Smoky firecracker Cheez-Its are a crispy snack made with smoked Cheez-It crackers, ranch seasoning, and red pepper flakes for a spicy and delicious kick! So simple and crazy addicting!

Game day really isn’t complete without a full line up of delicious snacks! If you like these firecracker cheez-its, you’ll also like my corn and cheese party bites, boursin candied bacon crackers, cheesy ranch ritz bits, and taco oyster crackers!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Looking for a fun new snack idea? These smoky firecracker Cheez-Its are easy to mix up and full of flavor. A little spicy, a little smokey, and a little zesty, they’re the real deal!

Crunchy, spicy, seasoned to perfection, these baked firecrackerz are such a tasty snack, everyone loves them! You’ll find yourself going back for another one…and another one… and… well, you get the idea!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Smoked cheddar Cheez-Its
Canola oil
Ranch seasoning
Red pepper flakes

Just when you thought Cheez-Its couldn’t get any better, they did! Cheez It firecrackerz are your favorite cheese crackers leveled up with smoky flavor and a little kick from red pepper flakes, then baked to crisp perfection!

Using smoked cheddar Cheez-Its add even more savory flavor to this snack, but feel free to use whatever variety of Cheez-It crackers you like! The only ones I wouldn’t recommend are the extra toasty Cheez-Its, as they can become a little too toasty once baked.

How to make the best smoky firecrackerz:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine smoked cheddar Cheez-Its, canola oil, ranch seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Mix to coat the crackers evenly.
Transfer the crackers to your prepared baking sheet, spread them into an even layer, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Let the crackers cool completely before storing or enjoying!

Spicy, ranch coated Cheez-Its are the perfect way to upgrade your favorite cheese crackers! They’re great for setting out at parties, bringing on road trips, or topping your hearty soups and chilis!

You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd too. These crackers are perfect to serve or gift around the holidays and are sure to disappear in no time!

My top tips:

CANOLA OIL: Most neutral oils can be substituted in place of canola oil in this recipe, but vegetable oil is the best swap! If you don’t want to use oil, melted butter works too!
RANCH SEASONING: Be sure you’re using ranch seasoning and not ranch dip mix! The ranch dip mix is much saltier and can make these already salty crackers a bit too salty. If you’re using the big bottle of ranch seasoning, 3 tbsp of seasoning equals 1 ranch seasoning packet.
SPICE LEVELS: Feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to suit whatever spice level you like. My spice tolerance is mid-tier, so the way this recipe is written just gives them a mild kick!
MIX EVENLY: These crackers taste best when evenly coated in the seasonings. I recommend using a big mixing bowl that has plenty of extra room for stirring. You can also add everything to a Ziploc bag and shake to coat in the oil and seasonings.
BAKING: It’s important to stir the crackers every 10 minutes while baking to ensure the oil and seasonings are evenly soaking into the crackers. You’ll know they’re done baking when there is little to no oil remaining on the baking sheet.
COOLING: Let the mix cool completely on your baking sheet before transferring it to a container. You want to be sure the ranch coating cools down and adheres to your and crackers to get the most flavorful result!
STORING: Don’t refrigerate your snack mix. It will become soggy! Leave it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and it’ll stay fresh for 2-3 weeks stored at room temperature.
DOUBLE THE RECIPE: You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd. These crackers are perfect to serve or gift around the holidays and can disappear fast! So don’t worry about making too many! Even if you do, these crackers will keep for several weeks stored in an airtight bag or container in your pantry.

Looking for more easy snacks? Try these out!

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