Since their creation in 1934, Ritz Crackers have been a hugely popular snack cracker throughout the world thanks to its simple flavor and wide variety of options.
From their original cheese flavoring, Ritz Crackers have released hundreds of flavors over their near-century career and show no signs of stopping now.
Being a product that was made to be accessible to all through hard times, Ritz Crackers still remain favored today.
With brands releasing more vegan options to cater for the growing demographic, a lot of people have wondered whether Ritz Crackers themselves are vegan.
As crackers are a hugely popular snack and can be a critical ingredient in many dishes, Ritz Crackers can be used in many different ways making them a hugely beneficial addition to your weekly shop.
In this mini guide, we’ll be taking you through everything you need to know about Ritz Crackers from the origins to whether they are vegan to how people eat them.
Once you’ve finished this article, you’ll know everything there is to know about Ritz Crackers and how you can prepare them and integrate them into your vegan lifestyle.
Starting with some facts about Ritz Crackers and their origins followed by discussing whether they are vegan or not and then how they can fit into your diet, we’ve researched everything so you don’t have to.
Origins of Ritz Crackers
Ritz Crackers were created by Nabisco, who specialize in cookies and biscuits, in 1934 by designer Sydney Stern.
Made during the Great Depression, Stern was inspired by the Ritz hotel which is where the name comes from to include a little bit of luxury into everyone’s daily lives. With a box of the crackers originally costing 19 cents and a motto that read “a bite of the good life”, Ritz Crackers are made to be accessible for everyone.
Now owned by Mondelez International, Inc, there are 12 billion Ritz Crackers manufactured every year and delivered all over the world.
So, are Ritz Crackers vegan?
Following on from the intentions of the Ritz Cracker’s inception, the importance of making them accessible is hugely integral to the brand. Surprisingly, the original Ritz Crackers are actually vegan cracker already even though they boast a cheese flavoring.
To make the cheese flavoring, they incorporate a natural flavoring in their recipe that helps give the smoky flavor that tastes like cheese without containing any dairy for the perfect vegansnack. No animal ingredients are used, just vegetable oil in the dough along with nutritional yeast, sea salt, baking powder, and melted butter to create that buttery Ritz cracker. Personally I prefer Ritz crisps for their natural flavor dipped in peanutbutter.
Ritz Crackers are a product that many vegans are surprised to learn that they can actually eat and there are even more flavors from them that are also vegan like Ritz roasted vegetable crackers. They're the perfect salty snacks with vegan cream cheese.
If you are wanting to check a specific flavor from Ritz, always make sure to double check the ingredient list to check that they don’t have any animal byproducts in.
They are affectionately referred to as “accidentally vegan” which is when a brand creates a popular product that is vegan without intending it to be.
What are Ritz Crackers good with?
Ritz Crackers are often eaten by themselves because they make such a convenient and easy snack to grab and go.
However, a lot of people like to make unique creations that involve Ritz Crackers with the most popular being cream cheese spread on top of the Ritz Crackers.
Of course this option isn’t suitable for vegans but there are vegan cream cheese alternatives available as well as other toppings you can have.
You can also use Ritz Crackers in various sweet and savory dishes such as casseroles and cheesecakes.
Breaking and grounding the crackers actually assists in making a great shortbread which goes great for cheesecakes, especially vegan cheesecakes as they have that cheesy taste.
When it comes to savory dishes, you can incorporate them into vegetable casseroles and tarts.
Because Ritz Crackers are so simple, they are great by themselves but can also be a key ingredient for many dishes.
Are Ritz Crackers healthy?
What makes Ritz Crackers even better is that they can actually be included in a healthy diet. The Reduced Fat crackers are budget friendly and contain less fat than a lot of competitors on the market.
As mentioned in our previous section, they can be included in all sorts of dishes which makes them a huge necessity in plenty of dishes and means that you can indulge in foods that would otherwise be restricted due to fat content.
You can even have them as a healthy snack and eat them in moderation as they don’t have that many carbs in them either.
They are a suitable inclusion in any diet or meal plan whether you spend lots of time meal prepping or not.
What makes Ritz Crackers so popular is how versatile they are.
The bonus that they are accidentally vegan as well as the majority of other flavors they have is an extra plus, making them even more accessible for most dietary requirements.
Even their Bacon flavor is vegan but of course it goes without saying that you should always check the ingredient list when looking at new flavors.
The most popular non-vegan Ritz Cracker flavor is their Honey Wheat variety but always double check the other flavors just to be sure.
So whether you are newly vegan or have been vegan for quite some time now, try to incorporate Ritz Crackers into your diet.
They help to bring an additional delicious flavor to your meals, which is great for those who like to make their food from scratch and experiment with ingredients as well as serving as an ideal snack for those who are constantly on the go.
Suitable for all kinds of lifestyles whether you like to spend a lot of time prepping your meal plans or lead a hectic lifestyle, Ritz Crackers can be a substitute for various non-vegan ingredients making your life much easier.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
