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Light, buttery and salty, these gluten free ritz crackers taste just like Nabisco's Ritz—but they're gluten free!
What makes this “Ritz” crackers recipe special
When it comes to being gluten free, we're nostalgic for what we used to have, and no longer can. I first shared this recipe on the blog in 2011 when there weren't many famous brands making gluten free versions of their products. And we deserve to be able to make choices.
Sometimes, we just want the nostalgic taste of a Ritz Cracker, since they're buttery and crispy and taste like nothing else. We can't have one from a package, so we'll just have to make our own homemade Ritz style gluten free crackers.
These crackers have the rich taste and crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth texture of Ritz, but they're gluten free. If cheese could choose a cracker, it would choose Ritz every time.
Sometimes, it helps even just to know that you can make your own Ritz style gluten free crackers. Even if you never do it!
Recipe ingredients
- Gluten free flour: As usual, I highly recommend Better Batter gluten free flour original blend, Nicole's Best gf flour, or my mock Cup4Cup blend. I'm not as comfortable recommending Cup4Cup itself since they changed the formula. Please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page for full info. And be sure to add xanthan gum if your blend doesn't already contain it. And measure your flour by weight for accurate results!
- Baking powder: This rising agent is what gives your crackers most of their rise in the oven. Make sure yours is fresh.
- Salt: Brightens the flavor in and on top of these simple crackers.
- Sugar: Just a touch of granulated sugar gives them that familiar packaged cracker taste. Most packaged savory snacks also have a bit of sugar in them.
- Smoked paprika: Adds color, and a smoky depth of flavor to these crackers.
- Butter: Cold grated butter helps the crackers rise in the oven. Melted butter brushed on top after baking gives extra richness.
- Oil: Helps the crackers stay fresh and adds richness. Any neutral-tasting oil (grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, canola) will work.
- Iced water: Brings the rest of the cracker ingredients together, and activates the baking powder the first time. Remember that you begin with 1/4 cup of cold water, and then add ice cubes. They don't count as part of the volume measurement.
How to make gluten free ritz crackers
See how easy it is to make the dough and roll it out, then bake it quickly to perfection. Be sure to keep the dough chilled, and bake it in a hot hot oven. The crackers will crisp as they cool.
Make the cracker dough
- Place the dry ingredients (flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, paprika, sugar, and salt) in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Grate the 4 tablespoons of cold butter on a standard size box grater right into the flour, and toss to combine.
- Add a tablespoon of neutral oil, and 1/4 cup of cold water, and mix to combine.
- Add more water by the drop, pressing down with the back of the mixing spoon, until the dough comes together in clumps.
Wrap and chill it
- Press the raw cracker dough into a small disk.
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the wrapped dough for about 20 minutes or until firm but not hard.
Shape the raw crackers & bake
- Unwrap the chilled cracker dough and place on a flat surface. I'm using a cloth-covered pastry board here like this one.
- Sprinkle the dough lightly with more gluten free flour.
- Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/8-inch thick, sprinkling it lightly with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Cut out 1 3/4-inch rounds with a round cookie cutter with scalloped edges for that authentic look (or just a plain round).
- Place the rounds on a lined baking sheet, and use a toothpick to poke about 5 holes toward the center of each round. It helps them rise without inflating.
- Bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Finish the baked crackers
- As soon as the crackers come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with melted butter.
- Sprinkle the tops with extra kosher salt.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Store in a tightly sealed glass container at room temperature for about 5 days to a week.
substitutions
Ingredient Substitutions
There aren't a lot of tricky ingredients in these crackers, since they're made naturally without eggs and have few total ingredients.
Dairy free
The only dairy in this recipe is butter, and you can replace it with your favorite vegan butter. Make sure it's a block of butter, though, that is quite firm when it's cold from the refrigerator. These crackers are like little pastries, and the butter must be kept cold or it will melt the crackers won't be very crispy.
I would recommend using Melt or Miyoko's Creamy vegan butter, not Earth Balance buttery sticks, which are quite soft and have too much moisture. Don't use any oil-based butter that comes in a tub in this or any other pastry.
Smoked paprika
This spice gives the crackers some depth of flavor and a slight orange tint, like the real packaged cracker. You can leave it out, or try replacing it with a some cumin for smokiness, or a bit of chipotle chili powder for the color. They'll have a spicy kick, though, so be sure you like that before adding it!
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
Use cold ingredients
The grated butter must stay solid until the crackers go in the oven, so keep it and the water cold. Don't handle the cracker dough too much, either, because the warmth of your hands will melt the butter.
