Mom’s “spicy saltine crackers” for a teacher gift spark debate over what educators actually want: “Feels ruder than no gift”
Everyone knows teachers hate hot crackers—or at least, that’s what TikTok decided this week.
Nurse and health-and-fitness influencer Janelle Rohner ignited a surprisingly heated debate after sharing a recipe for “hot crackers,” also known as Firecrackers, that she planned to include with holiday gifts for her daughters’ teachers.
What some viewers saw as a harmless, benign gesture left others furious, arguing that homemade food is an inappropriate—and even rude—gift for educators. The video racked up more than 17,000 comments on TikTok and quickly spread to other platforms, where the discourse only intensified.
A little homemade gift for teachers
In a Dec. 18, 2025 video, Rohner demonstrated how to make Firecrackers, a no-bake snack made by tossing saltine crackers with oil and spices. “In case you still haven’t figured out what to get your kids’ teachers,” she wrote in the caption. “These are always a hit and I love giving homemade gifts.”
As she poured seasoning over the crackers and shook the container, Rohner explained that the process takes less than five minutes. She acknowledged that the crackers look soggy at first, but promised that by the next morning they’d be “heavenly and ready to go,” especially when packaged in “a cute little baggie or a Christmas tin.”
Rohner also clarified that the crackers weren’t the only gift. She planned to pair them with gift cards for each teacher.
“Now, I know they look wet,” Rohner said, showing off the seasoned crackers, “but I promise these in a cute little baggie or a cute little, like, Christmas tin, tomorrow morning, they will be heavenly and ready to go.”
@janellerohner In case you still haven’t figured out what to get your kids teachers. These are always a hit and I love giving homemade gifts. #teachersgift #teachergift ♬ original sound - JanelleRohner
The heated debate over hot crackers
TikTok users, educators among them, rejected Rohner’s homemade gift idea. One commenter wrote, “This feels ruder than not giving a gift.” Reddit users, surprised by the uproar on TikTok, discussed the video on r/TikTokgossip where they said Rohner’s effort was simply a gesture of teacher appreciation. People on the thread wondered what all the fuss was about, especially since Rohner posted a follow up video that showed the crackers gift wrapped and presented with gift cards.
There are strong POV’s on both sides…
“She gave a gift, gift cards, and a side of homemade crackers. People really complain about anything”
“I'd be insulted if some rich person tried to give me saltines and oil ????”
“Haven't they suffered enough?”
“No ✍???? homemade ✍???? food ✍???? for ✍???? the ✍???? teachers ✍????”
“I’m in education. I literally appreciate any gift”
“i work in an elementary school, and literally everyone I work with loves these crackers”
Rohner responds to the backlash
Rohner followed up the hot crackers demo with an Instagram reel that showed off the carefully wrapped teachers’ gifts, embellished with bags of hot crackers and Starbucks gift cards.
Shocked by the outrage brought on by a few crackers, she responded to a teacher’s comment that read, “I’m a teacher, and I’d rather get nothing.” The influencer insisted, “I still think giving a homemade gift is thoughtful.”
For some, it’s gift cards or nothing at all. For others, it’s the gesture that counts—even if that gesture comes in the form of spicy, oil-soaked saltines.
Janelle Rohner did not immediately reply to the Daily Dot's request for comment via Instagram.
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