These sweet and salty Ritz Cracker Cookies will have all of your guests begging for more! The savory flavor combined with the chocolate is the ultimate combination, making these little bites highly addictive. It helps that the cracker is perfectly crisp with a gooey center, taking your mouth on a holiday joyride.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Chill Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 30
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Buttery, salty-sweet, peanut-buttery center with a crisp bite and smooth chocolate coating.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Hot cocoa, coffee, holiday cookie platters, or mixed sweet-and-salty dessert boards.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, these keep 1 week refrigerated and freeze well for up to 2 months
Summarize and Save This Content On
I like to make these and leave them out for friends and family to enjoy while I work on the main holiday meal. They're so incredibly satisfying and delicious that you might want to make a double batch so they don't disappear as fast!
Some of my other favorite recipes using Ritz crackers include Ritz cracker sandwiches and scalloped corn casserole with Ritz crackers. If you like things on the sweet side then try our chocolate covered Ritz crackers.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a no-bake dessert: keep the oven off when you prepare these Ritz cracker Christmas cookies! This no-bake recipe is the perfect festive treat that requires zero baking.
- It's easy to make: If you want a simple yet impressive sweet treat this Christmas, I can't recommend this holiday Ritz cracker recipe enough! It's minimal steps and effort.
- It's budget-friendly: The ingredients are low-cost, so you don't have to worry about spending a fortune on this Ritz cracker cookie recipe.
Ingredients
Everything you need for these Ritz peanut butter Christmas cookies is listed below. The only seasonal items you'll have to find are some festive sprinkles or decorations!
- Ritz crackers: Original Ritz crackers are the best for these cookie sandwiches because they have the right amount of buttery, salty flavor.
- Peanut butter/dulce de leche: You can choose either peanut butter or dulce de leche as the filling for your Christmas Ritz crackers, or a combination of both! I chose peanut butter this time.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I prefer semi-sweet chocolate for this recipe because it's not too sweet or bitter, it's right in the middle to help balance the other flavors.
- Coconut oil: This helps to make the melted chocolate easier to dip in, while also adding a subtle sheen to the crackers.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add toffee: Sprinkle some toffee bits in the middle to add some extra crunch and buttery flavor.
- Cinnamon white chocolate: Make some white chocolate Ritz crackers and include a pinch of cinnamon for some holiday spice.
- Nutella: Swap your fulling for some rich, chocolatey Nutella instead!
How to Make Ritz Cracker Cookies
Here are the instructions for these Christmas cookies made with Ritz crackers. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper so they are ready to go when you get started.
Step 1: Add the filling and chill. Arrange Ritz crackers onto the prepared pans, and add ½ teaspoon of filling (peanut butter or dulce de leche) to the center of each one. Top them with a second cracker and pop them into the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate and dip the cookies. While they chill, put the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 30-second intervals until it's smooth. You may also use the double-boiler method! Then, dip each cracker sandwich into the melted chocolate, and place them back onto the cookie sheet.
Step 3: Sprinkle the toppings. Add your toppings of choice, whether that's sprinkles or a drizzle of dulce de leche.
Step 4: Chill and serve. Now you may put the pans back into the fridge for another 10-20 minutes, or until set. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Work in batches: To make things easier, I like to arrange the Ritz cracker cookies on two sheet pans, so I can keep one batch chilled while the other is getting dipped in the chocolate. It keeps the filling from getting too warm.
- Use a thick caramel: Ensure that you choose a thick caramel and not a dulce de leche sauce like the Eagle brand makes. It's too thin and oozes out!
- Dip the cookies quickly: Melted chocolate tends to set fast, so be quick about dipping and adding decorations before you put them back in to chill.
If you like Ritz cracker desserts, you should try these chocolate-covered Ritz crackers.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep your Ritz cookies in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2 months. Allow them to come to room temperature before you eat them.
- Make Ahead: You can fill the cracker sandwiches and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to coat them, or once they are coated in decorated. Up to 24 hours is just fine, so you can have them ready in time for a party.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve a delicious holiday cocktail like this peppermint white Russian at your Christmas party to accompany the Ritz sandwiches.
- Another similar sweet and salty treat to add to your spread is Hershey Kiss pretzels.
- If you're treating them more like a dessert, enjoy them after a filling meal of boneless turkey breast or eggplant casserole.
- Prepare a savory appetizer, Dr. Pepper meatballs, to contrast the sweetness of the cookies.
Recipe FAQs
This happens if the chocolate cools too quickly, or if you skip the coconut oil. If you don't have coconut oil, a little vegetable oil or shortening makes a great substitute in a pinch.
It separates and becomes pretty oily, so I recommend using regular peanut butter for this recipe.
Handle the Ritz gently, as they are fairly delicate. It helps to let them chill a while with the filling before you dip them in the chocolate, so they are easier to work with.
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More Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes
Do you like holiday cookies? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Ritz Cracker Cookies
Ingredients
Choose One Filling Option or Split for Variety:
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- ¾ cup thick dulce de leche + pinch of sea salt optional
For Dipping & Decoration:
- 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 standard 12 oz bags)
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil helps with smoother dipping
- Toppings: flaky sea salt sprinkles, dulce de leche drizzle
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Choose your flavor (peanut butter/ dulce de leche or both):
- One flavor: Spread about ½ teaspoon of your chosen filling on 30 crackers. Top with another cracker to form a sandwich.
- Both flavors: Divide the crackers into two sets of 30. Use peanut butter for half and dulce de leche for the other half.
- Chill all sandwiches in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30-second increments in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler until smooth and glossy. Stir frequently and avoid overheating.
- Dip each chilled sandwich in chocolate, coating completely. Tap off excess and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with your choice of toppings. For the dulce de leche version, you can add some dulce de leche to a sandwich bag with a small corner cut out and pipe over the dipped cookie, then top with sea salt.
- Refrigerate 10-20 minutes until set. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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Notes
- Be gentle with the Ritz crackers to prevent them from breaking because they can be very delicate.
- Avoid using natural peanut butter because it naturally separates and is a lot more oily than regular peanut butter.
- Prepare these cracker cookies in batches so that you don't have to worry about not getting the decorations on before they set.
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