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Report
en_GB
The US cracker market faced its first retail value pull-back in years, dipping 1.2% to $10.6bn in 2025. Despite this setback, crackers remain a mainstay in more than 96% of…
US
Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
simple
US Crackers Market Report 2026
"Crackers face a competitive snacking landscape and are proving their relevance with flavor, ingredient and textural innovations that showcase their versatility and value."
The US cracker market faced its first retail value pull-back in years, dipping 1.2% to $10.6bn in 2025. Despite this setback, crackers remain a mainstay in more than 96% of US households, highlighting resilient baseline demand. 72% of current GLP-1 medication users now cite crackers as their go-to salty snack, suggesting the category holds surprising relevance among those actively managing their weight and food choices.
Market growth is being stalled by price fatigue, with consumers trimming grocery lists and narrowing snacking repertoires. However, snacking frequency is rising among younger adults, who increasingly favor bold, culturally driven, BFY cracker options. This shift is allowing smaller BFY brands to compete with legacy players, making innovation around flavor, health and convenience more critical than ever if established brands hope to maintain relevance.
Looking ahead, the strongest opportunity lies in using inventive textures, globally inspired flavors and freshness-preserving packaging to reposition crackers as a versatile carrier across meals and snacking moments. Success will depend on bridging familiar pantry appeal with new experiences and functional benefits, setting the stage for renewed growth in a highly competitive snack landscape.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
The crackers market and forecast
Cracker company and brand performance
Innovating toward generational snacking trends
Connecting with parents on health and convenience
Adding value for households
Marketing toward expanded occasions for crackers
Cracker product innovation and marketing
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has divided the cracker category into four segments:
Collaborations can expand consideration of crackers across dish type
Combine interest in pairings with global exploration
Discover the top five trend territories for success in US snacking using Black Swan’s social prediction technology
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Consumers and the economic outlook
Market factors
Depressed consumer sentiment continues to impact discretionary purchases
Graph 1: index of consumer sentiment, 2022-26
Younger consumers are snacking more often and for more reasons
Graph 2: change in snacking frequency, by generation, 2025
Graph 3: motivations for snacking, by generation, 2025
Weight management trends impact snacking
Graph 4: cracker purchasing frequency, by GLP-1 usage, 2026
Continued conversation surrounding processing and ingredients
Market size and forecast
The cracker market faces challenges but is expected to secure growth in coming years
Market size and forecast of crackers
Graph 5: [no title]
Sales and forecast of crackers at current prices
Market segmentation
The other crackers segment remains solid, even with 2025 losses
Graph 6: market share of crackers, by segment, 2025
Total sales and forecast of crackers by segment
Market/brand share
Mondelēz remains on top despite overall sales slump
Graph 7: market share of crackers, 2025
Total
Uneven brand performance reflective of how trending ingredients can impact the filled crackers segment
Graph 8: market share of filled crackers, 2025
Sales of filled crackers by leading companies and brands
Graham cracker sales struggle across brands
Graph 9: market share of graham crackers, 2025
Sales of graham crackers by leading companies and brands
Mondelēz sees slight growth amid flat saltine segment sales
Graph 10: market share of saltine crackers, 2025
Sales of saltine crackers by leading companies and brands
Smaller brands outperform big brands and private label in other crackers segment
Graph 11: market share of other crackers, 2025
Sales of other crackers by leading companies and brands
THE CONSUMER
Innovate according to generational snacking trends
Gen Z’s frequent snacking habits are reflected in their purchase of crackers
Graph 12: cracker purchase frequency, by generation, 2025
Gen X finds the most value in the versatility of crackers
Graph 13: cracker occasions, by generation, 2025
Flavor enhancement should be tailored generationally
Graph 14: cracker attitudes, by generation, 2025
Connect with parents at the intersection of health and convenience
Elevate crackers to an every day, nutritious choice for parents
Graph 15: types of crackers purchased, by parental status, 2026
Convenience can be a premium driver for crackers
Crackers must move across dayparts for parents
Discover how crackers provide value across households
Tight budgets require strategic messaging and pack sizes
Graph 16: cracker attitudes, by financial situation
Larger households find value in freshness, variety and versatility
Graph 17: cracker attitudes, by household size, 2025
How pack size influences value perceptions
What consumers are saying
Market toward expanding occasions for crackers
Whitespace opportunities for expanding cracker occasions
Graph 18: type of cracker used by occasions, 2025
Texture is the gateway to creating interesting cracker pairings
Sweeten the deal with indulgent dips
PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Crackers continue to spice things up
Cracker flavor expansions go indulgent
Textural innovations unlock the flavor potential of crackers
BFY targets easy snacks for families
More BFY innovation in CPG
Firehook showcases strong collaborative efforts
Goldfish brings the fun with entertaining LTOs
Cheez-It celebrated National Pizza Day
APPENDIX
Market definition
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
US: total retail sales and forecast of crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
US: total retail sales and forecast of filled crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
US: total retail sales and forecast of graham crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
US: total retail sales and forecast of saltine crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
US: total retail sales and forecast of other crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – US
Repertoire analysis methodology
TURF methodology
US generation groups
Abbreviations and terms
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