Creamy, sweet maple buttercream layered over buttery and crisp Ritz crackers sprinkled with rich chopped walnuts. Margeritte cookies, otherwise known as Maple Frosted Crackers, are a family classic and super easy to make! We serve these every year around Christmas time.
The first bite into one of these cookies...crackers..whatever you want to call them, is like being transported back in time. A cute, naturally platinum blond and ultra adorable 5-year old Lauren sneaking as many of these as possible on Christmas Eve.
Now it's pretty much the same except my blonde is professionally developed by a stylist. I'm still sneaking these crackers though, except it's when I'm making them and not during holiday festivities.
Seriously though, there's so much to love about these maple treats!
- crisp, buttery, and salty Ritz cracker
- creamy, fluffy maple frosting
- super easy to make
- salty and sweet
- kid and adult approved snack
The best part next to how addictingly delicious these are is how easy they are to make. Speaking from experience, this is a great holiday treat to make with the kids. Though, my small humans preferred sprinkles over walnuts, but who can blame them right?
What is mapleline?
The actual steps to make margerittes are oh so simple, but there's one very important ingredient. You've got to get the mapleline (affiliate link)! It's a maple extract that's a rich brown color with the perfect amount of maple flavor. The key difference is that it doesn't have that cloying imitation flavor taste to it, even though it technically is imitation flavor.
If you know, you know. Mapleline is where it's at. Sometimes it's a little tricky to find at the store. You can definitely substitute maple extract, it's a really close second option but the taste isn't quite as rich and flavorful as the mapleline.
How to make margerittes
So in my investigative digging, there's a discrepancy on the spelling. Like any good family recipe there's disagreement, sometimes it's marguerites and sometimes it's margerittes. This recipe is straight from my Mom's aunt's recipe box, so we're going with her spelling 'Margerittes'.
All you need to do is make a simple buttercream frosting with maple extract, frost the crackers, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
That's it!
These maple frosted Ritz crackers are great to bring to holiday parties, easy treats to make with the kids, or to add to dessert boards and cookie boxes. Or you can hoard them somewhere so you can snack at your leisure without sharing, but I guess that's not very 'holiday spirit'.
If you're maple obsessed like us, keep an eye out for Maple Frosted Snickerdoodles or add pure maple syrup into other dishes like roasted squash, mojitos and matcha granola! This mapleline extract can also be added to make maple-flavored kettle corn using the steps in this Gingerbread Popcorn!
If you made this recipe, please let me know about it below in the comments! Did you share it with someone else? Are you a maple frosted Ritz regular or was this a new one? I'd love to hear about it!
Margerittes (Maple Frosted Ritz)
Ingredients
- 70 ea Ritz crackers
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ½ teaspoons mapleline or maple extract
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream (optional)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Make the frosting. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 90 seconds. Add the confectioner's sugar and mapleline, slowly increasing the speed to medium and beating until incorporated. For a fluffier frosting, add heavy cream and mix on medium speed until incorporated.
- Frost the crackers. Spread about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of maple frosting on the backside of each crackers.
- Add the walnuts. Either dip the frosted side of the cracker or sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the frosting. Enjoy!
Notes
- maple extract can be substituted it mapleline is unavailable
Nutrition
Toni R says
Amazing just like my grandmothers ! Brings back so many memories, only question … do we store the remaining maple frosting in the fridge ?
Lauren says
If you have any extra frosting, I'd recommend keeping it in the fridge until you use the rest. You'll have to let it come to room temperature and give a quick whip (with a whisk or hand blender) before using. You can treat it like traditional American buttercream frosting.
Fran St Germain says
My mother used to make these using milk crackers! they are so easy and so good. Thank you for the recipe.
Lauren says
Absolutely!! They're a family favorite for us too!
Leon says
Thank you so much for this! My grandmother made them when I was a child and they were my absolute fav. Now that I’m 35 I can make em for other people kids this Christmas. You rock!
Lauren says
Thank you so much for sharing this! This comment meant so much to me, I read it to my whole family haha!
Linda Falardeau says
Aunt Jeanne would be so proud to know that her recipe box is still being enjoyed!