Add water slowly
Once you've added water, you can't take it out. You'll just be adding more flour, then a bit more water to catch up, on and on. Press down on the mixture with the back of your mixing spoon to incorporate all the water, or pinch some together, and stop when the dough holds together in clumps.
Let too-cold dough sit
If you refrigerate your raw dough for longer than about 2 hours, it may crumble as you try to roll it out. Just let it sit at room temperature until it's still cold, but has some more give in it as you press down with the rolling pin.
Add finishing touches to warm crackers
Be sure to brush the crackers with melted butter and sprinkle with extra salt while they're still warm from the oven. They'll soak the butter right up so they have that buttery taste and texture of the wax paper-wrapped originals.
FAQs
Yes! Wrap the raw, unshaped disk of dough in plastic wrap, then place in a ziptop freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months before defrosting, shaping, and baking.
If you're using block-style vegan butter, like Melt or Miyoko's Creamery brands, that is as solid as dairy butter when chilled, you should get very similar results.
No, Nabisco does not make a gluten free version of their famous crackers. But the brand Lance makes a version of “gluten free baked original crackers” that look a lot like Ritz and buttery and pretty delicious. They're not quite like the original, but they do taste great! Lance does make lots of conventional gluten-containing crackers, though, so make sure you're buying the right one.
make ahead or leftovers
Storage
These crackers will keep their crispy, crunchy texture in a sealed glass jar at room temperature for at least 5 days. Just make sure to brush them with butter when they're still warm, and let them cool completely before storing them, or they'll release steam that makes them soggy in the jar. If you store them in plastic, they'll lose their texture.
Storing the raw dough
You can make the raw cracker dough ahead of time. Just wrap it very tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a ziptop bag, press out all air and seal it well.
The unshaped dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before baking, let the refrigerated dough sit, still wrapped in plastic, at room temperature until it gives a bit when you press it with a rolling pin.
You can also freeze the unshaped dough in the same form for up to 3 months. Defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight, then on the counter as described above.
Gluten Free Ritz Crackers
Equipment
- Standard box grater
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 1.75 inch scalloped round cookie cutter or a simple round cutter in about that size
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (please click thru for full info on appropriate flour blends), plus more for sprinkling
- ⅝ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) cold water, with ice, (ice does not count in the volume measurement), plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar, paprika and salt, and whisk to combine well.
- Using a standard size grater, grate the cold butter into the large bowl of dry ingredients, stopping occasionally to flour the butter to keep it separated. Toss to coat the butter in the dry ingredients.
- Add the vegetable oil, and about 1/4 cup of the ice water, and stir to combine.
- Add more water by the drop as necessary to bring the dough together. Moisten the dry ingredients with the water by pressing down into the dough with the back of the mixing spoon. Stop adding water as soon as the dough comes together into clumps.
- Press the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes or until firm.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface.
- Sprinkle lightly with more flour on both sides of the dough and roll out until a bit more than 1/8-inch thick, moving and turning the dough, and sprinkling with extra flour as necessary to keep it from sticking.
- Using a scalloped-edge 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
- Place the shapes about 1-inch apart from one another on the prepared baking sheets. With a toothpick, poke four to six holes toward the center of each cracker to help them rise.
- Gather and reroll the scraps to cut out crackers until you’ve used up the dough.
- Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the crackers are just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, brush the crackers with the melted butter and sprinkle with extra salt.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet. They will crisp as they cool.
- The crackers can be stored in a sealed glass container at room temperature and should maintain their texture for at least 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**C A N ‘ T***W A I T ***T O ***T R Y *** T H E S E ***
THANKS SO MUCH!
You’re so welcome. :)
xoxo Nicole
Hi…thanks for the ritz cracker recipe! How many crackers does it make? I see 24 servings, but is that one cracker per serving?
Looking forward to trying this one out!
Hi, Ann,
Yup. 24 crackers. I understand your confusion, though. Like anyone is going to eat just one. :)
xoxo Nicole
Oh my goodness! These crackers were awesome. I was so surprised at how much they tasted like ritz crackers. Now I am thinking about the toffee crackers I used to make at the holidays. I have to try it out, it is an imparitive! Since I am gluten free and my hubby is going along for the ride with me I work really hard to keep “normal” tasting home made food…gluten free of course! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Hi, Stephanie,
So glad the crackers worked out well for you. It is amazing how authentic they taste. I know … very exciting! Toffee crackers sound fabulous. I know exactly what you mean about making GF taste “normal,” so that you and your husband can happily eat the same food. That’s my motivation, basically, every step of the way! You are so welcome. Thanks for commenting.
xoxo Nicole
Hi Nicole!
