Ritz’s New Crackers Are Toasty, Buttery, and Only Here for Summer

Many times in life, it all comes down to the small details — and that’s especially true for a classic snack that’s been beloved for decades. Ritz certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel with its latest summer release, but it’s hoping one little tweak will pique your interest this month. 

Ahead of summer festivities, Ritz is launching brand-new “sunkissed” crackers at retailers nationwide, the Mondelēz-owned brand announced today. These baked crackers have an extra-crispy exterior, as Ritz explains, which gives them a flaky texture and distinctive crunch. And as we embark on the first warm-weather adventures of the season, this product might just be worthy of prime real estate in your cooler or barbecue snack spread. 

Beginning later this month, you can find the extra-toasted snack at big-box retailers where you usually buy Ritz, but it’s only available for a limited time. (The standard-size box retails for a suggested price of $4.29.) 

This isn’t the first time Ritz has leaned into its most fan-loved qualities — last year, the 90-year-old cracker brand released a “buttery-er” version with an amped-up flavor profile. That laser focus on the familiar qualities that customers already enjoy is key to the brand’s present-day approach to flavor. This time around, though, they’re centering all the attention on emphasizing the classic snack’s rich, crisp texture. 

“Ritz is a beloved, 90-year-old iconic cracker, and while that is a heritage we are proud of and will always cherish, we are focused on driving relevance with today’s consumers and modernizing the brand,” Steven Saenen, Ritz’s vice president of marketing, tells Food & Wine. “We want to evolve this beloved, classic cracker to a modern savory snack.”

This summer’s newest cracker brings the same “buttery-flavored, salty taste you know and love,” per the brand, so we envision this spin as a more textural upgrade. Biting into this “sunkissed” cracker, you’ll likely notice a crunch with a slightly deeper toasted color.  (Think of it like the crispiness of Extra Toasty Cheez-Its, rather than a brand-new flavor combination.) It’s described by the brand as a flaky, baked cracker with a “toasty twist,” per the announcement. 

In celebration of the new release — and warmer days ahead — Ritz is hosting a sweepstakes to fund those delightful summer outings. Beach towels, coolers, bags, and a $50,000 prize are all up for grabs. The giveaway, hosted on the brand’s Golden Summer landing page, ends at the close of August. 

Sounds like there’s a new road trip snack to take for a spin.