Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Ritz Cookies are the sweet, salty, chocolatey snack you need in your life.

With zero baking required and just three ingredients–chocolate, Ritz crackers, and peanut butter–they’re a perfect last-minute addition to your holiday cookie tray or party menu.

Chocolate PB Ritz Cookies - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Have you ever had Ritz Cookies? I first tasted these cookies when my friend Debbie brought me meals after I came home from the hospital after having my middle son. It’s hard to believe that was 13 years ago already!

(You know what’s even harder to believe? I taught Debbie’s daughter Amanda in Kindergarten almost 20 years ago now and Amanda just had a sweet baby last year!)

Debbie calls these “New Mom Cookies” and they are something that she brings to all new mamas as a special treat just for them. She stashed them in my freezer and I happily snacked on them for several days.

They certainly do the job when you need a little something sweet and comforting to get you through the day or those long new baby nights.

Ever since then, these have been my “can’t resist it” treat when I’m craving a salty sweet snack.

They’ve got chocolate.

They’ve got peanut butter.

What more do you really need in a dessert?

My kids LOVE them as much as I do and I pick up a box of Ritz Crackers to make these at least once a year. Once you try them, I know you’ll want to do the same.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

No-Bake Cookies

One of my favorite things about making Ritz Cookies is that they require no time in the oven. You’ll want to make these cookies all year long, but they’re extraordinarily handy to keep in mind during the in the hot summer months when you can’t stomach the thought of turning on an oven.

During the holiday season, when you have limited time and the oven is in high demand, Ritz Cookies can come to your rescue in all their chocolatey glory. Prep them while your other dishes are occupying that oven real estate for a fun addition to your dessert spread.

While I love the taste of no-bake cookies, they’re not usually known for being pretty. Because these Ritz Cookies don’t use raw oats and get a dip in a bath of melted chocolate, they look more attractive than your average no-bake treat.

The flavors here are similar to my popular go-to five-minute dessert No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites but that layer of dipped chocolate gives them a fancier look.

It’s hard to beat a recipe that takes minutes to assemble but looks–and tastes–like something special. Am I right?

Believe me when I say the hardest part of making Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies is waiting for them to set in the fridge.

But if you just can’t resist and end up popping one of these salty, crispy, sweet delights in your mouth before the chocolate’s totally hardened, I promise not to tell.

And because they’re too great to not mention, even though they aren’t a no-bake cookie, Palmiers are one of the easiest two-ingredient cookies out there. Made with just puff pastry and a sprinkling of sugar, these flaky cookies are pretty awesome.

Ritz Cookies are the easiest tastiest cookies you'll ever make! - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Peanut Butter Cookies

I’ve been baking these Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies since I was a kid, but let me tell you now, these Ritz Cracker Cookies? They’re a salty-sweet chocolatey three ingredient cookie that no one can resist.

Impressive enough to serve at a party but easy enough for a weekday afternoon treat, these no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are more than likely to become a fixture in your household. One bite delivers the perfect balance of crunchy cracker, velvety chocolate, creamy peanut butter and just the right touch of salt.

Serve with an ice cold glass of milk, a steaming hot cup of coffee or a Spanish Cafe Con Leche and you have just about the perfect snack for any time of day.

These cookies are also easy to keep fresh in the fridge and taste just as good days later, so feel free to make a big batch to have on hand. That is, if your family can resist gobbling them up in one day!

Have I convinced you how much I LOVE these cookies yet?

Tips for Dipping Chocolate

There’s something extra special about a chocolate dipped cookie. Like my Chocolate Dipped Candy Cane Cookies, Ritz Cracker cookies take something already delicious–in this case Ritz crackers and peanut butter–and add chocolate for that extra WOW factor.

Dipping your crackers in chocolate isn’t difficult but creating a smooth velvety finish takes a little focus.

Start by selecting a high-quality chocolate. Look for varieties of chocolate chips with a high ratio of cocoa butter to cocoa.

When dipping your crackers be sure to drain off the excess chocolate before placing it on the parchment paper. Balance the cracker on a fork before lowering it into the chocolate, then gently tap the bottom of the dipped cracker against the remaining chocolate to help remove excess from the cookie while leaving enough chocolate to allow the cookie to slide off your fork and onto the parchment.

This process can get messy so I recommend laying down newspaper on your kitchen counter before you start dipping to make clean up as easy as the recipe itself.

If you do end up with a little extra chocolate clumping on the cracker, don’t stress. Extra chocolate never made a cookie taste worse!

Chocolate PB Sandwich Cookies are the ultimate sweet and salty no-bake treat!

Tips for Storing No-Bake Cookies

Your Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has fully cooled and hardened. Once set, you can serve right away.

If your friends and family don’t immediately eat the whole batch in one sitting, store them in a container with an airtight lid in a cool place. Keeping no-bake cookies in the fridge is best for maintaining quality but they’ll also be okay at a mild room temperature for a few hours.

If you’re looking for a Gluten-Free No-Bake Cookie, check out my No-Bake Chocolate Cereal Bars and No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Bites.

Ritz Cookies Recipe

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Place 24 crackers on the baking sheet. Top each cracker with about 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter and top with a second cracker.
Place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and place it in the microwave. Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir well. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, as needed. Stir to fully melt the chocolate
Dip each cookie into the chocolate, using two forks to drain the excess chocolate off the cookies. Place the coated cookies back onto the lined baking sheet.
Place the chocolate coated cookies in the refrigerator until firm. Transfer the chilled cookies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.