subtle smokiness that I find truly delicious in most recipes.
You can’t use too much!
Now add the parmesan and rosemary.
Spread the mix out over a couple of baking sheets to allow the air to circulate, then bake. Don’t try to cook this at a higher temperature, let it cook low and slow. I’ve tested using higher temps and it never works out well.
Yes, low and slow is key. But once the mix is baked, you can enjoy it for a couple of days, so it’s great to make ahead if needed. Though, I do think it’s best straight out of the oven. YUM.
My biggest tip? Make a double batch, this mix will get eaten fast.
Great for the holidays, but so good for any upcoming family/friend nights. I know my brothers are going to LOVE these. They’re the easiest to throw together. Plus, I usually have all the ingredients stashed away in my pantry.
Perfect for last-minute snacking. Have fun with this recipe guys, hope you all enjoy!!
Looking for other fun holiday appetizers? Here are a few ideas:
Pull Apart Garlic Butter Spinach and Artichoke Dip Sliders
Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Candied Bacon and Dates
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey
Pastry Wrapped Baked Brie with Maple Butter Roasted Apples
Baked Sweet Potato Parmesan Tater Tots
Soft Pretzels with Chipotle Queso
Lastly, if you make these Everything Ranch Crackers and Pretzels (the addicting snack mix), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Everything Ranch Crackers and Pretzels (the addicting snack mix)
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 73 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sleeves Saltine crackers
- 18-20 pretzel twists
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2-1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 300° F. 2. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the saltines, pretzels, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parsley, chives, dill, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, salt, pepper, parmesan, and rosemary. Then add the Worcestershire sauce. Gently toss for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is evenly coated. Spread the mix evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets.3. Bake 35-45 minutes, flip halfway through cooking. Serve, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. But we loved these best fresh!
Delicious and addicting. Came out great! I read comments about burning ect, so I put mine just below 300 at 285, but it was still in the oven for 30-35 min. I used the mini saltines and mini regular pretzels. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tanya,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I made this snack mix for Christmas Eve and it was a favorite! It has already been requested for New Year’s Eve. I did use the mini saltines and pretzel twists. I could not find large pretzel twists anywhere. After reading comments, I did keep a close eye on the batch to prevent burning. I flipped them after 12 minutes and called it done after another 10 minutes.
Hi Kristen! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xT
Everytime I make these the seasoning gets stuck in the center of the pretzels. Any suggestions? Maybe toss separately?
I love love love these wish I could perfect it though.
Hi Kasey! Hmm you could try using stick pretzels instead! xT
Do you think it would still be good if one used Cheez it crackers instead of saltines?? Thanks.
Yes, that should work just fine! xT
If I wanted to sub mini pretzel twists and mini saltines how much of each would you add suggest?
LOVE your recipes, but this one was a bust! Just 15 min into baking and it was all charred. Followed the recipe word for word. Even turned the oven down a bit once I saw them getting too toasty. Such a disappointment!
I am so confused by all these negative comments! I followed the recipe exactly as written. I had zero issues. It didn’t burn. It wasn’t too salty. The seasoning stuck to the crackers and pretzels. It was unbelievably delicious and ADDICTING.
Awesome!! Love to hear this Rachel! xT
I usually really enjoy your recipes and each of them have come out great, but this one didn’t work out for me. Came out very bitter and it’s missing something. The house does smell nice, thankfully. Thank you for sharing though.
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Made these today and they were absolutely delicious! Definitely will be making them again.
Hey Elisa,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Not a fan. Way too salty. I even added nuts to add something. Sorry, won’t be making it again…
Hi Theresa,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Great recipe overall (though I changed the baking time)! I did a “normal” batch and also tried a batch that was basically vegan & paleo (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, etc.) for friends/family members with dietary restrictions.
After reading the other comments, I baked them for about 10 minutes per side and that was about perfect. I didn’t have all the herbs/spices listed, but this is a pretty flexible recipe so a couple of substitutions/omissions didn’t hurt the overall product. It was tough to evenly distribute the butter since the crackers that hit the bowl first tend to soak up more than their fair share. Next time I might try drizzling the butter while stirring.
For the vegan/paleo batch, I used Schär table crackers and Glutino pretzels (rods so my two batches would be visibly different), and both were fine, though the crackers were crumbly and needed extra gentle stirring. Instead of butter I used a combination of coconut oil (melted) and olive oil. I could sort of taste the coconut, but it wasn’t too prominent. I skipped the parmesan and Worcestershire sauce for that batch but might try coconut aminos next time. Overall both batches were a hit!!
Hey Laura,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Made the everything ranch crackers; amazing. Packaged and gave as foodie gifts over the holiday. Had on hand mini pretzels calculated the amount difference (so me) and they were a hit. My oven is temperamental, turned every 7 to 10 minutes , perfect result. My husband kept saying wow, wow. Your recipes are the best, thank you for your creativity.
Barb
Hey Barb,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)