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Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Icebox Cake is a mouthful to say, but is a dreamy, creamy, no-bake, salty-sweet icebox cake! A perfect dessert for summer, the holidays or any time of year, really! Want other versions of ice box cakes? Try my Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake or Lemon Icebox Cake. We don’t need an oven to make a bomb dessert around here! 😉
What is an Ice Box Cake?
Ice Box cakes have been around for literally 100 years! They are no-bake desserts that are made by layering ingredients like wafer cookies, sweet cream, and sometimes fruit. They require no baking or cook time, and are placed in the fridge (originally known as the ice box) to set up. This type of dessert is totally customizable with endless possibilities as long as you keep to a cookie (or this case, Ritz Crackers) and cream layers.
You’re Going to Love it!
The sweet and salty combo in this dessert is pure heaven! Salted caramel and ritz crackers paired with the sweetness of the cream cheese layer makes my taste buds sing!
How to Make a Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Ice Box Cake
The hardest part of this recipe is probably making the homemade salted caramel. I’m going to walk you through the steps pretty well but if it still intimidates you in any way, there are plenty of salted caramel sauces you can find in the grocery stores, which are great options. Even warming up store bought caramel sauce and adding in a little sea salt will work too.
For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements needed, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step by step what to expect when making this icebox cake:
Prep Baking Dish + Make Cream Cheese Mixture
Line 8×8 glass baking dish with plastic wrap. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and white granulated sugar together until smooth. Add in heavy whipping cream, salt and vanilla extract and whip with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Make Salted Caramel Sauce
(If using store bought caramel sauce, you can skip down to the next section)
Heat granulated white sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt the sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color.
Whisk in sea salt and heavy whipping cream. The mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth. Once its smooth, stir in butter and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Assemble the Cake!
Spread 16 Ritz Crackers across the bottom in 3 straight lines. Spread on 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the crackers.
Next, drizzle 1/3 cup caramel sauce over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
Repeat these layers again as follows: 16 crackers, 1/3 cream cheese mixture, 1/3 cup caramel sauce, 16 crackers, final amount of cream cheese mixture.
Cover + Refrigerate
Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight. To serve, cut into pieces and top with whipped cream and more caramel sauce.
Double This Recipe!
When it comes to dessert at my house, there is never enough! If you feel like you need more to feed your crew, double the recipe and use a 9×13 cake pan.
Storing Directions
Store any leftovers covered with plastic wrap and in the refrigerator. This cake is best if eaten within 2-3 days. Icebox cakes make for a wonderful make ahead dessert! I would make it up to 1 day in advance before you want to serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Ice Box Cake has been on my site for awhile, so I thought I would answer a few repeat questions here.
I used a glass 8×8 baking dish for my ice box cake. You could also use a springform pan, or a small casserole pan.
Yes! Once your ice box cake has chilled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, you can cut and serve while it’s partially frozen or wait until it’s a little more soft and thawed.
Well, traditional icebox cakes use wafer cookies. If you’re wanting to use a sweet cookie for the crust, you will lose the salty component of this recipe that really sets the flavor above and beyond traditional ice box cakes. However graham crackers, shortbread cookies, or any flavor of sandwich cookie like nutter butters or Oreos would work in this recipe.
More No Bake Dessert Ideas
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad– it’s definitely not a salad!
- Banana Split Cake
- No Bake Brownie Batter Cheesecake
- No Bake Oreo Pumpkin Pie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Scotcharoos
- Chocolate Lasagna
There you have it! The perfect dessert to really impress your family or guests! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Ritz Cracker Salted Caramel Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese two blocks, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 48 Ritz Crackers
- 2/3 cup salted caramel sauce + more for garnish
- whipped cream
for the caramel sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line 8×8 glass baking dish with plastic wrap. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add in heavy cream, salt and vanilla and whip until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt the sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color.
- Whisk in sea salt and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until sauce is smooth. Stir in butter and vanilla.
Assemble
- Spread 16 ritz crackers across the bottom in 3 straight lines. Add on 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture.
- Drizzle over 1/3 cup caramel sauce and repeat these layers again as follows: 16 crackers, 1/3 cream cheese mixture, 1/3 cup caramel sauce, 16 crackers, final amount of cream cheese mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. To serve, cut into pieces and top with whipped cream and more caramel sauce.
Can you freeze this?
I made this for the first time for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it. Easy to make.
One question…my plastic wrap was a mess. Can I skip the plastic wrap on the bottom?
Do you whip the whip cream before adding it to cream cheese ?
