These chocolate-dipped peanut butter Ritz crackers combine the best of both worlds! They are sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolatey! It’s best to make multiple batches because they are slightly addicting and go like hotcakes! These cracker sandwiches are simple to make but everyone loves them!
Chocolate peanut butter Ritz cookies are a staple around the holidays. Not to mention everyone looks forward to getting these as a little gift, which is great for me because they are almost effortless to make! Plus, they can be decorated to match any holiday. Some may use a double boiler, but we are keeping it simple and melting the chocolate in the microwave!
Other little treats that we like giving to others around special occasions include Martha Washington candy, Oreo balls, and hot chocolate bombs. Chocolate and peanut butter truffles also make the perfect bite sized treats.
Why You’ll Love Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers
- An easy dessert everyone loves.
- Makes a great edible gift that doesn’t take much time to prep.
- Swapping the chocolate and decorating can make them themed for any occasion.
- Only need 4 ingredients and no baking is required!
What Ingredients do I Need for Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers Dipped in Chocolate?
- Ritz Crackers – can use an off-brand, however, sometimes these break a little easier when adding the peanut butter
- creamy peanut butter – avoid using crunchy peanut butter and go with something like Jif or Skippy.
- powdered sugar
- white chocolate chips, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips
Pro Tip: Do not melt the chocolate ahead of time, wait until you are ready to use it so it doesn’t set.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches
PREP: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together. Place 30 Ritz crackers on the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to each cracker and gently place another on top to make a sandwich cookie. Freeze for 30 minutes.
MELT THE CHOCOLATE AND DIP: Place 2 cups of white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until most of the chocolate has melted. Stir in the remaining chocolate and mix until smooth. Use a fork or dipping tool to dip each cookie so it’s well coated. Tap on the side to remove excess, place on the baking sheet, and repeat.
LET THE COOKIES SET: After they are dipped, allow time for the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
- We like to use high-quality chocolate for dipping, but some choose to use chocolate candy melts.
- If the chocolate hardens or gets too thick while dipping, reheat in 15-30 seconds increments.
- We melt the chocolate first then stir in the rest to help the chocolate to set harder and last longer without discoloring. This is called “seeding” where the chocolate learns how to rebuild its chemical structure once the first batch has melted. These are simplified instructions, but I have a full guide on how to temper chocolate using a candy thermometer and precise heating and cooling.
- If you choose a natural peanut butter, you may need to add more powdered sugar and chill longer in the freezer. The peanut butter needs to be firm before dipping.
Fun Fact
During the Great Depression, Ritz were actually considered a luxury that was affordable.
Variations
- Valentine’s Day: Use white chocolate and add red and pink sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
- Halloween: Dye the chocolate bright green and purple, then pop a few candy eyes on.
- Easter: Add a few drops of pastel food coloring to the white chocolate, then your favorite sprinkles.
- Decorating with chocolate: Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag, snip the tip, then drizzle back and forth over the top or pipe a design.
- Add other toppings: Dip the tops in shredded coconut, a dash of sea salt, or cookie crumbles.
- Use other nut and seed butters: Replace the peanut butter with almond butter or another seed butter.
Keep the leftover cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
During the process of making the crackers, holes are added so they can bake properly.
More Delicious Dipped Desserts
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers
Ingredients
- 60 Ritz Crackers
- 1 ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 ½ cup white chocolate chips semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar until fully combined.
- Place 30 of the Ritz crackers face down on the lined sheet pan to make the “bottom” of the cookies.
- Put 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each cracker, without it spilling over the edge.
- Place the “top” cracker face up over the peanut butter. Gently press down, just until the peanut butter is close to the edge of the crackers, but not coming out of the sides of the cookie.
- Pop the sheet pan into the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up the peanut butter.
- Meanwhile, place 2 cups of the white chocolate chips (or whichever kind of chips you’re using) in a small bowl.
- Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, until most of the chocolate has melted. Stir until it is melted through.
- Add the remaining ½ cup of white chocolate chips to the melted chocolate and stir until the chocolate is smooth.
- Remove the sheet pan of firmed cookies from the freezer.
- Place 1 cookie at a time in the melted chocolate. Use a fork or chocolate dipping tool to flip the cookie over until it is well coated and then lift the cookie from the bowl. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate.
- Place the dipped cookie back onto the parchment paper.
- Allow the chocolate on the cookies to set. Place the sheet pan temporarily in the refrigerator to speed up the firming time.
- Remove cookies from the parchment paper and serve or store in an airtight container.
Notes
Chocolate coated cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. I like to keep them in the refrigerator. Notes: Reheat the white chocolate in 15-30 second increments as needed if the chocolate starts to harden or becomes too thick while dipping the cookies. The reason for melting 2 cups of the chips and then adding the remaining ½ cup of chips is a method to help the white chocolate set harder and last longer without discoloration. It is the process of “seeding” where you are “teaching” the chocolate how to rebuild its chemical structure once that initial 2 cups has all been melted – you’re throwing some tempered chocolate into the mix to show the melted chocolate what to do. These instructions are a simplified method for how we would temper chocolate – without the fuss of a candy thermometer and precise heating/cooling. For more detailed information on tempering white chocolate, see here. This recipe uses a creamy standard peanut butter (Skippy or Jif, for example). Using an all natural peanut butter may require more powdered sugar and/or a longer chill time in the fridge/freezer. You want the peanut butter firmed up really well before you start dipping or the peanut butter will start oozing out into the chocolate coating. You can also use colored candy melts to coat the peanut butter ritz cookies.
Nutrition
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