Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies (With Peanut Butter!)

Chocolate dipped Ritz cookies are a Christmas tradition for so many families, so I made four batches with four different kinds of chocolate to find the very best version. My family had plenty of opinions, and the winner surprised all of us!

 

Why We Love Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies

• A classic Christmas tradition – These have been on holiday cookie trays for generations, especially in the South and Midwest, and they’re a fun one to share with anyone who’s never tried them.
• Sweet and salty in every bite – Buttery crackers and creamy peanut butter get dunked in melted chocolate, so you get crunch, salt, and sweetness all at once. In fact if people don’t know the crackers are in there, people assume they are like a peanut butter Twix!
• No baking required – Just sandwich, dip, and chill, so your oven stays free for everything else on the holiday menu. They freeze well too, so you can make them ahead!

Ingredients For Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies

• Ritz crackers – usually about 1 ½ sleeves. Store brand or any other butter cracker works too.
• peanut butter – smooth or crunchy both work.
• milk chocolate chips – semi-sweet, white chocolate, or a mix also work. Check out my taste test below to see which one my family liked best!
• coconut oil – thins the chocolate so it’s smoother and easier to dip. Shortening works too.
• red and green sprinkles – use any sprinkles you like, or drizzle white chocolate across the top.

Which Chocolate Is Best For Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies?

I tested four kinds of chocolate chips: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, half milk and half semi-sweet, and white chocolate. My family’s favorite was the half milk, half semi-sweet combo! It’s sweet enough to balance the salty cracker and peanut butter, but it doesn’t taste overly sugary. If you only have one kind of chip on hand, milk chocolate was a close second.

Semi-sweet on its own is noticeably less sweet, since the chocolate is the only sweetened part of this treat. I didn’t test dark chocolate, but I’d expect it to taste similar, or even a little less sweet. White chocolate was the sweetest of the bunch. Honestly, every version was tasty, so use what you love!

How To Make Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies

1. Line a 11×17 baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay 24 crackers onto the pan in rows, leaving around an inch of space between each one.

2. Spread about 1 ½ teaspoons (or about ½ tablespoon) peanut butter on each cracker, about the size of a grape tomato, spreading it across the cracker. Top each with a second cracker from the remaining to make a sandwich. Lightly press together so the peanut butter spreads to the edges of crackers.
3. To a medium sized microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave on half power for 1 minute then stir with a spoon. Continue microwaving at half power in 30 second increments, stirring between each round until a smooth chocolate sauce forms, usually 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate, or it will seize and turn grainy.

4. With a fork, dip each cracker sandwich in the chocolate, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Gently scrape the bottom on the edge of the bowl or with a spoon to keep chocolate from pooling around the base. Place the chocolate-dipped cracker back onto the parchment, and repeat with each one. Sprinkle the tops immediately with sprinkles.

5. Place the cookies in the fridge for 45 minutes or until the chocolate is fully set. Then enjoy!

How Long Will Chocolate Dipped Ritz Cookies Last?

These cookies will last about two weeks if stored in an airtight container on the counter or about a month if stored in the refrigerator. You can also freeze these cookies for up to three months. I pull them out of the freezer at least an hour before sharing them with others, though if it’s just me, they are delicious frozen too! If you live in a very warm climate, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator or freezer.