My Ritz cracker cookies, or puttin’ on the Ritz cookies, is a nostalgic recipe I found in one of my grandmother’s old church cookbooks. Pecans, sweet dates, and sweetened condensed milk are combined and spread on top of a buttery Ritz cracker with cream cheese frosting. It might sound a little unexpected, but these sweet and salty bites are delicious.

Recently I have been combing through old cookbooks my grandmother passed down to me. I just love seeing what used to be popular and the delicious dishes that were brought to potlucks, holidays, and more. When I came across this Ritz cracker cookie recipe, I knew I had to try making it, and I wasn’t disappointed.

After combing through several of her books, I noticed that this recipe kept popping up, so I knew it must be good. I found it called by several names like “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and pecan date Ritz crackers.

This little bite is the perfect mix of sweet and salty, with a fun, chewy texture from dates and pecans. I was questioning the cream cheese frosting, but it really added great flavor to the cracker cookie.

I ended up serving these crackers at a book club and everyone loved them! These bites are a little something different that are great for parties, gatherings, holidays, and more.

If you are looking for more nostalgic treats, be sure to try these Dandy do cookies, pecan balls, and gumdrop nougat candy.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• An unexpected treat. The combination of ingredients might sound a little different but it’s really irresistible.
• Nostalgic memories. A great way to bring a little bit of old fashioned charm to your table.
• Great for a gathering. Perfect for parties, potlucks, and holidays.

Ingredients

This old fashioned Ritz cookie recipe is made with a few ingredients.

• Finely chopped pecans: Make sure to chop up the pecans small. You can pulse them in the food processor to make it easier.
• Dried dates: I found a bag of already chopped dates. If you have whole dates, make sure to chop them in small pieces. Dates add a natural sweetness and chewiness to the mixture.
• Sweetened condensed milk: A can of sweetened condensed milk holds the ingredients together and adds sweetness.
• Ritz crackers: Ritz crackers are the perfect buttery, salty balance to the pecan mixture.
• Cream cheese: This is the base for the frosting.
• Powdered sugar: Used to sweeten and thicken the frosting.
• Butter: This helps to make rich, smooth frosting.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a warm flavor to the frosting.

How to make Ritz cracker cookies

1. Place Ritz crackers on a baking sheet.
2. Place the chopped pecans, dates, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Stir the mixture until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.

3. Spread the mixture on the crackers.
4. Make the frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Chop the pecans and dates into small pieces. This helps make it easier to spread on the crackers.
• Cook the filling until thick. Make sure to heat the mixture until it thickens. This will help it stay on the cracker.
• Let the pecan mixture cool a little on the cracker before adding the frosting.

Variations

• Colorful topping: Add a little color to this no bake treat with some festive sprinkles.
• Nuts: Substitute the pecans with walnuts.
• Shredded coconut: Stir in some sweetened coconut to the pecan mixture.

Storage

Store: Since these are topped with cream cheese frosting, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. They will last about 4 days.

Freeze: These can be frozen without the cream cheese frosting. Pack them in a freezer safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature and then you can add the frosting.

More easy sweet treats

• Pecan pie bark
• Chocolate coconut cream balls
• Churro saltine toffee
• Churro snack mix

Let me know if you try this Ritz cracker cookie recipe.