Free up valuable oven space during the holiday baking season with a quick and easy recipe for No-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls. Gingerbread and cheesecake fans rejoice: You get both flavors in just one bite!
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And as if it couldn’t get any better, do I dare mention these festive bites only require four ingredients to make?
They’re a wintery, Christmas spin on my go-to cookie pops recipe. So if gingerbread is your preferred seasonal flavor of choice, this quick-fix treat is guaranteed to satisfy cravings.
I’ve topped these truffles-slash-cookie-balls (depending on just how fancy you want to sound) with a mix of sprinkles, additional crushed gingersnap cookies, and the real showstopper, miniature gingerbread men.
You can easily skewer these cookie balls on sticks to turn them into cookie pops, but I love serving them in red and white paper candy cups. The result is an edible gift that’s easy to package or put on display for your holiday dessert table.
Ready to impress holiday guests without breaking a sweat? Grab your food processor for these quick and easy No-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls, and for all of my fellow ginger-lovers willing to crank up that oven, don’t miss my favorite Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies and Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They’re just four ingredients.
- Ready in 30 minutes or less.
- They’re make-ahead.
- They serve a crowd.
- They’re a great homemade gift.
- Gingersnap cookies: Use your favorite gingersnap cookies here. They’ll all add a spicy-sweet flavor to these no-bake gingerbread cookies.
- Cream cheese: Opt for full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor.
- White chocolate chips or melting wafers: When melted, either of these works for dipping the cookie balls in. Melting wafers have stabilizers that ensure they melt smoothly and easily.
- Sprinkles: Any sprinkles (especially festive ones) work here! Green, red, sparkly, gingerbread man-shaped—they’re all fun.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Try a different candy melt. You can opt for white, green, red or even salted caramel candy melts (or have a few on hand and melt each in separate bowls!).
- Use another cookie. Amaretti cookies would also be delicious (they taste like almonds!).
- Process the cookies. Add the gingersnap cookies to a food processor’s bowl (fitted with S-blade) and process until the cookies are roughly chopped.
- Add the cream cheese. Add the cream cheese to the food processor and process until well combined.
- Roll the cookie balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Roll the cookie mixture into 1-inch balls, place on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate until smooth. Dip each ball into the chocolate, scraping off any excess. Place back onto the baking sheet and immediately top with sprinkles.
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate the balls for about 10 minutes (until the chocolate has set).
Pro Tip: Don’t use a blender to try to make this recipe—it won’t be able to evenly mix the cookie crumbs into the cream cheese.
- To Melt the Chocolate: You can melt the chocolate in 30-second bursts in the microwave (stirring between each burst). Alternatively, use a double boiler (a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water) to do so.
- Use a Portion Scoop: To easily portion the cookie balls, you can use a 1-tablespoon portion scoop.
- Dipping the Cookie Balls: To easily dip the truffles into the melted chocolate, you can balance each ball on a fork or poke each with a toothpick or skewer. Either works—and you can always scrape off any excess chocolate!
- A Topping Idea: I love topping some of these truffles with more gingersnap crumbs and miniature gingerbread men. To make the crumbs, simply process an extra handful of cookies in a clean food processor bowl.
Store the gingerbread balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Just thaw in the fridge a bit before eating (so they’re not too hard).
Frequently Asked Questions
Gingersnaps are round-shaped cookies (rolled into balls and baked), whereas gingerbread is rolled out thinly and then cut into shapes (like gingerbread men!).
Gingerbread cookies are particularly delicious because of their warming spices. They simply smell (and taste!) like the holidays.
You can use a food processor for a quick and even consistency. Alternatively, place the cookies in a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin for a more hands-on approach.
Absolutely! Feel free to use your preferred type of chocolate for coating the truffles.
- Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Apple Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 40 gingersnap cookies
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chocolate melting wafers
- Assorted sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Add the gingersnap cookies to the bowl of a food processor and process until roughly chopped.
- Add the cream cheese to the food processor and process until well combined and there are no large pieces of cookie remaining.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Using your hands, roll the cookie mixture into 1-inch balls, arranging them on the baking sheet. Freeze the cookie balls for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Remove the cookie balls from the freezer and dip them in the melted chocolate, scraping off any excess. Return them to the baking sheet and immediately top them with sprinkles.
- Refrigerate the cookie balls for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is set then serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- You can melt the chocolate in 30-second bursts in the microwave (stirring between each burst). Alternatively, use a double boiler (a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water) to do so.
- To easily portion the cookie balls, you can use a 1-tablespoon portion scoop.
- To easily dip the truffles into the melted chocolate, you can balance each ball on a fork or poke each with a toothpick or skewer. Either works—and you can always scrape off any excess chocolate!
- I love topping some of these truffles with more gingersnap crumbs and miniature gingerbread men. To make the crumbs, simply process an extra handful of cookies in a clean food processor bowl.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Just made the ginger snap
Truffles ! So good and so easy!
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Karen!
making these for Cookie swap tomorrow. !! hope theyre great.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe, Mary!
what gingerbread snaps do you use ?
Hi Leslie! Any brand of cookie will work. I think the last round I used a generic store brand :)
These look better than gingerbread cookies! Hope to get in the kitchen and make some soon!
Thank you so much, Marly! I hope you enjoy the recipe!