These homemade saltine crackers are buttery, crisp, and done in under 30 minutes—no yeast, no weird stuff, no store run required. Just five basic ingredients, an easy recipe, and a smug sense of superiority you can taste.
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Whether you call them soda crackers or saltines, you've got to admit that a crispy cracker is the best accompaniment to homemade soup ever created! Learn how to make your own!
These homemade saltine crackers are everything—crisp, buttery, and ready in under 30 minutes with no yeast or weird ingredients required. They're my go-to with creamy tomato soup (or any soup, really), and I love that I can cut them into any shape I want. Beyond being ridiculously easy and delicious, they give me that smug little thrill of self-sufficiency—because if another toilet paper/cracker/bread crisis hits or the zombies roll in, guess who still gets to have soup with crackers?
Yep. This girl.
💁♀️ Why these homemade crackers just make sense
- 5 everyday ingredients you already have in the pantry—because we’re not playing “Chopped: Apocalypse Edition.”
- No yeast required so there’s zero waiting, proofing, or praying involved.
- Ready in under 30 minutes—quicker than your grocery delivery window and way more satisfying.
- Crispy, buttery, and customizable—cut ‘em into hearts, stars, or whatever passive-aggressive shape suits your mood.
- Freezer-friendly dough for those “Oh no, the book club’s actually coming over” moments.
🧾 What you’ll need to make homemade saltine crackers
- All purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to hold everything together without turning your crackers into chewy regrets.
- Egg helps the cracker crisp in the oven and also holds the salt on. If you have an egg allergy try this: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ⅓ cup water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until thick. Brush thinly on the crackers in place of the egg.
- Butter adds richness and helps create those perfectly crisp, golden edges we’re all a little too proud of.
- Milk moistens the dough and gives it just enough structure without making it heavy—because dense crackers are just sad.
- Baking powder adds a touch of lift keeps the texture light and snappy, not flat and cardboard-like.
- Coarse salt adds the final salty sparkle that hits your tastebuds like a mic drop—don’t skip it unless you hate joy.
Get tips, faqs, and more on this downloadable Saltine Cracker Kitchen Cheat Sheet pdf. It's free and you don't even need your email to get it.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Saltine Crackers
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cup milk, you can substitute non dairy milk if you need to
- coarse salt, for sprinkling
- 1 egg white, OR egg yolk. The whites make them crisper.
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Blend the egg white with the water to make an egg wash. Set aside.
- Mix together the flour and baking powder.
- If you are adding seasonings mix those in with the dry ingredients.
- Cut butter into flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs.
- Add the milk and knead gently to form a ball.
- Divide in 4 parts and roll out paper thin on a floured surface. The thinner they are the crisper they will be.
- Cut the dough into squares or desired shapes. (a pizza wheel works great for that!)
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick all over with a fork.
- Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt (or cracked pepper ..or..)
- Bake at 325 until golden brown..about 15- 20 minutes. (check after 10 minutes)
- Let cool before serving. They crisp as they cool.
Notes
- Throw away the scraps of dough after cutting - they will be tough if you re-roll them. Or, bake them for little snacks.
- Cut saltine crackers into uniform shapes so that they cook evenly.
- Leave a little room between each cracker when you bake to keep them crispy all over.
- Once the crackers begin to brown watch them carefully!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make this saltine crackers recipe
Keep an eye on these as they bake. You don't want them to get too brown.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Cut in the butter.
- Mixture should look coarse.
- Add milk.
- Blend.
- Knead gently until it holds together.
- Roll out thinly.
- Prick with fork.
- Brush with egg and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake.
📚 Related recipes
- Southern Cheese Straws – are sharp, buttery, and unapologetically extra—these pair perfectly with your homemade saltines on any snack board.
- Jalapeño Pimento Cheese is spicy, smoky, and wildly addictive. Slather it on a cracker and feel like you’ve got your life together.
- Old-Fashioned Deviled Ham Spread is the retro sandwich spread you didn’t know you needed. Bonus points if you cut your crackers into tiny shapes like it’s 1957.
P.S. You could serve them with homemade soup… but why would you, when there’s cheese involved?
Once you get this recipe down you will never, I repeat never, want to go back. You can vary the flour, herbs, and other ingredients to create unique flavors.
📌 Pin this recipe so you can impress your future self with homemade crackers and Depression-era competence.
