5 Ingredients or Fewer

Ritz Cracker Shortbread

Name: Ritz Cracker Shortbread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: makes 16 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 sleeves (about 200 grams) Ritz crackers; 1/2 cup (63 grams) confectioners’ sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (heaping if you’re feeling salty); 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature, cubed

by: Emma Laperruque

December 14, 2020

11 Ratings

Photo by Ty Mecham. Prop Stylist: Veronica Olson. Food Stylist: Kate Buckens.

Test Kitchen-Approved

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Author Notes

An almost classic shortbread. But instead of all-purpose flour, we’re calling in pulverized Ritz crackers. Unlike AP, this foundation is flavorful in its own right, yielding a shortbread that’s exponentially more buttery, salty-sweet, and craveable, though from a distance no one will quite know why.

A few notes on the ingredients: I opted for confectioners’ sugar versus granulated for an ultra-flaky, ultra-tender cookie. The butter should be impressionable if you poke it with your finger, but not greasy or melty.

If you want to take this idea and run with it—go on, run like the wind! Swap in the same weight of saltines or Goldfish or pretzels, and report back after you do. —Emma Laperruque

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Ritz Cracker Shortbread

Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes
makes 16 cookies

Ingredients

2 sleeves (about 200 grams) Ritz crackers
¹/₂ cup (63 grams) confectioners’ sugar
¹/₂ teaspoon kosher salt (heaping if you’re feeling salty)
¹/₂ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature, cubed

In This Recipe

Tools

Set a Timer

Directions

Heat the oven to 325°F.
Add the crackers to a food processor and run until a powdery flour forms. Pulse in the sugar and salt. Sprinkle the butter cubes on top and pulse again until a clumpy, lumpy, streusel-ish mixture forms—it shouldn’t turn into one big blob, but it should easily hold together when squeezed between your fingers.
Dump the shortbread dough into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Use your hand to evenly flatten, then use a fork to prick all over.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and dry to the touch. After you remove the pan from the oven, immediately cut the shortbread into 16 squares, then let cool completely before serving.

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Emma is the food editor at Food52. Before this, she worked a lot of odd jobs, all at the same time. Think: stir-frying noodles "on the fly," baking dozens of pastries at 3 a.m., reviewing restaurants, and writing articles about everything from how to use leftover mashed potatoes to the history of pies in North Carolina. Now she lives in New Jersey with her husband and their cat, Butter. Stay tuned every Tuesday for Emma's cooking column, Big Little Recipes, all about big flavor and little ingredient lists. And see what she's up to on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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12 Reviews

Ashley T. January 3, 2021

Using the concept of blending up a cracker/cookie in place of flour, I made banana cream pie shortbread using mini Nilla wafers blended finely, instant banana cream pie pudding mix, and 2 sticks of butter (one salted, one unsalted) and the same baking instructions as this recipe. Came out SO good- just sweet enough and not too banana flavored. Extra tasty with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Tracy January 2, 2021

I made these and they tasted delicious. Hubby and dad liked them too. I added the optional salt and they had that sweet/savory blend that made them a bit irresistible. A keeper for me.

ssharma1121 December 27, 2020

This was an interesting recipe. I was a little short on Ritz crackers, so I added some goldfish crackers (by weight). I used 130 grams of Ritz and 70 grams of goldfish crackers. They were also done at the 30-35 minute mark, so check early. To me it tastes like the biscuits at Red Lobster with the texture of a shortbread. I personally don't care for the biscuits at Red Lobster, but I know many people that love them. I don't think I will make the recipe again, but I think every baker should at least try it out once. I think it is fun to use old things in new inventive ways.

Michael B. December 25, 2020

Made these this morning. Nicely salty and sweet. 40 minutes might be a tad long, but my did come out dark golden brown and not overdone at all. The heck with all the Slate.com naysayers. These rock.

Michael B. December 25, 2020

Made these this morning. Nicely salty and sweet. 40 might be a tad long, but my dud come out dark golden brown and not overdone at all. The heck with all the Slate.com naysayers. These rock.

94574 December 24, 2020

I know this off point however Ritz Crackers (while not as good as Keebler) are amazing in meatloaf, especially the "Everything" ones.

ssharma1121 December 27, 2020

I make my crab cakes with Ritz crackers as the filler. I grew up in Maryland, and they are the perfect filler!

Rose S. December 23, 2020

I made this last night just as written and we really like them! I had to look up whether or not to grease pan and learned it is considered critical NOT to grease for shortbread. Emma might add that note. They are delicate indeed. Not sure about baking time. At 35 mins they were browned but when I touched them my finger went in like they weren't done. At 40 mins even browner but still soft. Do they harden as they cool? Which is the guiding item, color or texture?

Rose S. December 23, 2020

Melanie December 21, 2020

I made these this morning, adding an additional 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar, omitting kosher salt, and baking for 31 minutes in my oven. They are superb! Oh, and I mixed in finely chopped dried cherries with the confectioner's sugar. Love this quick and unusual recipe. Thank you.

adr December 19, 2020

I made half a recipe. I followed the recipe and my first impression was these tasted very salty. They also taste very buttery and not too sweet. These are a very crumbly and delicate cookie and will break easily, so handle with care. I baked my half recipe for 20 minutes and they were fine. Cool completely before removing from pan.

marinalea December 18, 2020

These were good, but 40 minutes was way too long in the oven - mine were dark brown and definitely tasted overdone. I’d probably go around 30-35 minutes next time and add a little more sugar, as they didn’t taste sweet at all. Very rich and buttery though! Substituting crackers for flour was a great idea.