Irresistible Caramel Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies: The Ultimate Sweet & Salty Holiday Treat
Make these simple yet spectacular Christmas cookies for your holiday gatherings. You achieve the perfect salty-sweet balance using buttery crackers, gooey caramel, and chocolate for a crowd-pleasing favorite.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 48 Ritz crackers
- 24 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1½ cups milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Holiday sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the Ritz crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place one unwrapped soft caramel candy on top of each cracker.
- Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the caramel is soft and melted. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Remove the sheet from the oven. Immediately top each cracker with a few chocolate chips. The residual heat will melt the chocolate.
- If the chocolate is not melting enough, return the sheet to the oven for 1 minute.
- Use a knife or spoon to spread the melted chocolate over the caramel layer.
- If you are using toppings, sprinkle sea salt, crushed candy canes, or sprinkles over the melted chocolate now.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet until the caramel and chocolate set. This usually takes about 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Once set, transfer your finished Caramel Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies to a serving platter.
Notes
- For a smoother chocolate topping, melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until smooth. Then drizzle or spread over the set caramel.
- These cookies are excellent for cookie exchanges and make wonderful homemade edible gifts.
- If you want a quicker set time, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes after topping with chocolate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 10mg