I’ve made these a number of times because we all love them! The last time I made them, however, they became stale very quickly. I thought I did everything the same but I must have done something differently this time…..any ideas?
Thanks!
Hi, Laurel,
If they went stale more quickly (which, with crackers generally means that they become soft, rather than hard), it is likely due to the crackers’ exposure to air (rather than in an air tight container). When crackers are exposed to air, the salt in them will absorb the moisture from the air and become soft. Perhaps you either used a bit more salt than usual and/or left them out without sealing them. I hope that helps!
xoxo Nicole
Finally got around to making these. Though I found the dough easy to mix up, I had a bit of difficulty cutting out shapes even after chilling the dough. I think it was just too hot in my kitchen….the dough just kept getting soft and sticky so quickly. I finally rolled the dough into a log, stuck it back in the freezer for a while, then cut thinnish slices with a sharp knife and baked them. It’s my cheater’s method. Gotta say, these crackers are DELICIOUS and I thought they tasted exactly like a Ritz (though mine looked absolutely NOTHING like a real one). My ten year old celiac gobbled them down. I ended up baking only half the dough and stored the other half of the dough in my freezer for another time. If I had baked them all, I don’t think there would have been any left. I couldn’t bear that thought.
Hi, Shalini,
It’s amazing what a difference the environment in the kitchen can make when you’re baking. Luckily, you’re an experienced enough cook that you didn’t panic. Good plan, to split the dough and only make half. Just don’t forget about the dough in the freezer! Not that I’ve ever done that. ;)
xoxo Nicole
Thanks for your quick reply. The dough is still chilling SO I am going to check it, maybe add the rest of the water. The chilling helps with the puffy and gf products need puffy. I will remember this.
Joy
Hi, again, Joy,
Actually, all pastry needs to puff. It’s not so much a gluten-free thing, as just a pastry thing. The idea is that the small pieces of cold butter stay relatively separate from one another, get coated in flour, and stay cold. Then, when the cold dough hits the hot oven, the butter expands and puffs out the flour. That’s why pastry dough is light. The more layers of butter surrounded by flour, the lighter the pastry. That’s also why puff pastry puffs so much: lots of layers of flour and butter.
Enjoy!
xoxo Nicole
I am in the middle of making these! Did you use the 1/2cup of water? I went with less water, the 1/2 cup seemed too much. Please let e know if next time there would be a reason to use it all I hope to post pics if they turn out! They are chilling. About the chilling…..I have noticed you do this with any recipes…is there a reason for this or the consistency is better. I guess I need to get my chef on! I am a mom cook….learning as I go!
Thanks.
Hi, Joy,
Yes. I generally use about 1/2 cup water. Gluten-free flours are water-loving, and tend to thicken upon standing.
This is a pastry. All pastries need to be kept cold until right before baking. It helps the finished product puff properly.
Have fun!
xoxo Nicole
Crackers were a HUGE success! :) Even the baby liked them.
Excellent, Kadren. :)
xoxo Nicole
I made your Schmitz crackers yesterday. Thank you so much for this recipe! My son said he likes them even better than the Ritz crackers he missed so much. We just made some more today! :)
Hi, Laurel,
You’re so welcome. You have repaid me richly with the story of your son and his happiness (and, then, yours).
Three cheers for Schmitz!
xoxo Nicole
Hello! When you say Pamelas is not a sub for all purpose gluten free are you talking the Pamelas Bread Mix as well?
Jamie
Hi, Jamie,
Pamela’s Bread Mix is also not an all-purpose gluten-free flour. It is a bread mix. It has many, many things other than flours added to it, like yeast, salt, honey, sugar, etc. Only a flour blend that does not contain additives like those, or like the baking powder and baking soda in her “baking mix” can be considered an all-purpose or multipurpose flour.
Nicole
Ok, thank you Nicole. That explains a lot. I’m waiting for Better Batter to restock and then will be trying a ton of your recipes.
Hi, Jamie,
You’re very welcome. Those are really important distinctions to make, or you’ll end up with failed recipes and won’t be able to figure out why — something we definitely want to avoid! Happy baking…
xoxo Nicole
Hi Nicole and commenters… this type of gluten-free flour isnt available in Canada where I am . …has anyone else had success with other potato free GF flours?? Or does anyone have an ingredients list on this brand? I keep trying to find a good ratio of other GF types such as brown rice, coconut, quinoa etc. B/C $60+ for flour on Amazon is just ridiculous …thnx love your recipes!