These chocolate peanut butter Ritz cracker cookies are the ultimate sweet & salty no bake treat for parties, game days, and holiday cookie platters. With just 3 ingredients, 30 minutes of prep, and a little time for the chocolate coating to set, it’s a quick and easy recipe to fill up your Christmas tin. I’ll share smooth dipping techniques so your chocolate doesn’t seize, plus easy freezer storage tips so you can make them ahead of time!
It’s my family’s holiday tradition to make chocolate dipped peanut butter Ritz crackers every single year. I first learned how to make them as a kid with my mom, and then I taught my kids how to make them too. This is such a kid-friendly recipe because they can decorate them out the wazoo with sprinkles and different colored chocolates.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “My husband couldn’t stop eating them!”
“Made these cookies at Christmas time and they were so good. I had to hide some of them from my husband because he couldn’t stop eating them!”
-Linda M., Flour on My Fingers Reader
Ingredient Notes
- Ritz Crackers – You’ll need 2 sleeves of full-size Ritz crackers or a similar butter cracker. You only need 48 crackers for 24 cookies, but I like to have extra in case any crack or break while assembling.
- Peanut butter – Regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) works best. Avoid all-natural peanut butters, because they are too oily and tend to separate. This can leak out and make ugly streaks in your dipping chocolate.
- Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers – Candy melts or premium melting wafers (like Ghirardelli) melt down the smoothest for dipping without extra ingredients. In my experience, almond bark is second best. You can also use chocolate chips, but you will likely need to thin them out with a touch of vegetable shortening or paraffin wax. You can also use milk chocolate melting wafers or even white chocolate melting wafers.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies
Before getting started, line a cookie sheet with wax paper. One full batch of this recipe makes 24 Ritz cracker cookies, so a 13×18″ cookie sheet is usually enough.
Fill with Peanut Butter
- Spread just under a tablespoon of peanut butter onto the unsalted bottom side of a Ritz cracker. Then add another cracker on top (bottom side facing the peanut butter). You’re basically sandwiching the peanut butter between two crackers.
- Lay all of your peanut butter-filled Ritz crackers out on the baking sheet.
Melt the Chocolate (with Anti-Seize Tips)
Don’t try to melt the chocolate with a saucepan directly on a stovetop burner. The direct heat will cause it to overheat and eventually seize. Instead, I recommend using one of the following methods to melt your chocolate:
- Microwave: I have always melted my chocolate using a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup in the microwave. Heat it in 15-20 second bursts at 50% power, and give it a good stir in between each interval until melted.
- Double Boiler: You can also purchase a double boiler for melting chocolate on the stovetop. Or make your own with a medium-size pot about 1/2 full of boiling water, and then a slightly smaller pot (to hold the chocolate) nested down inside the larger pot. You’re basically using the steam from the boiling water to slowly melt your chocolate.
Some chocolate can turn out too thick for dipping, even after it’s fully melted. It can also be from overheating the chocolate, sometimes referred to as “seizing”. A simple fix is to thin it out with vegetable shortening. Add about 1 tablespoon of melted shortening per cup of chocolate, and give it a good stir. Pop it back into the microwave for a few seconds if necessary.
This is usually caused by using certain types of chocolate, especially chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers that help them to hold their shape and texture even when melted. An old school trick for a sturdier coating is to add about 1 tablespoon of paraffin wax per cup of chocolate. Melt the wax first, then add your chocolate, and then melt the chocolate into the melted wax. Give it a good stir until everything is fully incorporated. Once cooled, paraffin wax will make the chocolate coating hard and snappy, with a glossy appearance that doesn’t melt off when handled.
Dip the Peanut Butter-Filled Crackers
- Dip each peanut butter-filled Ritz cracker in the melted chocolate, using two forks or tongs.
- Shake off excess chocolate before placing back on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet to dry.
Leave your chocolate peanut butter Ritz cracker cookies to cool until the chocolate is set. This usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. Some people like to let them set in the refrigerator to speed things up, but I don’t recommend doing that because the rapid temperature swing from hot to cold can cause the chocolate to streak.
More chocolate covered treats: Did you know that you follow the same instructions to dip buckeye peanut butter balls and chocolate covered strawberries? Give it a try!
What to Add to Chocolate Dipped Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers
- Use marshmallow fluff instead of peanut butter in between the crackers. Or use both.
- Dip the cracker sandwiches in white chocolate or milk chocolate.
- Use melted butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, or mint chips instead of chocolate.
- Drizzle more chocolate on top after dipping for a decorative touch. Or double dip, dipping 1/2 the cookie in dark chocolate and the other 1/2 in white chocolate, etc.
- Sprinkle nonpareils on top right after dipping, before the chocolate hardens.
- Instead of peanut butter, sandwich chocolate caramel candies in between the crackers.
Recipe FAQs
Most frequently, melted chocolate seizes from overheating, but it can also be caused by even a tiny droplet of water (maybe from the bowl not being dried thoroughly enough after washing). As detailed in the instructions, melt your chocolate slowly using low heat and stir it frequently. If it starts to thicken up, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening for every cup of chocolate to smooth it back out.
Assuming that you didn’t use an oily, all-natural peanut butter (which can leak out and cause streaks in the dipping chocolate), white streaks or a dull, cloudy appearance on hardened chocolate (often called chocolate bloom) are usually caused by temperature swings. Similarly to seizing, it can happen when you overheat the chocolate because the cocoa butter melts and separates, later re-solidifying into pale or gray-white streaks all throughout. Your chocolate can also streak if you move the cookies to the cold fridge before the dipped coating has had time to set. This is why I recommend letting them cool to room temperature first.
Yes, but due to the stabilizers in most chocolate chips, they often melt down too thick for dipping. You can easily thin them out by stirring in about a tablespoon of melted vegetable shortening per cup of chocolate chips. You can also use 1 tablespoon of paraffin wax instead for a harder, snappier coating.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Layer them between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, so the chocolate coatings don’t stick together.
Yes, you can! In fact, when the chocolate coating has fully set on your Ritz cracker cookies, layer them in between wax paper in an airtight container. Transfer them into the freezer, where they should stay good for up to 2 months.
More Easy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Treats
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Fantasy Fudge (with Microwave Instructions)
- Layered Brownie Trifle Dessert
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies
Equipment
- microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup
- Tongs or two forks
- Christmas Tins optional
Ingredients
- 2 sleeves Ritz Crackers 48 crackers
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter*
- 20 ounces Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers or almond bark
Instructions
- Line your cookie sheet with wax paper.
- Spread just under a tablespoon of peanut butter onto the unsalted bottom side of a Ritz cracker, and then add another cracker on top (bottom side facing the peanut butter). You’re basically sandwiching the peanut butter between two crackers.
- Lay all of your peanut butter-filled Ritz crackers out on the wax paper-lined baking sheet.
- Melt your chocolate in a microwave-bowl bowl in the microwave. Heat in 15-20 second bursts at 50% power, and give it a good stir in between each interval until melted.*
- Dip each peanut butter-filled Ritz cracker in the melted chocolate, using two forks or tongs.
- Shake off excess chocolate before placing back on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet to set.
- Leave your chocolate peanut butter Ritz cracker cookies to cool until the chocolate is set. This usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Video
Made these cookies at Christmas time and they were so good. I had to hide some of them from my husband because he couldn’t stop eating them!
Linda, that’s hilarious! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the recipe.