Copycat Hobi’s Bites Original Hot Crackers

These Copycat Hobi’s Bites Original Hot Crackers are crunchy, spicy and totally more-ish! When you cannot simply buy a favorite snack food, sometimes you just gotta make them yourself. 

A couple of years ago I invited a friend to join us for Sunday lunch and she arrived with hot boudin and Hobi’s Bites Original Hot Crackers to serve as an appetizer. The boudin - a Louisiana sausage made with cooked pork, rice, onions, peppers, and seasonings, all stuffed into a casing - was tasty but it was the spicy crackers that stole my heart. They were HOT.

I immediately asked where she had bought them and added Hobi’s Bites to the shopping list. I discovered that they come in many flavors but the original hot are the best, very spicy with a lovely crunch. I don’t buy them very often because they are that addictive, high in sodium and calories, and they disappear quickly. 

When our Sunday FunDay host proposed celebrating National Junk Food Day which is July 21st, I was excited to make my favorite spicy crackers, as a special treat. A little research revealed that some people call them fire crackers and recipes abound. 

Another thing I learned was that in the UK, they don’t have saltines! That ubiquitous cracker of my childhood, which, along with a glass of 7-Up, could cure any stomach bug. I guess they eat water crackers but those seemed too bland. I chose to use two different crackers, one French, the other from the Philippines. Both turned out great. 

In fact, I shared a bag of my copycats with my neighbors because I know they are fond of spicy food. I was hanging out the laundry yesterday when he popped over to tell me how addictively delicious they were and could he please put in an order for more! So you can bet I’ll be making these again! You know, just for them, because they are such good neighbors. 

Copycat Hobi’s Bites Original Hot Crackers

This recipe is adapted from one on the Southern Living website. Use whatever plain crackers you can find and as I mention below, buy some 2 or 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bags, the better to coat the crackers evenly with the spicy oil.

Ingredients

1 cup or 240ml olive oil

1/4 cup or 60ml hot sauce (I used a mix of Louisiana Habanero and Dunn’s River Jamaican-style hot sauce.)

2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

16 oz or 450g saltine or similar crackers

Method

Place oil, hot sauce, ranch dressing powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne, smoked paprika and salt in a small mixing bowl. 

Whisk to combine.

Add the crackers to a 2-gallon size Ziploc bag. (*See note below.) Pour the seasonings over them. 

Seal and gently turn the bag over several times to coat the crackers with the spice mixture. The more times you do, this the better the coating. 

*Note: As already mentioned but let me reiterate, when I make these again, I will use a bigger bag because I found that the crackers stuck together in the 1-gallon bag so it was hard to coat all sides. With more room in the bag, they’d be easier to shift around. I recommend using a 2- or 2 1/2-gallon Ziploc bag. 

Let crackers soak at room temperature at least 1 hour turning the bag over every 10 to 15 minutes. Be gently with them to keep the crackers mostly intact. 

Preheat your oven to 300°F or 149°C with racks in the upper third and lower third positions. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Transfer the crackers to prepared baking pans, arranging cracker in a single layer. 

Bake in the preheated oven until dry, crisp, and golden, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating baking pans between top and bottom racks halfway through bake time.

Remove from oven. Carefully remove the crackers to wire racks to cool. 

Repeat the process to bake the remaining crackers. 

Let the baked crackers cool completely, about 30 minutes. 

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are celebrating National Junk Food Day! Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the links below.

• Brownie Pizza by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Copycat Hobi's Bites Original Hot Crackers by Food Lust People Love
• Crunch Bars (copycat) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Donuts & Chicken Strips by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Roasted Pumpkin Hummus Veggie Wrap by Sneha's Recipe
• Walking Taco by Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Original Hot Crackers!

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Jersey Octopus Ceviche

Made with octopus caught in Channel Islands waters, this tender Jersey Octopus Ceviche is the perfect tart and spicy dish for a bright hot summer day. 

If you read my grilled octopus post a couple of weeks ago, you’ll know that our favorite eight-legged sea creatures have become quite a menace for folks in these islands that capture crabs and lobsters to sell as their livelihood. An octopus can easily get inside the cages and eat the entire catch! 

So, as suggested by our local newspaper, we are trying to eat more octopus! It’s great in a risotto but frankly, we just love it grilled with a squeeze of lemon.

I actually made this ceviche with leftover grilled octopus from that previous recipe but you can use cooked octopus bought vacuum-packed in a grocery store. If you are stateside or live in the UK, Costco carries it as well in the refrigerated section near the meat counter.

Jersey Octopus Ceviche

My three limes were fat and juicy so they yielded about 1/2 cup or 120ml of juice, which nicely covered the sliced onions and chopped chili pepper. Use more if your limes aren’t as productive, juice-wise. This recipe serves two generously.

Ingredients

1/2 medium purple onion

1 red chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 limes (or more if your limes aren’t juicy)

small bunch cilantro plus extra for garnish, if desired

7 oz or 200g cooked octopus

Method

Peel and finely slice the onion, finely chop the chili pepper and cut the octopus in bite-sized pieces. 

