The South’s most beloved appetizer begins with a round of saltines

Sometimes an oven is like that mysterious black box on a magician’s stage where strange things enter and something much more delicious comes out. Ohhh. Ahhh. This happens when you put seasoned saltines in the oven and take out the awesome Fire Crackers a few minutes later.

Firecrackers recipe

What are firecrackers?

Fire Crackers, sometimes called Alabama Fire Crackers, are so easy that the recipe barely qualifies as baking. Simply spread the saltines on a baking sheet, drizzle with butter or oil and a host of spices, including more red pepper flakes than seems prudent, but their kick doesn’t doesn’t do much harm. The crackers will look too saturated at first, but they will crisp up like champions while baking.

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How to serve firecrackers

Fire Crackers can be casual or fancy, depending on how you serve them. They make a sturdy accompaniment to soups, chili, salads and sandwiches: broken pieces can pass for croutons. They’re a must-have party snack that guests can wolf down by the handful, accompanied by beers and refreshing drinks. A box of these crackers makes a welcome gift on summer getaways. In some hometowns, baby showers and bridal showers seem incomplete without a platter of these crackers on the buffet.

Related: The 2-Ingredient Appetizer I Bring to Every Party

Firecrackers are easy and inexpensive

The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find. You can replace the saltines with other crackers. Competitors include buttery rounds and rectangles, thin wheat crackers or those little postage stamp-sized cheese crackers – just about any cracker can play well with the bold seasoning lineup . The recipe is scalable, making it easy to halve or double as needed. It’s wise to make more than you think you’ll need, as this helps make up for whatever you’ll be eating straight from the baking sheet as soon as it cools.

A recipe made for all occasions

No one knows about Fire Crackers’ big moment, but they show the creative ingenuity of home cooks who can transform a store-bought staple into a homemade treat. It’s a recipe that spreads like wildfire through a family and circle of friends, appearing on the pages of community cookbooks across the South, then spread, pinned, and posted everywhere. We love these recipes. As Andy Griffith said: “Good cracker. Good cracker.”

More creative cracker starters

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