Cheddar Bacon Crackers
Cheddar bacon crackers are the kind of snack that disappear faster than you can pull them out of the oven. Buttery crackers form the base, sharp cheddar melts just enough to hug a crisp piece of bacon, and everything gets showered in a sweet-heat brown sugar seasoning that caramelizes low and slow in the oven. They’re salty, sweet, smoky, and just spicy enough to keep you reaching for one more—the ultimate poppable party bite.
Servings: 24 crackers
Ingredients
- 24 buttery round crackers like Ritz or similar
- 24 cracker-sized cheddar cheese squares
- 8-10 slices bacon cut into 2-inch pieces
- red pepper flakes optional
Brown Sugar Seasoning
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons chipotle powder optional
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Arrange crackers in a single layer on the rack.
- Top each cracker with a square of cheddar cheese, followed by a piece of bacon.
- In a small bowl, mix together all brown sugar seasoning ingredients until evenly combined.
- Sprinkle the seasoning generously over each bacon cracker.
- Finish with red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the bacon is chewy-crisp and the sugar is caramelized.
- Let cool slightly before serving. The bacon crackers will crisp more as they rest.
Notes
Baking on a rack allows excess bacon fat to drip away, keeping the crackers crisp.
For extra heat, increase cayenne, chipotle powder, or red pepper flakes.
These bacon crackers can be made ahead and reheated in the oven at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes before serving to warm them through. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to reheating to remove the chill.