Put the onion, chili pepper and salt in a bowl that will eventually hold all of your ingredients. Cover and refrigerate the octopus. 

Pick the hard stems off of the cilantro and discard them. Tender stems are fine. 

Rinse the cilantro with cool water and spin to dry. Don’t skip this crucial step. No one wants grit in their ceviche. 

Chop it finely and set aside. 

Juice the limes into a separate bowl and discard any seeds.

Pour the juice into the onion bowl. Give it a little stir then cover and leave to macerate until you are about half an hour from serving. If it’s longer than a couple of hours, you can refrigerate the mixture. 

About half an hour before serving, stir the octopus and cilantro into the onion bowl, making sure the octopus is well coated with the marinade. 

Set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir again to serve and garnish with a little more cilantro, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 15th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2025, brought to you by the letter O. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the O recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Cranberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Orange Chocolate Cake 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Orzo with Parmesan and Basil 
• Food Lust People Love: Jersey Octopus Ceviche 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Overnight Oats 
• Blogghetti: Easy White Chocolate Covered Oreos 
• A Messy Kitchen: Citrus Marinated Chicken 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Orange Avocado Salad 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sheet Pan Italian Olive Oil Summer Vegetables
• Culinary Cam: Octopus: Takoyaki, a Japanese Snack Food
• Magical Ingredients: Onion Oaxaca Dip

Here are my posts for the 2025 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Roasted Asparagus Soup

B: Blistered Sugar Snap Peas

C. Jersey Royal Chicken Chorizo Traybake 

D. Small Batch Dried Apricot Jam 

E. Whipped Espresso Cream 

F. Fish Sauce Roasted Chicken 

G. Extra Herby Gremolata 

H. Smoked Herring Spread 

I.  Fresh Cherry Ice Cream 

J. Small Batch Strawberry Jam 

K. Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad 

L. Lobster Butter 

M. Milk-Roasted Chicken 

N. Nocciolata Swirl Meringues 

O. Jersey Octopus Ceviche – this post! 

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Pecan Pie Brownies

Chewy fudgy brownie on the bottom with pecan pie filling on top, these pecan pie brownies start with store-brought brownie mix. They disappear in a flash and are super easy to bake!

A couple of years ago my mom was living with us on hospice care and I wanted invite her sister and nephews and their families over for Sunday lunch, to have a little time chatting and laughing together while Mom could still appreciate it. 

The main part of the menu was simple to decide. We are a Cajun family so I made an immense pot of gumbo and a potato salad. Two of Mom’s favorites. Our beverage was something my maternal grandmother often served, pink lemonade with crushed pineapple, a great childhood memory for me and my cousins. 

I am usually all about baking things from scratch but time was precious so I started thinking about ways to fancy up a brownie mix. Back to my Cajun roots again, I had the brilliant, and I thought novel idea, to top it with pecan pie filling. Like many of my “original” ideas, a quick Google search found 11,900,000 results (0.24s) for that very thing. 

So these may not be the first pecan pie brownies you’ve ever seen, but I promise they are delicious. 

Pecan Pie Brownies

The ingredient list below calls for one boxed brownie mix along with the other ingredients listed on the box. I use the 16.3 oz Betty Crocker fudge mix so I’ve listed the other ingredients as well. Your box mix may call for something different. Please read the box and mix as instructed.

Ingredients

For the brownie base:

1 9×9 size boxed brownie mix (Betty Crocker fudge mix, see note above.)

1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

For the pecan pie topping:

1/2 cup or 113g butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup or 120ml corn syrup

1 cup or 200g brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups, chopped, or 175g pecans

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a 9X9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. 

Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the box. 

Stir by hand, just until mixed. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.

Bake the brownies for half of the recommended baking time plus 5 additional minutes to begin. 

While the brownies are baking, prepare the pecan pie topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. 

Then whisk in the eggs. 

After eggs are mixed in thoroughly, stir in the chopped pecans. 

When the `brownies are done with their baking time of “half the recommended, plus five minutes” pull them out. If they still look wet and completely uncooked, return them to the oven for 3-5 minutes, then check again. While they won’t be fully cooked, the top should be starting to set up. I baked mine for 25 minutes. The top was just looking set and shiny at 23 so I left it in another two minutes to make sure. 

Pour the pecan pie topping evenly over the brownies.

Place the brownies, with pecan pie topping, back into the oven and continue baking for an additional 30-35 minutes. The top should be set before you remove the pan from the oven. If it still jiggles, leave it in for another few minutes.

Allow brownies to cool completely on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Or if you are in a hurry, you can chill in the refrigerator first. 

These pecan pie brownies are very sweet and rich! Cut them into small pieces to serve. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with my favorite nut, the pecan, in honor of National Pecan Pie Day yesterday. Many thanks to our host, Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures. Check out the links below.

• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pecan Pie by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Creamy Mixed Green Salad with Apple & Pecans by Sneha's Recipe
• German Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Coconut Pecan Icing by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pain de Pecan by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pecan Pie Brownies by Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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