Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are an easy, no-bake, sweet and salty treat using Ritz crackers. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes puts this Ritz cookies recipe over the top!
This recipe is one of my all-time favorite Christmas food memories. I’ve been making these Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies for as long as I can remember, right alongside my mom’s Homemade Peanut Butter Cups and layered Mint Chocolate Brownies!
Why My Family Loves Ritz Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter
My mom is famous for making these awesome Ritz sandwich cookies every single Christmas; she never skipped a beat. Now I’m the same, as they’re always a top request from my family. I do one thing different than Mom, though. I add a little sprinkle of sea salt flakes over the top of each cookie. My family won’t let me make these any other way!
- Perfectly sweet & salty. There’s buttery-salty crackers, peanut butter, chocolate, and an optional sprinkle sea salt flakes. With just a few ingredients, this sandwich cookie recipe delivers the perfect mix of sweet and salty flavors.
- Awesome creamy + crunchy textures. The crunchy, flaky crackers sandwiching a creamy peanut butter center is perfection.
- EASY no-bake treat. And these Ritz cracker cookies are SO EASY TO MAKE. You don’t even need to turn on the oven. Just layer and dip!
If you’re crazy for chocolate & peanut butter, also check out these Buckeyes and Buckeye Fudge!
Enjoy!
“So easy and so good – my entire family went crazy for them – will be making them for a banquet that’s coming up – they do not disappoint!”
Sue
More No-Bake Holiday Treats
- Peppermint Bark is pretty and festive, a must-make for our daughter Hatti each Christmas season.
- Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispies Puffs are a year-round request from friends and family – so fun!
- Mom’s Microwave Caramel Corn comes together quick and easy!
How to make Ritz Cracker Cookies
I’ve tweaked my method and ingredient proportions for these Ritz cookies over the years. And now these cookies are just the way I like them. They turn out perfect every single time!
- Line a rimmed pan with wax paper. This 15″ x 10″ uncoated rimmed pan is just the right size for a single recipe of these cookies.
- Arrange half of the Ritz crackers on the wax paper, then add peanut butter to the center of each one. When our girls were too small to dip the cookies into the melted chocolate, this was always their job. They counted out the crackers, set them on the pan, and then helped to add the peanut butter.
I used to make these with considerably less peanut butter sandwiched in the middle. So another thing that I’ve changed over the years (besides adding the sprinkle of sea salt flakes) is that I now add slightly more than a tablespoon of peanut butter per cookie, nice and generous…which my family loves.
If you prefer less peanut butter, feel free to hold back!
- Place another cracker on top of the peanut butter and press it down gently to create a sandwich cookie.
- Dip each sandwich cookie into melted chocolate and place on pan to cool and set.
- (Optional) Add a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. The Ritz crackers and the peanut butter already include some salt, but we love these cookies with an additional sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Just make sure to add the salt before the chocolate completely hardens (do let it cool and harden for a bit, though), as little or as much as you like.
Whenever I used to offer both sprinkled and non-sprinkled, the ones with the salt sprinkle ALWAYS disappear first. So now I just sprinkle them all!
Tips for Melting and Dipping Chocolate
Here’s my best advice for getting that perfect chocolate dip:
- Use the right chocolate combination. Use a 50/50 combination of chocolate almond bark and good quality semisweet chocolate chips. The almond bark allows for a solid set, so the chocolate doesn’t get melty when sitting out on a treats platter for hours. And good quality chocolate chips give a richer chocolate flavor.
- Melt gently. Take special care to melt the chocolates gently, so they don’t scorch. Because scorched chocolate is ruined chocolate. So sad.
- Use a double boiler method. I prefer to use a double boiler method (also known as a bain-marie) for melting the chocolates – because it’s super reliable, and significantly helps to reduce any chance of scorching. If you don’t own a double boiler, create a double boiler with a saucepan and heat-proof bowl. A microwave also works, just be sure to heat slowly and gently in shorter intervals, stirring the chocolates often.
- Use 2 forks. Once the chocolate is melted, drop an assembled sandwich cookie into it. With two forks, quickly turn the cookie to coat on all sides with chocolate.
- Remove excess chocolate. Then lift the sandwich cookie out of the chocolate with one of the forks. Gently tap the fork handle on the side of the bowl, forcing excess chocolate down through the fork’s tines, back into the melted chocolate. Slide the fork outward from the bowl, dragging the bottom of the tines along the rim of the bowl, letting any other excess chocolate drip down the inside of the bowl.
- A toothpick helps! Transfer chocolate-dipped cookie onto the wax paper, using a toothpick to aid in sliding the cookie off the fork’s tines.
- Rewarm, if necessary. If the chocolate becomes thick or difficult to work with, simply warm it up a bit more, and stir to incorporate.
Variations for Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies
- Add sea salt flakes, my favorite! I’ve already talked about this quite a bit, but it’s SO GOOD that I must shout it from the rooftops!
- Swap out the chocolate. Try dipping the Ritz cracker cookies in melted white chocolate almond bark or colored candy melts.
- Use almond butter. If you prefer almond butter over peanut butter, then go for it! Just make sure that the almond butter is thick enough to stay in between the two crackers.
