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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are an easy, no-bake, sweet and salty treat using Ritz crackers. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes puts these over the top!

chocolate covered cookies stacked on a plate

Ritz Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter

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!

If you’re crazy for chocolate & peanut butter, also check out these buckeyes and buckeye fudge!

This fabulous little sandwich cookie has everything going for it. With just a few ingredients, this no-bake treat delivers the perfect mix of sweet and salty.

There’s chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and crunchy, buttery, salty, crackers. IMO, they’re better than any candy bar I could ever purchase!

On top of that, these Ritz cracker cookies are SO EASY TO MAKE. If I’m needing a last-minute treat for a holiday sweets platter, this is one of my go-to recipes.

“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

A few more of our favorite 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 and Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies bring a smile to everyone’s face. And Mom’s Microwave Caramel Corn comes together quick and easy!

Ritz crackers with peanut butter on them, lined up on a rimmed pan

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.

A note about these pans! They’re commercial quality = nice and thick, and won’t warp. We use these nearly every single day for various things (baking cookies, roasted veggies and meats, transporting foods out to the grill, as a tray for s’mores around the fire pit, etc), and have several different sizes.

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.

Ritz crackers with peanut butter on them, lined up on a rimmed pan

I used to make these with considerably less peanut butter sandwiched in the middle….

But I gradually increased the quantity to slightly more than a tablespoon per cookie. Nice and generous in the peanut butter department, which we all love.

If you’re not into peanut butter quite as much, feel free to hold back and use less!

Ritz sandwich crackers with peanut butter inside, some are dipped in chocolate, lined up on a rimmed pan

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.

Ritz sandwich cookies with peanut butter inside, some are dipped in chocolate, some are sprinkled with sea salt flakes, all lined up on a rimmed pan

(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.

Whenever I offer both sprinkled and non-sprinkled, the ones with the salt sprinkle ALWAYS disappear first!

If you want to add sea salt flakes, I highly recommend this salt (affiliate link). Sprinkle it over the chocolate-dipped cookie before the chocolate hardens, as little or as much as you like.

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 (affiliate link) and my favorite semisweet chocolate chips (affiliate link). 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 for melting the chocolates – because it’s super reliable, ensures there’s no scorching. If you don’t own a double boiler, create one with a saucepan and heat-proof bowl. A microwave also works, just be sure to heat slowly and gently in 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.
chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz sandwich cookies on a rimmed pan

Variations for Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Add sea salt flakes, my favorite! When I was growing up, Mom’s Ritz peanut butter crackers recipe didn’t include a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. That’s something I started doing many years ago, and now there’s no going back!

I usually leave a few cookies without the sea salt flakes, but the salted ones ALWAYS disappear first, no matter where we are.

Here are my favorite sea salt flakes. The flakes are beautiful and tasty as a finishing touch to both sweet and savory dishes.

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!

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!

chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz cookies stacked on a plate

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.

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!

chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz cookies stacked on a plate

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:

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pinterest image of chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz cookies stacked on a plate
chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz cookies stacked on a plate

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
prep time: 30 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
An easy, no-bake, sweet and salty treat using Ritz crackers. Our family makes these every year for Christmas!
4.4 Stars (162 Reviews)
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Ingredients

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 double boiler (my preferred method). 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.
  • After chocolates have melted, 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

These freeze really well. Keep layers separated with wax paper.
adapted from Mom's recipe box, a family favorite recipe since I was a kid

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 182kcal Carbohydrates: 14g Protein: 5g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g Sodium: 169mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz cookies stacked on a plate

This post was previously published in 2010. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2019.

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106 comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies”

    1. Or at least a “Midwest” sort of recipe, as I grew up in SD. But I’ll eat them in any state, for sure!! Nice to hear from you, Julie!

  1. Jen {The Wholehearted Life}

    Hubby and I are making these right this very minute :). Yummmmm….peanut buttery chocolately salty crunchy delight :)

    1. Now that’s a version I haven’t heard of – we love Wheat Thins, too – will have to try that out! Thanks, Shaina!

  2. Wow these look immense! I’m a big big fan of peanut butter although I have to ration it as if I could I’d eat it every day and get really fat!

  3. I stir in a little powdered sugar to the peanut butter, just to help ‘set it.’ But I’m guessing that’s because of the type of pb I use… honey, or nothing at all, I freaking love these little things!

    1. Guess I need to try the powdered sugar bit, too – you’re the second person who’s said that! Nice to hear from you again, Julia!

  4. Thank you! I’ve always wanted to make these cookies, but never took the time to figure out how they’re made. these look delicious and I’m definitely going to make this this Christmas season!

  5. I forgot all about these! These are so yummy and I made a batch right away after reading your post. I always sweeten up the peanut butter by adding confectioners sugar. It also firms it up a bit.

  6. My husband does not have a large sweet tooth but he does love peanut butter. I’m betting he would love these with your updated version that contains a little bit of the sea salt. Great looking cookie…your Mom’s recipe box certainly does contain some delightful treasures.

  7. I just stopped by your blog and thought I would say hello. I like your site design. Looking forward to reading more down the road.

  8. Laura @ The Art of Cooking Real Food

    What a fun, easy recipe! I love it! I am co-hosting the #cookielove blog hop on my site all month long and I think these would be a perfect addition if you’d like to link them. They are great!