These Peppermint Oreo Balls are the easiest Christmas treat you will make all season: just three ingredients, no oven, and twenty minutes of hands-on time. Crushed Oreo cookies and cream cheese roll into rich, fudgy truffles, then get dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes.
They look like they came from a bakery box, they taste like Christmas, and they are made for gifting — pile them in a tin, tie a ribbon, and you have a homemade present in under an hour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients — Oreos, cream cheese and white chocolate.
- No baking at all — perfect when the oven is already busy with Christmas dinner.
- 20 minutes hands-on — the fridge does the rest of the work.
- Made for gifting — they keep well, travel well, and look beautiful in a tin.
Ingredients
- 36 Oreo cookies (regular, not Double Stuf — about 1 standard 14.3 oz / 405 g pack)
- 8 oz (225 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 12 oz (340 g) white chocolate chips or white candy melts
- 3–4 candy canes, crushed, for topping (optional but very Christmassy)
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract (optional — only if you want a stronger mint flavor)
Instructions
- Crush the Oreos. Put the whole cookies (filling included) in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. No food processor? Seal them in a zip bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Make the truffle mixture. Add the softened cream cheese to the crumbs (plus the peppermint extract, if using) and pulse or stir until a thick, even dough forms. It should hold together when you squeeze it.
- Roll the balls. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball and roll between your palms until smooth. You should get about 36 balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Chill. Refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes, or freeze for 15 minutes, until firm. Cold balls dip much more cleanly.
- Melt the white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Or melt gently in a bowl over simmering water.
- Dip. Drop one cold ball at a time into the melted chocolate. Lift it out with a fork, tap off the excess, and set it back on the parchment. While the coating is still wet, sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
- Set. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes until the chocolate is fully set. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
- Pack in a Christmas tin with tissue paper for a homemade gift
- Serve on a holiday dessert board with cookies and hot chocolate
- Crush extra candy canes over the top for a snowy look
Tips for Success
- Use regular Oreos, not Double Stuf. The extra filling makes the mixture too soft to roll.
- Chill before dipping. Warm balls melt the chocolate coating and slide off the fork — cold balls are the whole trick.
- Work in small batches. Dip 8–10 balls, then return the rest to the fridge so they stay firm.
- Thin chocolate coats better. If the melted chocolate is too thick, stir in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or vegetable shortening.
Substitutions
- Mint Oreos: Use them and skip the peppermint extract.
- Dark chocolate coating: Swap the white chocolate for dark or milk chocolate — the peppermint still shines.
- No candy canes? Top with crushed peppermint candies, sprinkles, or a drizzle of extra chocolate.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies; the method is identical.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. Keep them chilled — the cream cheese filling softens at warm room temperature.
- Freezer: Freeze undipped balls (or finished ones) up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Gifting: They travel fine in a tin for a day, but keep them cool — do not leave them in a hot car.
FAQ
Do Peppermint Oreo Balls need to be refrigerated?
Yes — the cream cheese filling means they should live in the fridge. Take them out 10 minutes before serving.
Can I make them ahead for Christmas?
Absolutely. Make them up to 2 weeks ahead and keep them refrigerated, or freeze them up to 3 months.
Why did my chocolate coating crack?
Usually the balls were too cold or the chocolate layer was too thick. Let the balls sit 5 minutes after the fridge before dipping, and tap off the excess chocolate.
Can I use candy melts instead of white chocolate?
Yes — white candy melts are actually easier to work with, since they melt smoothly and set fast.
Recipe Card
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 36 balls
- Cuisine: American
- Calories: ~110 kcal per ball (estimate)
Ingredients: Oreo cookies, cream cheese, white chocolate, candy canes, peppermint extract (optional).
Instructions (short): Crush Oreos to fine crumbs, mix with softened cream cheese into a dough, roll into 36 balls and chill 30 minutes. Dip cold balls in melted white chocolate, sprinkle with crushed candy cane, and chill until set.