Looking for plain cracker recipes says
You say that crackers have been around since the Israelites left Egypt. Please be advised that the Israelites made quick, unleavened flatbread, matzo, of nothing but flour and water, and both baking powder and eggs are not allowed... and even the unleavened dough itself mustn't be wet for more than eighteen minutes before it is baked, or it starts rising from natural yeast on the flour (a principle in making sourdough), and wouldn't be considered kosher for Passover (you did refer to the Israelites fleeing Egypt). And be careful about adding dairy: in Jewish tradition, that would mean these crackers couldn't be served alongside a meat meal. I'm guessing you're neither Jewish, nor an informed Gentile. Don't give up your day job!
Marye Audet says
PMS much? All I said was..."Crackers have had a place in history since well before the Israelites headed out of Egypt with all of their earthly goods and a couple of matzahs." There are all kinds of crackers and I wasn't planning on giving a lesson in Jewish history or cookery. This is my day job, by the way. 😉 AND you probably don't want to place any shekels down on that guess.
JJ Johnson says
Seriously... Anonymous "Looking for cracker recipes" (couldn't even put your name, coward) you're going to take something SO out of context to rattle on about how knowledgeable you are about the Jewish tradition. Congratulations, you made a fool out of yourself for being pompous and arrogant. I took it, after reading Marye's words, were that that's where CRACKERS date back from. Not about what's in them and if they are kosher and on and on and on. Just settle down... Geeez...
BTW Marye... the crackers were wonderful 😉
Marye Audet says
Thank you. I am SO glad you liked them. 🙂
Gregg says
What an absolute idiot!
Oh, and, this is a great recipe! Thanks for sharing. Too bad we have fools like this idiot out there that can even try a recipe before making some stupid comment!
sam says
Made these just today, had some trouble getting it thin enough (very elastic dough) but did better once I worked with smaller portions of dough and rolled with my hands on the center of my rolling pin versus the handles (more weight/pressure applied). I used a frosting piping tip (opposite end) to make little "oyster" crackers. I'd recommend a cookie cutter over a pizza cutter or knife for better consistency (I used the later with varying size crackers that were harder to bake evenly.
They are alright flavor wise, not much flavor but not inedible, I made some with regular table salt and some with coarse sea salt (all I had) the sea salt was the winner, but overall I think next time I will add 2 more tablespoons of butter for a bit more flavor and a softer easier to roll dough. I'm also going to use the whites for the egg wash, I did the yolk and water and got pretty dark results, using a white should leave a lighter color.
Overall it's a simple recipe, easy to make your own, but tedious ( as cracker making can be haha, "roll-cut-place-poke-wash-salt-repeat!" )
Marye Audet says
The dough shouldn't have been elastic at all - the butter is cut in like in biscuit dough and then gently kneaded until the ball sticks together - only a few strokes. I'm sorry the recipe didn't come out as good as you expected... but it sounds like you had too much flour and too much handling of the dough.
Angie says
I have enjoyed reading your recipe and cracker post. I am looking for a crispy pizza crust. All I have tried seem to be chewy instead of crispy so I am wondering if your cracker recipe might work for crispy pizza crust. Any thought on this?
Marye Audet says
I don't think so because it would absorb moisture from the sauce. I'd suggest making a pizza dough with no oil and using water as the only liquid... then rolling it very thin and baking it in a hot oven, on a preheated pizza stone if you have one. THEN put the sauce and cheese on and bake again at 375 until the cheese is melty.
James Lotz says
The secret to a good crispy pizza crust is using low protien flour hydrated at about 50%.
Try this. 16oz all purpose flour, 1/2 Tbsp yeast, 8 oz water, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1 Tbsp oil.
Kneed until smooth (10 minutes) dough will be stiff and dry, put dough in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for 24 hours. This will develop flavor and further hydrate the dough.
This was the procedure back when I worked at pizza hut years ago.
Jennifer S Dzikowski says
Quick question...making these today :). Do you use cold butter? Just softened? Also, do you think they really taste just like saltines?
Marye Audet says
I use cold butter and yes I do! Sorry - I was getting my hair done today so wasn't at the computer. Oh, and yes, if you want to use salted butter that's fine.
NANCY says
This looks like such a fun recipe to try. Thanks, Marye. I surely will try it because I buy the saltines to make cracker candy, which maybe doesn't sound all that exciting but it is delish not to mention addicting.
Marye Audet says
It sounds wonderful!
Tracy Goode says
Tried these today. I don't know what I did wrong, but I could not get them thin enough. I ended up with what my son called "flat, salty biscuits." Not bad with peanut butter, but not quite what I was looking for. I'll try again, but still...
Marye Audet says
I don't know, Tracy, did you try flattening them between 2 sheets of waxed paper? That can help.
Tracy Goode says
I'll have to try that next time. That would probably also make it easier to move them to the baking sheet.
