Every Ritz Cracker Flavor, Ranked
Ritz crackers have been a pantry mainstay since they were introduced in 1934. Over the years, flavors have come and gone, with the Original buttery cracker enduring. With an ever-expanding line, Ritz now offers not just crackers, but also cheese and peanut butter cracker sandwiches, chips, and so much more. That said, it is the cracker line that has endured and won our hearts. Now the company has graced us with seven flavors: Original, Roasted Vegetable, Whole Wheat, Honey Wheat, Garlic Butter, Hint of Salt, and Everything.
Ritz crackers are counterintuitive products. Despite the main hallmark flavor of the cracker being its buttery taste, there is actually no butter in Ritz crackers. In addition, Ritz crackers are actually deceptively vegan. Even the now discontinued bacon-flavored cracker did not contain bacon. The only flavor not suitable for all vegans is Honey Wheat.
We are not sure what magic Ritz is using to so perfectly encompass these flavors without the use of the actual product. But we set out to find out if they could also capture the same great flavors in the other products. Yes, we tried every Ritz cracker and ranked them, so you do not have to.
7. Hint of Salt
Try as we might, we could not find a single hint of salt in these crackers. So, let us not mince words: They are flavorless. While these crackers still have the soft, yet crispy texture of a Ritz cracker, they taste like eating a piece of paper. The lack of salt even takes away that buttery flavor we all know and love.
This is likely due to the fact that salt is not necessarily used in cooking to make food salty, but instead to act as a flavor enhancer. So when Ritz got rid of the salt without adding another flavor, it just left a sad cracker in its wake.
These crackers are likely fine when paired with other foods and flavors. But we would not just sit down with a box of them for a snack. The only reason we can see for buying these is if you need a lower sodium choice for dietary reasons. It does, in fairness, have about one-quarter the sodium of any other Ritz cracker flavor. But, even then, we feel there must be a better choice.
6. Roasted Vegetable
Really the best way to describe Roasted Vegetable crackers is vegetable-y. Now, you would think that since they hit the flavor right on the head, we would like them and rank them higher. You would be wrong. The crackers have a dehydrated vegetable flavor, rather than a roasted vegetable one. Roasted vegetables have a sweet caramelized note; this tastes like desiccated V8.
We cannot help but wonder why? Why would you want a vegetable-flavored Ritz cracker? Not only does the flavor make it harder to pair with anything else, but on their own, they are honestly not very good. It is like eating the dust at the bottom of a veggie straw bag, only with a strong tomato flavor added in.
And while we are on the flavor, there is a mighty strong and not horribly pleasant aftertaste. Once the initial flavor of Ritz has faded, you are left with an odd dehydrated vegetable taste that simply will not leave, no matter how much you wish it would.
5. Baked with Whole Wheat
Thankfully, the Baked with Whole Wheat crackers were not nearly as cardboard-like as the Hint of Salt. As anyone who has ever had whole wheat pasta knows, there is a thin line between the earthy, hearty flavor of whole wheat and tough, bland nothingness. We suspect that the secret to Ritz Baked with Whole Wheat is the fact it is baked with a mix of whole grain wheat flour and regular unbleached white flour. Instead of being 100% whole wheat, it is 44%, according to the box.
Now, while these crackers were not terrible, they had some noticeable unpleasant taste and texture differences from the original. Despite being higher in sodium, there was not a pleasantly salty flavor. The texture also was less flaky and was almost gritty. The crunch was much softer. Again, these are fine, just nothing exceptional. While they would likely pair well with other foods, the Baked with Whole Wheat does not have the same versatility as the Original Ritz Crackers and does not stand on its own.
4. Honey Wheat
The Honey Wheat Ritz succeeds in the places where the Baked with Whole Wheat does not. While it still has a bit of a crumbly texture, rather than a flakey one, Honey Wheat makes up for it with flavor. Despite being the lowest in sodium of the current Ritz selection, other than a hint of salt, it has a noticeable salty top. Additionally, where the Baked with Whole Wheat falls short in flavor, the Honey Wheat adds enough variation to justify its position in the Ritz lineup.
Honey adds a noticeable sweetness to the cracker, which bounces off the salt nicely. It also adds some distinctly warm and sweet hints of mild flavors of vanilla shining through. This cracker we would actually eat on its own. It would pair nicely with some cheeses, such as goat cheese, and peanut butter. However, it did not pair as well with common cheeses, such as cheddar. Still, it offers 5 grams of whole grains per serving and tastes better than the Baked with Whole Wheat, so if whole grains are what you are after, this is the better option.
3. Garlic Butter
The first thing you notice with the Garlic Butter Ritz is the smell. As soon as you take a cracker out of the package, you are hit with the garlic in the best way possible. It is like having a basket of fresh garlic bread delivered to your table. And yes, despite "butter" being in the title, there is no actual butter in these crackers, and they are still vegan-friendly.
One bite of the Garlic Butter Ritz puts you in garlic heaven. If you enjoy garlic knots, these crackers will surely win your heart over. The flavor is not subtle, but not overwhelming either. These are perfect for when a craving for garlic bread hits, but none is around.
If we have one complaint, it is that with this distinct flavor, the garlic butter crackers do not play well with other flavors. They are good for some cheeses, but no peanut butter or anything you would not put on garlic bread. Pair them with soup or pasta, though, and you have a winner.
2. Everything
Everything seasoning is having a bit of a moment recently. It would be easy to see a company like Ritz jumping on the Everything bandwagon simply to sell more crackers. While this likely was the inspiration for rolling out this flavor, we have to say they nailed it.
The Everything flavor has onions, poppy seeds, garlic, and salt. Each flavor is noticeably present, yet no one particular flavor stands above the rest. Instead, the flavors blend together in perfect harmony. The only difference in texture is the light addition of poppy seeds, which adds to it rather than detracts.
As much as we love the Garlic Butter Ritz, we feel that the Everything Ritz is a stronger flavor to add to the everyday arsenal. Although Garlic Butter will always want to be the star of the show, Everything invites other flavors to play with it. This means pairing it with other cracker toppings is easier and more successful because they will just join the other flavors there. We would absolutely use these on a cracker tray to add flavor and interest to otherwise mundane cracker choices.
1. The Original
One bite of the Original Ritz cracker flavor tells you everything you need to know about why the brand has lasted so long. They are perfectly crispy and flaky, yet not tough. There is a soft, sandy texture to the cracker that should negate its crispiness, yet instead works in harmony with it.
The buttery flavor is present. Even knowing there is no butter in it, we cannot help but think of it as a buttery cracker. It is perfectly salted with bursts of flavor in each and every bite. It makes the cracker perfect for eating on its own, but also ripe for pairing with other foods, whether that be on a cheese and cracker plate, charcuterie, or peanut butter. Compared to other non-Ritz crackers, it is more flavorful and easier to eat. It is almost impossible to think of a better cracker. Ritz crackers just hit differently.