Cookie Balls

I love these easy to make and delicious cookie balls. I will be making several different varieties for my Christmas cookies this year. They only require three main ingredients and do not need to be baked. You can decorate them with an assortment of different toppings or use the white chocolate coating and food coloring to have red and green cookie balls.

I started making these cookie balls the end of October and tested several different methods and varieties. On this page, I will share with you tips that worked for me and ingredients for some of the varieties I have made and enjoyed.

photos by mbgphoto

I have started making cookie balls this year and love the easy way you make this delicious cookie. The basic cookie recipe is very simple but the variations are only limited by your imagination. You can use most any kind of store bought cookie that can be crushed into fine crumbs. Some possibilities that come to mind are ginger snaps, thin mint cookies, sandwich cookies, and lemon cookies.

Another variation that I really liked was substituting strawberry cream cheese for a delicious strawberry flavor to the cookie balls. For these balls (pictured with this recipe) I used white almond bark for coating and red sugar sprinkled on top.

After you have dipped the ball in chocolate you can add a wide variety of toppings. Try coconuts, chopped nuts, sprinkles, chopped cherries, or red and green sugars.

The secret to uniform size cookies is using a cookie scoop. I can't believe I went for years making all my cookies with just a teaspoon to dip them out. This cookie scoop makes cookie baking so much easier. Less mess...uniform size and shape...easy to make!!

I haven't always used parchment paper in the past, but this year I thought I would try it. It worked particularly well with these cookie balls. When the chocolate was forming on the cookies the parchment paper made it easy to remove the cookies. Very little mess and you just throw the parchment paper away when you are finished. I love the no clean up!!

I used both bar chocolate and almond bark in trying different variations of the cookie balls. I found the almond bark to be much easier to use. It comes in dark and light chocolate and in white. It also is available in a sugar free variety.

In order to smoothly put the covering on the cookie ball, I use a plastic fork with the middle tines removed. I place the cookie on the fork and then I take a spoonful of the melted chocolate and pour it over the cookie. I allow the excess chocolate to drain off into the bowl of melted chocolate. When most of the dripping has stopped I return the cookie ball to the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

These red and green paper cups make a great way to present your cookie balls. I have also found ones with holiday designs that look great. I will put the paper cups in my holiday tins and then put a cookie ball in each little cup. It make a beautiful presentation.

These cookie balls are all ready to give as a gift or to enjoy at a holiday party.

When serving cookie balls for guests a small tray such as this Christmas tree dish would work great.