These chocolate-covered cracker sandwiches are filled with creamy peanut butter and finished with festive sprinkles for the holidays. I like to pipe a wreath-shaped ring of white chocolate on top of each coated cracker and add Christmas sprinkles for a charming wreath effect. Best of all, these chocolate peanut butter cracker treats require no baking and are very simple to prepare. They are a must for holiday cookie trays and make a great snack between celebrations. If you want more holiday ideas, check the list of seasonal favorites below the recipe card.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies
marilynpeight
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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Mixing bowl
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Parchment paper
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Baking sheets
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Double boiler or heatproof bowl and saucepan
Ingredients
- 24 Ritz crackers (or similar buttery crackers)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate melting wafers (or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips)
Optional toppings:
- Christmas sprinkles or sprinkles of your choice
- White chocolate for drizzling
- Coarse sea salt
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
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1. Place 12 Ritz crackers (bottoms up) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on each cracker, then place another cracker on top to form a sandwich.
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2. Melt the chocolate wafers: microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, or melt in a double boiler over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Use a fork or spatula to coat each peanut butter sandwich in chocolate, covering all sides. Return the coated cookies to the parchment-lined sheet.
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3. While the chocolate is still warm, add sprinkles, sea salt, or crushed candy canes as desired. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate sets. If you plan to decorate with white chocolate, wait until the base coating has hardened before piping or drizzling the white chocolate.
Notes
Melt chocolate gently over low heat or in short microwave bursts, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
See the photos and decorating ideas below for more tips and inspiration.
Equipment needed for these chocolate-covered peanut butter Ritz cookies:
- Mixing bowl — a heatproof stainless steel bowl works well for melting and coating.
- Parchment paper — makes removing chilled cookies easy and prevents sticking.
- Baking sheets — useful for transferring coated crackers to the refrigerator.
- Double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water — helpful for gentle melting.
Additional family holiday favorites you may enjoy:
- Amish sand tart cookies
- Homemade old fashioned eggnog
- Amish sugar cookie whoopie pies (holiday version)
- The best peanut butter blossoms
- Christmas monster cookies
- Creamy mini cheesecake bites
- Seafood cheeseball
Ingredients summary: Ritz crackers (or similar), creamy peanut butter, chocolate melting wafers (or chips), and optional sprinkles, white chocolate, sea salt, or crushed candy canes.
Can I use other crackers if I don’t have Ritz crackers on hand?
Yes. I’ve used different buttery-style crackers with good results. While Ritz is my preference for its buttery flavor, a similar round, crisp cracker will work fine.
Step 1: Place 12 crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread 1/2–1 teaspoon of peanut butter on each, and top each with a second cracker to make sandwiches.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
If it spreads easily, crunchy peanut butter is fine to use. I keep creamy peanut butter on hand for versatility, but crunchy will add a nice texture if you prefer it.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate wafers in 30-second microwave bursts stirring between each, or melt over low heat in a double boiler. Coat each sandwich thoroughly, then return them to the parchment-lined sheet.
Alternative melting method:
If you don’t have a double boiler, set a heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Stir frequently and keep the water at a gentle simmer to avoid overheating the chocolate.
Step 3: Add sprinkles, sea salt, or crushed candy canes to the warm chocolate, then chill until set. For white chocolate decorations, wait until the base chocolate is firm before piping or drizzling white chocolate on top.
Decorating ideas:
Christmas wreath: Place melted white chocolate in a small zip-top bag, snip a corner, and pipe a ring of small dots around the top of each chilled cookie. Sprinkle Christmas sprinkles over the white chocolate and add small star or tree sprinkles to complete the wreath look.
Candy canes: Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the warm chocolate or press them onto the sides of the coated crackers while the chocolate is still tacky.
White chocolate swirls: Drizzle or pipe white chocolate over the hardened base coating, or create a marbled effect by swirling a small amount of white and milk chocolate together while still warm.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later and tag me on Instagram to share a photo of your version of these chocolate peanut butter Ritz cookies. Thank you for your support!
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