- Only half-dip the sandwich cookies. This offers less chocolate, plus a fun peek at what’s inside the cookie.
- Add sprinkles. Fun sprinkles are always a festive holiday touch!
- Think beyond Christmas… These cookies really deserve to be enjoyed all year long. Think about them for special occasions. How about with little heart sprinkles for Valentine’s Day. Or with school-colored melts or sprinkles for football tailgating or a graduation party. Or for a birthday treat, customized with a theme special to the birthday person!
Tips for storing no-bake cookies
I’m a “Hurry, let’s get this batch of cookies off the counter and into the freezer” kind of person. Because there’s more cookies to make, of course!
So once the cookies have all been dipped in chocolate, I promptly place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer for about 20 minutes. This quickly sets the chocolate.
The cookies can be eaten as soon as the chocolate has hardened. Or store them in the freezer for later enjoyment (I LOVE to eat these frozen!).
To freeze, simply transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container, separating each layer of cookies with wax paper or parchment paper. Top with a tight-fitting lid and place in the freezer. They keep really well for a few months in the freezer…although they will most definitely not last that long!
One last comment before I go.
I never, ever make just a single recipe of these chocolate peanut butter Ritz cookies. My family loves them too much. There’s never a question; this recipe always deserves a double batch!
More Peanut Butter Desserts:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 48 Ritz crackers
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 ounces chocolate almond bark
- 8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate chips
- sea salt flakes, optional (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
Instructions
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate almond bark and chocolate chips in the microwave on a low setting, stirring regularly. Or set up a homemade double boiler. Take care to not let the chocolate scorch.
- While chocolates are melting, line a 15" x 10" rimmed pan with wax paper. Place 24 of the Ritz crackers on the wax paper, leaving an inch of space in between each one.
- Place a generous tablespoon (some people think this is too much, use less if you like!) of peanut butter onto the center of each cracker. No need to spread the peanut butter.
- Place another cracker on top of the peanut butter and gently press the cracker down a bit at the center of the cracker. This will spread the peanut butter out in between the two crackers. Repeat until you have all sandwich cookies assembled.
- Once chocolates have melted, pull the double boiler off the stovetop. Drop a sandwich cookie into the chocolate. Using two forks to maneuver the sandwich cookie, quickly turn the cookie to completely cover it with chocolate. Lift the cookie out with one of the forks, and tap the fork handle lightly on the side of the bowl to force excess chocolate down through the fork’s tines and back into the bowl. Slide the fork outward from the bowl, dragging the bottom of the tines along the rim of the bowl, letting any other excess chocolate drip down the inside of the bowl. Transfer chocolate-dipped cookie onto the wax paper, using a toothpick to aid in sliding the cookie off the fork's tines. Repeat until all cookies are dipped. If the chocolate becomes thick and difficult to work with, simply warm it up a bit more.
- If you wish to top the cookies with sea salt flakes or sprinkles, be sure to sprinkle the cookies before the chocolate sets up.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2010. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2019.
I love these cookies!
A note: I used a large cookie sheet as the recommended size is just too small if you want an “inch” between cookies. I just used a regular cookie sheet.
I love these! My mom makes them every year for Christmas and they are my favorite. My idea is to put a small reese’s peanut butter cup in between each stack instead.
So glad you like these cookies, too!! :)
I’ve made these several years in a row now and everyone loves them.
Would it be a good idea to put them in the fridge, I live in AZ and it’s still warm here
So easy and so good-my entire family went crazy for them-will be making them for a banquet that’s coming up-they do not disappoint!
Yay! So glad you liked this recipe! :)
Thanks for your easy instructions. I made them and they won a prize! But some of the sides are not covered completely. Should I just hold in the melted chocolate a bit lomger? Thanks again. You are the best.
Hi Ann – you won a prize?! :) You probably just need to dunk the cookies into the melted chocolate a bit more, to cover the sides better.
Don’t hesitate to make these. I can’t stop eating. Such a delicious little desert.
These also work well with marshmallow filling.
YUM! I need to try that!!
Can these be made with milk chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet?
Hi Marilyn – yes, you can use milk chocolate chips + the almond bark. Or just straight almond bark.
We make these with about half as much peanut butter and add marshmallow fluff. Then do the rest the same.
YUM!!
I make these for my grandchildren every year using crunchy peanut butter.
I had the same idea! Any special adjustments? Im also going to use white chocolate bark and butterscotch chips with the semi-sweet chips.
Absolutely one of the best “cookies” I have ever made or had, for that matter. Made one batch and had to make another. Everyone thought they were delicious. A much requested cookie for the holidays.
So glad you liked them so much, enough to make another batch!!!
I was very excited to see the cookies were made with Ritz Crackers. My Mother has made what she calls a poor man’s apple pie using these crackers you can’t tell the difference between the taste of the real apple or the Ritz it taste just like apple pie
I just made a variation yesterday with white almond bark, banana flavoring, they disappeared quickly!!
Awesome!!
1
I love making these but have always used the white chocolate. I usually make about 200 every Christmas for my nephews and niece. That’s a lot in one day. Now I may freeze them a little at a time
Made 10 fancy desserts and these for a party last night, and these were by far the best. Definitely recommend the salt