Betsy, nope. You add the cream and then whip it WITH the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
The salted caramel sauce was delicious, but the cake itself wasn’t very good. I was excited to make it because it looked good and was well reviewed but it was mediocre at best.
This sounds like Tiramisu, Mangomisu in a different form. Sounds really good, gonna try it but might ground up the Ritz cracker first. Thank you
Excited to try this one! Has anyone tried it in a 9×9 pan vs 8×8? (The biggest downfall of moving: can’t find a few things – like my 8×8 pan. 🤦🏻♀️)
Looks de-Lish! Will have to try soon!
Though our family also moved though only about 7.4 miles from our previous home though we started all over with our home furnishings with the only exception we kept our bedroom furniture. I wish you and your family lots of luck. And, I have to say I personally cannot wait to make and eat this pie recipe!
How do you make the caramel sauce for this recipe?
Recipe for Carmel sauce
I made this on Wednesday and we cut it last night. I made exactly to the recipe and even bought salt caramel off of amazon. You don’t need to go to that much trouble and any caramel/butterscotch will do. The reason I only gave it a 4 is because it was very dry on the bottom half. I’m sure I will make it again when I recover from my sugar shock to my system that has probably been over loaded for the next 10 years. But next time I will only do two layers of crackers and split the filling in half instead of thirds.
Made this today it’s alittle bit sweet so garnished it with Lindt 70% dark chocolate ,great contrast to the super sweetness. Nice recipe
Can you use cool whip instead of heavy cream?
Made the Retz SaltyCaramel icebox cake for our teacher’s bash. At this occasion, the principal has items brought judged. This was the first time making. I lined the dish with plastic wrap. Didn’t really know how I was going to serve, decided to lift out of the dish, cut and transferred to another plate. Added the whipping cream on each piece and drizzled with caramel/
Wasn’t the prettiest dish but won first place ☺️ Will definitely do again!!
This was a total hit with my family! They voted that it is a keeper. My twist on the recipe was to use Toppables crackers instead of Ritz crackers. They are rectangular in shape, which is much easier to fit into a square dish, with some trimming, of course! The whole thing came out so deliciously good!
Can smuckers Caramel Sundae Syrup be used? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks
Use Ghirardelli salted caramel, it’s as good as homemade.
my sister tried this recipe and her whipping cream wouldn’t come to stiff peaks!! It was all runny. wondering why
It sounds like there wasn’t enough fat in her whipping cream.
Can smuckers Caramel Sundae Syrup be used? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks
Just reading the recipe, I haven’t tried it yet it sounds delicious!!
Trying to figure out how I am going to make 3 straight lines with 16 crackers,
16 divided by 3 is 5, with one left over?
I have been wondering the same thing? Should it be 15 crackers total for 3 rows of 5 or 4 rows of 4 crackers equaling the 16 crackers??
On my square 8×8 pan I had 4 rows of 4 crackers.
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What is the reason for lining the dish with plastic wrap?
I like to lift the whole thing out to make for easier serving. You are welcome to skip this step, just beware that your first piece might look a little smooshed.
Yum. Can’t wait to make this!
My husband made this today for my birthday. It is so good. Thank you for the recipe!
I am going to make it is today. I looks good. Hope it turns out. How long of a piece of wrap to I cut.
I made this for a family dinner and everyone loved it! It was so good and super easy to make. Definitely going into the rotation ????
I feel like this is a dumb question but is there a reason not to double this for a 9×13? Can’t wait to make it!!
Looks delicious and I would definitely make the larger size.
How to make Carmel sauce6
Made this on the weekend and it was a huge hit with the entire family!
This has been in my que for a few weeks waiting for a reason to make it. I think Tuesday qualifies as a reason?
I’m planning on making this and another ice box cake for a family get together that is in a couple of weeks! Ritz crackers are my weakness!!
What a fun dessert! I like sweet and salty together. Hope everything goes smoothly on your travels. That is a long drive!
Just wondering do you make your own salted caramel sauce?
Yes! This is the recipe I used: https://laurenslatest.com/salted-caramel-apple-crumble-kitchenaid-challenge-video-with-giveaway/
Hi, do you just use store bought caramel sauce or do you have a recipe for salted caramel sauce?
This is the recipe I used: https://laurenslatest.com/salted-caramel-apple-crumble-kitchenaid-challenge-video-with-giveaway/
Get Ghirardelli salted caramel. It is as good as homemade.
This looks delish, and such a nice treat during hot summer days! Thanks for the recipe. And good luck to you this week!!! Hope the trip goes smoothly and you get there safely. Excited to hear about your new life in NYC! Blessings 🙂