Bacon Ritz Crackers Appetizer in the Air fryer.

Air fryer Bacon Ritz cracker appetizer recipe

I’d have to say I haven’t been able to decide which I prefer between these bacon ritz crackers and our Bacon wrapped club crackers because they are both so delicious.

Are candied bacon crackers even a thing? All I can say is to give it a try and you are seriously not looking back. These are popular during the holidays.

However I make them all year round whenever I want to treat my family to something different. Everyone loves these, they are so easy to make and finish fast.

Why this bacon ritz crackers recipe works

Salty and sweet make a great combo! Ritz crackers, Bacon and a touch of brown sugar are a match made in heaven and if you haven’t tried these before, believe me when I say this bacon appetizer would blow your mind.

Guess what! Like I said it’s not reserved only for special occasions like game night with friends or for Christmas and Thanksgiving. You can make it all year round. Let me tell you a bit more on why this recipe works and why it’s soo good!

This air fryer appetizer is

• Easy: As always easy is my first reason to try a recipe and this recipe can be made by anyone and requires no cooking skills whatsoever.
• A Crowd pleaser: You can never go wrong with these for appetizers. Everyone loves them even if they are trying these out for the very first time.
• Family friendly: This is seriously picky eater approved and a recipe the whole family will enjoy.

What you’ll need to make it (ingredients + substitutions)

You need your air fryer and 3 simple ingredients

• Nabisco Ritz crackers: If you don’t have Ritz crackers, the closest substitute would be Keebler’s club crackers. You can also use the low sodium variety to cut down on salt. Other alternatives include Triscuits, Saltines and to make it gluten free, use your favorite gluten free crackers like Glutino.
• Bacon (not thick cut)
• Brown sugar: Swap out with coconut sugar or Truvia blend, if you are looking to cut down on sugar. You can also use a completely sugar free brown sugar substitute like Besti brown sugar substitute.
• Maple syrup for the extra yum if you like (this optional)

Tool

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• I’ve use both my Cosori dual blaze air fryer and Cosori 5.8qt air fryer to make this recipe.
• Perforated Parchment paper or perforated silicon Mat (optional)
• Sharp Knife or kitchen shears to cut bacon
• Cookie spatula to lift out the crackers
• Heat resistant mat for your counter top

How long to make it in the air fryer.

It takes 5 to 6 minutes to make these in a non preheated air fryer at 400°F / 200°C. Keep an eye on it as it cooks.

How to make bacon ritz crackers in the Air fryer.

Now to the fun part; making this bacon delight in the air fryer. First you gather your ingredients!

Cut bacon into 4ths, place bacon on top of each cracker, then put some brown sugar on top of each bacon piece.

Place bacon ritz in the air fryer basket and bake at 400°F / 200°C for 5 to 6 minutes. No need to flip. If you want it more crispy, turn off the air fryer and leave the crackers in the air fryer for another minute, the crackers would continue to cook in the residual heat in the air fryer.

How to make bacon wrapped ritz crackers.

If you’d rather make bacon wrapped ritz, you would need to each bacon slice in thirds instead of fourths. Next wrap the bacon over the crackers place seam side down in the air fryer and bake.

Making it in the oven

Don’t have an air fryer just yet, you can grab one here. In the mean time you can make these in the oven before your Cosori Air Fryer ships to your home. Here is how to make it in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 300°F / 150°C / Gas mark 2. Place crackers on a cooling rack over the cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 mins or until the brown sugar melts and bacon is crispy. Let it cool on the rack before serving.

How to store

I really don’t recommend storing these for more than a day. I prefer to eat it up same day it’s made. If you must make ahead, do not make ahead for more than 24 hrs. Store in an air tight container for use within a day.

Tips for success

• No need to preheat the air fryer for this recipe.
• The caramelized sugar would be hot, so be careful when getting it out. It’s best to let it cool slightly before trying to get it out.
• When the crackers are hot, they would be soft. Don’t worry, they crisp up as they cool.
• Bacon wrapped crackers will take an extra minute to cook.

FAQs

Here you’ll find answers to common questions about this recipe. If your question isn’t answered, please leave us a comment below and we’ll gladly answer them.

How many Ritz Crackers in a sleeve?

We buy Ritz crackers from Costco and it comes in multiple sleeves. Usually 18 sleeves in a big box. If you are wondering how many crackers in a sleeve, I am happy to answer the question for you. It will definitely help you plan to make enough bacon Ritz crackers appetizer for your family and friends.

The wholesale sold at Costco has about 32 crackers per sleeve. Some packs from other stores have 13 crackers. You would need 1 lb of bacon for 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers.

Do the crackers get soggy?

The crackers don’t get soggy, they are soft when hot but crisps up quickly as it cools

How many slices of bacon in a pound?

When you are looking to make this recipe for a party or during the holidays when you need to feed a crowd you might be wondering how many bacon slices are in a pound which will help you calculate what the quantity and serving size you’d need to feed your guests.

To answer your question, a pound of thin cut bacon usually had 16 -17 slices of bacon. Each slice would be cut in 4 parts for this recipe which means a pound of bacon should be roughly 64 to 68 cut up pieces. You would need a pound of bacon to make 64 to 68 Ritz bacon crackers.

Cleaning the air fryer

Because of the sticky caramelized bits of sugar that would drip onto the air fryer basket and under, it’s best to wash the basket with warm water and while it’s still warm so the caramelization would be easier to come off.

If you forget to do so, and the basket is completely cooled down with dried out sugar all over it, here’s what to do to save your basket.

• Pour warm water into the air fryer basket just to the level of the inner basket (about an inch high)
• Add liquid wash and let it soak for about 5 mins before washing it off.

More Easy Air fryer Appetizers

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• Honey Sriracha chicken wings in air fryer
• Air fryer jalapeño poppers
• Air fryer Frozen cream filled churros
• Pig candy aka million dollar bacon
• Air fryer bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers
• Honey pepper chicken wings in the Air fryer
• Air fryer stuffed jalapeños

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