Marye Audet says
It probably will. Good luck!
amy says
try your pasta maker
Marye Audet says
Great idea!
Natasha says
These do not taste like the saltine crackers you can buy, not even a little bit . My daughter is sick and only can stomach crackers. I used Mickey Mouse cookie cutters so the were cute. But they taste not very good to us. The little sicko said "Mommy, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but...". in all fairness this may be because of the type of flour I used. I grind my flour fresh and used einkorn berries for these "crackers". The first batch was horrid, and stuck to my non-stick cookie sheet. So I sprayed the pan before the next batch and added extra salt and they were better, came right off the sheet but still didn't taste as good as the store bought ones (according to my girl, too). The third batch I wanted to try something else because I didn't think we could eat all of these crackers as they were. So I oiled the pan and sprinkled with salt again, this time I added coconut sugar and cinnamon, and then sprayed a light mist of coconut oil over the top of them. Still not very good. Will not attempt this again. Happy Holidays
Marye Audet says
Natasha - I am sorry you didn't have good luck with them... When they are made according to the recipe they do taste very much like the ones from the store. White, all purpose flour does work the best.
Beckinoz says
I can't believe comments like this! You add your own flavours instead of making it like the recipe says and then say they don't taste like store bought, why even bother? You really shouldn't try making these again if you are going to alter the recipe so much.
JJ Johnson says
Amen....Beckinoz. I see it on many websites in comments ripping the recipe to shreds and they made the recipe with nothing that resembles ANY of the ingredients. It's really unfortunate that they don't have enough common sense to think to themselves "hmmm...I guess MY version with the different flour just didn't work out right. Next time I'll try the recipe as WRITTEN" and then decide whether to comment. Just sayin'....;-)
Pats says
Hi, Marye, This recipe looks wonderful and I can't wait to try it. I did notice, though, that it gave calorie counts but no amount to which that count applies. I'm working on losing weight but my method is to...count calories. Can you help?
Thanks!
Pat
Marye Audet says
Well, it all depends on what size cutter you use... the entire recipe has 2743 calories so you can divide that by how many crackers you get out of the recipe. This was based on 40 crackers. 🙂
judy says
can i do these with milk substitute (soy) and margarine due to dairy allergy?
Marye Audet says
That should be fine.
Liluma says
These were pretty good hard to roll out so thin but I used my pasta attachment on my Kitchenaid and it was much easier. Just use small batches enough flour so it doesn't stick. We had them in soup, I have little veggie cutters that I might try to make oyster crackers. Thanks!!!
Marye Audet says
That's odd. It sounds like the dough was too stiff?
Marye Audet says
🙂 I love them, too!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
Homemade saltines in heart shapes - what an adorable idea! My husband is addicted to matzo. Bet he'd love these, especially sprinkled with herbs.
Marye Audet says
MMM.... that sounds good!
Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says
My son loves saltine crackers but I've never made them at home. I can't wait to try this recipe! Can you really use any type of flour? Which is your favorite to use? Thanks!
Marye Audet says
you really can, at least everything I've tried has worked. It's a good idea to go 50/50 with white flour though if you are using another flour. Especially the first time. I love the classic white flour ones... also white/whole wheat/rye... about 50/30/20
Sara says
What a great idea to make saltines from scratch - it sounds like the perfect project for me to do with the kids!
Marye Audet says
Oh it absolutely is!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
This sounds fabulous. I one time had someone make fun of me because I made my own crackers. Doesn't everyone? LOL I can't wait to try this. Printing and Pinning.
Marye Audet says
Thanks Renee! Let me know what you think.
Ali @ Home & Plate says
I have always just store bought because I thought it would be hard to make. Your recipe looks totally doable. Will have to give this a try.
Marye Audet says
It is very easy. Let me know what you think. 🙂
Katie @ Recipe for Perfection says
Those heart-shaped crackers are adorable!
Jennifer A Stewart says
I am digging this recipe because my oldest son eats so many saltine crackers it is not even funny. I loved that they started to package them in the smaller "fresh packs" so you didn't have to bag up the rest of the sleeve but if I make my own now I won't have to worry about that. Plus I can control the amount of salt:)
Thanks!
Kristen says
I love the idea of homemade crackers; you get to decide what ingredients go into them so they are not only tastier, but better for you! I love the cute shapes you used, too!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It never would have occurred to me to make homemade saltines, these are awesome!
Jodee says
Do you store them in a covered container in the cupboard after baking? How long will the saltines keep?
marye says
You can store them in an airtight container in the pantry. Frankly, they only last a day or so here because they get gobbled up sp I dont know how long they would keep. At least a week.