Chocolate Peanut Butter Stacks

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Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

holiday ritz cookies on a white platter

No-Bake Ritz Cookies Recipe

If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, which happens quite often to me, this is a perfect recipe.

What I love about these little cookie — or cracker — stacks is that they’re salty and sweet, crunchy from the crackers yet creamy from the peanut butter, and gooey from marshmallow creme.

Every awesome dessert quality has been rolled up into one little bite-sized bundle. They’re incredibly addictive. Just ask my daughter who couldn’t stop eating them and told me this is one of the ‘best things I’ve ever made’.

close up of chocolate covered ritz cookies topped with holiday sprinkles

What’s in Ritz Cookies? 

To make these chocolate-covered Ritz cookies, you’ll need: 

  • Ritz crackers
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Marshmallow creme
  • Chocolate 
  • Sprinkles 

How to Make Ritz Cracker Cookies 

This is such an easy no-bake Christmas cookie to make! Mix together the peanut butter and marshmallow creme, then spread over 24 Ritz crackers. 

Top with remaining Ritz crackers to make a sandwich. Dip each Ritz stack in melted chocolate, top with sprinkles, and let cool. 

a stack of two ritz cracker cookies. the top cookie has a bite missing.

What Type of Chocolate Should I Use? 

I use Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Bars for the chocolate coating because it melts beautifully and is well-priced. Specifically I melt half of the 72% and half of the ‘dark’. If you can’t find it in your area, look for chocolate candy melts or try buying chocolate in bulk bins that looks like small discs.

As a last resort, use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips because chocolate chips have stabilizers in them cause the chocolate chips to both resist melting and to set up overly quickly during the dipping process.

Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

How Long Do Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies Last? 

The chocolate-covered Ritz cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in the fridge for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for at least 4 months. I store them in the fridge because it’s warm in San Diego and they get a bit too soft at room temperature.

Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

Tips for Making Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies 

If you’re not making them for Christmas, you can easily omit the red and green sprinkles. Or use red and white for Valentine’s, pastel for Easter, and so forth.

Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

Don’t add too much of the peanut butter-marshmallow filling or it will ooze out of the sides and it makes dipping a little tricker and they don’t look as neat when they’re finished.

You can easily scale the batch size up or down based on your needs.

Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!

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4.44 from 101 votes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Stacks

By Averie Sunshine
If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Setting Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 24
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Ingredients  

  • 48 Ritz crackers or buttery golden round crackers
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup marshmallow creme
  • 1 pound chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted for dipping (see notes in blog post for chocolate recommendations)
  • holiday sprinkles, optional but recommended

Instructions 

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
  • Lay 24 crackers on a baking sheet; set aside.
  • To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, marshmallow creme, and stir to combine.
  • Evenly spread a thin (not paper thin, but not too thick either) layer of the peanut butter-marshmallow mixture on the 24 crackers on the baking sheet.
  • Top with the remaining 24 crackers, creating sandwiches; set aside.
  • To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate and heat on high power in 15 to 30 second bursts, stirring after each burst, until chocolate can be stirred smooth.
  • Dip each stack into the chocolate using one or two forks, allowing the excess to drip off. Place dipped stacks on baking sheet.
  • Optionally add sprinkles, to taste.
  • Place baking sheet in the fridge or freezer until chocolate has hardened before serving.

Notes

  • Stacks will keep airtight at room temp for up to 2 weeks, in the fridge for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for at least 4 months. I store them in the fridge because it’s warm in San Diego and they get a bit too soft at room temp.
  • Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Holiday Desserts:

ALL OF MY CHRISTMAS RECIPES. 

White Chocolate-Dipped Oreo Cookie Balls — Easy, no-bake recipe for the classic truffles that everyone loves!

White Chocolate-Dipped Oreo Cookie Balls - Easy recipe for the classic truffles that everyone loves at averiecooks.com

Loaded M&M’s Oreo Cookie Holiday Bars – Stuffed to the max with M&M’s and Oreos! Easy, no-mixer recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes! 

Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Holiday Bars - Stuffed to the max with M&M's and Oreos!! Easy, no-mixer recipe that's ready in 30 minutes!! A guaranteed hit with everyone!!

Soft and Chewy M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies – If you’re looking for a new M&M’s cookie recipe, this is THE ONE! Soft, buttery, and irresistible!

Soft and Chewy M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies - If you're looking for a new M&M cookie recipe, this is THE ONE! Soft, buttery, and irresistible!!

Soft Frosted Holiday Sprinkles Cookies – Tender, buttery cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and loaded with sprinkles! Easy, no-roll holiday cookies that everyone goes crazy for!

Soft Frosted Holiday Sprinkles Cookies - Tender, buttery cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and loaded with sprinkles!! Easy, no-roll holiday cookies that everyone goes crazy for!!

Softbatch No-Roll Holiday Sprinkles Cookies — No-roll dough with sprinkles baked in so you don’t have to decorate cookies! Big timesavers! Everyone loves these soft, buttery cookies loaded with sprinkles!

Softbatch No-Roll Holiday Sprinkles Cookies - No-roll dough with sprinkles baked in so you don't have to decorate cookies!! Big timesavers! Everyone loves these soft, buttery cookies loaded with sprinkles!!

Holiday Special K Bars — Super chewy, gooey, FAST, easy, no-bake cereal bars loaded with peanut butter, chocolate, and sprinkles!! Like scotcheroos but with Special K!

Overhead picture of Holiday Special K Bars stack

Chocolate Kiss Powder Puff Cookies — These chocolate Kiss cookies are like a cheater’s version of Russian teacakes. But enhanced with a chocolate Kiss. And you only need 3 ingredients to make them!

A blue plate of Chocolate Kiss Powder Puff Cookies 

Originally posted November 25, 2016 and reposted December 2, 2020 with updated text. 

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

    1. Yes there is BUT if you aren’t planning on gifting these, my idea is who cares because they still will taste great despite the looks.

  1. With the Ritz pb & chocolate cookies, is butter not needed? It’s not posted in the ingredients list or description but I believe it was in the lil video clip so just wanted to confirm. Awesome group of recipes that I’m looking forward to trying some out. Thanks!

    1. No it’s not needed. Perhaps you saw the marshmallow creme but there’s no butter. Recipe is perfect as written in the recipe card area.

  2. 5 stars
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  3. I love using the Trader Joe’s chocolate for dipping, but do you temper the chocolate before you dip to avoid the gray streaks in the chocolate?

    1. I do not. You could if you were so inclined but with TJ’s I don’t find it to be necessary. If there are a few streaks the beauty of this particular recipe is that there are plenty of sprinkles on top so I don’t worry much about it. I don’t really have too many issues with streaking though. Check this post, no sprinkles, same TJs chocolate https://www.averiecooks.com/homemade-thin-mints/

  4. 5 stars
    I tried making these using Nutella instead of peanut butter and they were delicious! I also made the peanut butter ones!

  5. 5 stars
    I tried making these using Nutella instead of peanut butter and they were delicious! I also made the peanut butter ones!

    1. I’ve never tried almond bark with gulf wax. I don’t know what that is. Almond bark, yes that would be fine.

    2. Yes you can I make these all the time with almond bark with a little gulf wax in it and turns out great!

  6. This recipe looks amazing and fun! I am going to try dipping in Chocolate Bark since that happens to be what I have on hand and I won’t have to wait and forget to make these! Who can go wrong? Ritz, PB, Marshmallow Fluff and Chocolate!! I mean, if something doesn’t look exactly right, it will still be inhaled before they are dry! Thanks!

    1. I think chocolate bark will be perfect and yes, if they’re not quite perfect, hungry helpers will inhale before they’re dry :)

  7. Hi Averie,
    If I were to omit the marshmallow cream, how much more peanut butter would recommend? Thank You
    Happy Holidays,
    Patricia

  8. Made for the first time today. So happy with results. We have no Trader Joe’s but I used Arrow chocolate bars and melted, that worked fantastically well. Next year I will buy Bakers Choc and try.