Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Icebox Cake

Ritz cracker salted caramel icebox cake is loaded with delicious vanilla pudding, cream cheese, caramel sauce, and that great salty, buttery flavor we all love about Ritz crackers. It’s a winning dessert that everyone loves, and it’s so easy to make.

Talk about a great dessert!  This is so easy to make, and it’s even easier to eat.  You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, and it will be ready when you’re ready to serve it.  It’s sweet and gooey, and the Ritz crackers are crunchy, and it’s really delicious!  Keep this one handy, because you’ll want to make this again and again on hot summer days. 

Icebox cakes are one of our favorite desserts to make. They’re so easy, so satisfyingly sweet, and they’re always welcome on any occasion. This delicious Ritz cracker salted caramel icebox cake is perfect for weeknight desserts, potlucks, backyard barbecues, and even holiday get-togethers. It’s the perfect quick and easy dessert that can be ready at a moment’s notice.

With all that delicious flavor and the ease of making the recipe, it’s no wonder that icebox cakes are so popular and have been for years. Were it not for the icebox cake and the invention of Ritz crackers, we’d never be able to share our Ritz cracker icebox cake with you today. So let’s take a look at the two main inspirations for this cake.

No Bake Ritz Cracker Dessert

This no bake Ritz cracker dessert is full of sweet and salt flavors. And as most of you know if it’s a no bake dessert that makes it all the better for us! We have a special place in our hearts and bellies for no bake desserts. Ritz crackers give this dessert that saltiness it needs while the caramel supplies the sweetness.

We have a tremendous amount or no bake desserts that we love to make and we make them all year long. Not just the warm summer months. They are perfect for Holidays and for when you need a quick dessert that doesn’t require you to turn your oven on and for you to keep an eye on baking time. No bake for the win!

Icebox Cakes

Icebox cakes are also known as the easiest cakes known to humankind! Basically you will layer a few ingredients usually graham crackers but in this case it is Ritz crackers and other ingredients such as puddings, whipped cream ect. You don’t bake anything and you eat a lot! sounds great right? You let them set in the fridge or icebox as it was called back in the day.

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History of Icebox Cake

The icebox cake is a layered dessert usually made with layers of cream, wafers, and various other sweet ingredients and then put in the refrigerator to set.

Icebox cake is a variation of desserts like the charlotte and the trifle that was introduced in the 1930s as a more accessible version of the two desserts. It was also one of the prime selling points for promoting the icebox as a staple appliance for the modern kitchen.

Throughout the 30s the popularity of icebox cake skyrocketed because its use of commercial shortcuts and pre-made ingredients made it incredibly easy to make. This soaring popularity prompted many companies that made ingredients like condenses milk and wafer cookies to begin printing various icebox cake recipes on the back of their boxes.

Over the years, there have been a few variations on the icebox cake, but the one that most of us know and make today is composed of a series of layers using some sort of wafer, pudding, and whipped cream.

History of Ritz Crackers

Ritz crackers were introduced by Nabisco in 1934, but it was invented several years before that. The Jackson Cracker company in Jackson, Michigan is the real home of these classic crackers. In the early 1900s, they invented a small round cracker called the Jaxon. This was the precursor to the Ritz crackers we all know and love today.

The classic Ritz name was the brainchild of Nabisco employee, Sydney Stern. Nabisco wanted to compete with a similar cracker called the Hi-Ho made by their competitor at the time, Sunshine Biscuits. It was Sydney’s job to create a name for the cracker as well as a marketing plan.

The name “Ritz” was chosen to appeal to individuals coping with the harsh times of the Great Depression, implying that the cracker was upscale and offering them “a bite of the good life”. Stern also created the iconic Ritz logo, the blue circle and yellow lettering inspired by the round label inside his hat.

Fast forward to modern times, and what used to be touted as an upscale cracker is now an affordable staple in many kitchens used for everything from snacks like cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers to easy desserts like our Ritz cracker salted caramel icebox cake.

Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Icebox Cake

This cake is a layered dessert that is super easy to make and filled with delicious flavors. Layers of salty Ritz crackers, vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and salted caramel sauce come together to create a refrigerated treat that is perfect for literally any occasion.

Its classic flavors are perfect for everything from run-of-the-mill desserts to holiday get-togethers. Everyone loves the flavor, and you’ll love how easy it is to make.

Ingredients

It only takes a few ingredients to make this easy Ritz cracker salted caramel icebox cake. In fact, outside of the salted caramel sauce and the heavy cream, it’s likely that you have all the ingredients in your kitchen already. Here’s everything you’ll need to make the cake.

• 1 box of Ritz Crackers
• 3 packages of Cream Cheese – 8 ounces – softened
• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 1 small package of Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding – 3.4 ounces
• 1 cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
• 1 jar of Salted Caramel Sauce
• 1 squeeze bottle of Caramel Syrup/Sauce

That’s all there is to it. Every single ingredient in this recipe is pre-packaged. It’s either instant pudding or bottle caramel sauce or simply a little cream cheese. It’s one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make.

Making the Ritz Icebox Cake

Making this Ritz cracker salted caramel icebox cake is as simple as the ingredient list. You’ll find the full recipe below, but what it boils down to is mixing a few ingredients and then layering them between layers of Ritz crackers. That’s all you have to do. There’s no, heating or baking required – just mixing and layering.

Serving Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Icebox Cake

This cake is absolutely delicious, and it needs no bells and whistles when being served. We like to simply cut a piece of cake and then drizzle it with a bit more salted caramel sauce. Of course, if you have an extra large sweet tooth, you could serve this cake sliced with whipped cream on top.

One interesting variation that many of my friends like to do is actually mix the salted caramel sauce with whipped cream to create a salted caramel whipped cream with which to top the cake.

Storing the Icebox Cake

And the easy train just keeps on chugging down the track. It’s just as simple to store this cake as it is to make it. It’s an icebox cake which means you store it in the refrigerator. It will last for about 4 days in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Freezing this cake is not recommended. Pudding gets odd when it’s been frozen and then defrosted, and that leads to a texture that feels off when you eat it. So be sure to enjoy this cake within 4 days. Trust us, you’ll eat it all well before then.

Give This Delicious Icebox Cake a Try Today

This recipe is so easy that when we say “try it today” we mean it literally. This cake is exceptionally easy to make, and it’s so, so good. It’s perfect for any occasion from desserts and potlucks to a simple afternoon snack. With a recipe this delicious and this easy to make, there’s no reason not to give it a try. Try it today, and we’re sure that you and your family will love it.

OTHER RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:

Cherry Oreo Icebox Cake

Lemon Icebox Cake

Cherry Cheesecake Icebox Dessert 

Chocolate Eclair Cake