Caramel Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies Recipe
These Caramel Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies are a festive and easy-to-make treat combining buttery crackers, sweet dulce de leche caramel, and rich dark chocolate. The crunchy texture paired with smooth melting chocolate and an optional sprinkle of flaky sea salt creates a perfect balance of sweet and salty ideal for holiday celebrations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 60 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Crackers and Filling
- 60 round buttery crackers (such as Ritz®)
- 1 cup canned dulce de leche
Chocolate Coating
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate melting wafers
Optional Topping
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather all ingredients to have everything on hand for the assembly and melting processes.
- Assemble Cookie Sandwiches: Arrange half of the crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the bottom sides facing up. Place a rounded teaspoon of dulce de leche in the center of each cracker. Top each with another cracker, this time top side up, creating sandwich cookies.
- Chill Sandwiches: Place the baking sheet with assembled sandwiches into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up the caramel layer, which helps prevent melting during dipping.
- Melt Chocolate: Set up a double boiler and melt the dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate melting wafers together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and fully combined.
- Dip Cookies in Chocolate: Using a fork, dip each chilled cracker sandwich into the melted chocolate, fully coating it. Allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl to avoid clumps.
- Set Cookies: Return the chocolate-coated sandwiches to the parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still wet to add a salty contrast to the sweet caramel and chocolate.
- Chill to Harden: Place the baking sheet back into the refrigerator and chill the cookies for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate has completely set and hardened.
- Storage: Store the cookies in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate firm and the caramel fresh until serving.
Notes
- Use dark chocolate for a richer flavor contrast with the dulce de leche.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and wafers gently in a microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning.
- For easier dipping, ensure the caramel sandwiches are well chilled, helping maintain their shape.
- Flaky sea salt enhances the cookies by balancing the sweetness but is optional if you prefer a sweeter cookie.
- Store cookies refrigerated and consume within 5 days for best freshness.
Keywords: caramel cookies, Ritz crackers, dulce de leche cookies, chocolate dipped cookies, holiday cookies, Christmas treats
