Pepperoni Pizza Crackers: The Ritz Hack You'll Want Over And Over Again

When you're looking for an easy snack, you might reach for crackers and dip. But what if, instead of dipping those crackers, you viewed them as mini pizza crusts? It turns out that Ritz crackers have more uses than just a standard cracker. Take a few out of the sleeve, add some pepperoni and a little mozzarella, you can create the easiest mini pizzas that you'll want to keep snacking on.

For the simplest version of this appetizer, just top the crackers with cheese and pepperoni, bake or air fry them, and you have an easy snack. But depending on what type of "pizza" you're in the mood for, you can get creative with some unexpected toppings to additions. To start, consider brushing the crackers in a garlic and parsley butter, which will impart even more flavor to that rich, buttery taste. You should brush the crackers instead of tossing them because Ritz crackers are delicate, and tossing them in a bowl could cause them to break. Then, top the pizzas as usual, and bake them up. The crackers will get nice and crispy and will taste like mini garlic bread pieces.

Ritz crackers are lightweight, so don't overload them. Adding marinara isn't necessary, and if you do want it, you're better off using it as a dipping sauce. But light toppings will work. Add some Calabrian chili peppers for a little spice or sweet and tangy peppadew peppers for a more underrated pizza topping. Or, swap the pepperoni with spicy soppressata (you'll have to cut it up to fit), then once it's cooked, drizzle the crackers with a little honey.

Keep in mind that the toppings also need to fit comfortably on a cracker. Another spicy alternative is to add a thin slice of jalapeño to the top of each mini pizza before cooking them. While something as hearty as Buffalo chicken-style might be a bit much for this small cracker, you can remove the pepperoni all together and just keep the mozzarella, then add a drizzle of Buffalo sauce and ranch once the mini pizzas are hot.