I Make This 4-Ingredient Dessert All Summer Long

If there is one thing my pantry is never without, it’s Ritz Crackers. These buttery rounds have been a constant in my life. Filled with peanut butter, they sustained me through soccer games, field trips, and seemingly never-ending rounds of golf that I was forced to sit through with my parents.

As a New Englander, they were also used to top a variety of seafood delicacies. Baked scrod, baked stuffed clams, and scallops were topped with Ritz’s crunchy, buttery flavor. Even desserts received the Ritz treatment. Sometimes we’d swap graham crackers for Ritz when making s’mores, and many of my favorite summer pies featured a Ritz cracker crust.

While my palate may have gotten slightly more sophisticated over the years, my love for these crackers has not waned. I usually have a Costco-sized box in my pantry and have recently been using them to make ice cream sandwiches for my kids.

I love these ice cream sandwiches because they only require four ingredients, and they’re the perfect size for little hands. If I’m being honest, I may eat more of these than my children, but I too love the highly poppable portion size. 

Tips for Assembling My Ritz Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches

For me, there is nothing more classic than Ritz and peanut butter, so I started by freezing a thin layer of creamy nut butter on the bottom of each sandwich. You can use whatever nut butter you prefer. Just make sure it’s a creamy, no-stir variety so it really adheres to the cracker. Nutella would be excellent here as well!

Once that sets up, work quickly to assemble the sandwiches before the ice cream starts to melt. It helps to recruit a friend for this part, or in my case, an overeager four-year-old known to eat more crackers than he’s handed me.

Once the sandwiches have been assembled, they take a nice, long chill in the freezer. When they are firm enough to handle, you can gild the lily by dipping them in melted chocolate, or simply enjoy them as is. 

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Ritz Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches

To make 20 ice cream sandwiches, you’ll need:

• 40 Ritz crackers
• 3 tablespoons creamy no-stir peanut butter
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil, optional

Line a rimmed baking sheet that can fit in your freezer with parchment paper. Set 20 crackers on the tray. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter into an even layer on each cracker. Set in the freezer for 15 minutes, or until firm.

Remove the crackers from the freezer and make sure the remaining 20 crackers are within reach. Using a 1 tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop (or a spoon), add about 1 heaping tablespoon of ice cream to each cracker. Gently place the remaining cracker on top, applying slight pressure to flatten the ice cream. Return the assembled sandwiches back to the freezer and let chill for about 1 hour, or until the ice cream is solid.

When the sandwiches are frozen solid, add chocolate chips and oil (if using) to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each. When the chocolate is fully melted, stir vigorously until smooth.

Working with one sandwich at a time, dip it halfway in the chocolate and allow excess to drip off. Place back onto the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Alternatively, drizzle the sandwiches with the melted chocolate right on the baking sheet. Freeze the entire tray for 15 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

Serve the sandwiches frozen. Store extras in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 1 month.

Variations and Storage

This is a great make-ahead dessert for summer entertaining, as the sandwiches keep well in the freezer for up to two months. You can play around with different flavors of ice cream and even add a few sprinkles for festive flair. I add a bit of oil to the melted chocolate, as it keeps it shiny and thins the chocolate out enough to get an even, magic shell-type coating.