Want to steal the show at your next fall inspired party? Make these Oreo pumpkin cookie balls. Not only are they packed with pumpkin spice for the ultimate treat but they are super easy to make for the perfect dessert.
When Oreo truffles get a pumpkin spiced makeover, it can only mean one thing – Fall and Halloween is upon us. While I’m no stranger to No Bake Halloween treats, there are so many reasons these Oreo pumpkin cookie balls are my new favorite fall recipe. They also make the perfect treat for Thanksgiving dinner dessert! Or, use them as a parting gift or place cards on your plates! Whatever you use them for, they're perfect for pumpkin season. Add a batch of apples with the pumpkins for a fall harvest party!
Firstly, these mini treats all about the flavor. When treats look this good sometimes flavor comes second but not with this recipe. I’ve mixed golden Oreo cookies, cream cheese, butter and vanilla for a cheesecake inspired center that is then laced with pumpkin spice. Dip those beautiful bitesize balls into pools of colored candy coating and your cookie balls will look almost too cute to eat.
As you bite into the crisp candy coating you are met with a warming soft center, making the perfect pick-me-up for this drizzly time of year. Pair your pumpkins with my poison apple Halloween cocktail for a scarily scrumptious treat, or serve alongside my graveyard pudding cups and Jalapeno Mummies at your next spooky soirée.
Whether you gift them or gobble them up, they are guaranteed to impress. While I love the gimmicks and googly eyes at this time of year, there’s something simple and sophisticated about these family favorite treats. You could switch up the color scheme to match your party décor, skip the sprinkles or even add a touch of liquor for added grown up fun. That’s not to say your little ones won’t love them too, they are cookie crumbs dipped in orange chocolate candy after all!
WHY WE LOVE THIS OREO PUMPKIN COOKIE BALLS RECIPE
- They’re the ultimate festive treat – Name a better fall inspired combination than cookies and pumpkin spice? They’re decadent, rich, and a definite crowd-pleaser. Whip these up all season long and serve them at Halloween parties, as Thanksgiving treats or fuel those Black Friday shopping sprees.
- The perfect gift – Alternatively, you can wrap these with a little love and gift to friends and family this fall.
- No bake – A no-bake dessert at this time of year is a lifesaver as we’re all short on time. It’s an ideal easy recipe for those who crave fuss-free festive fun or those with minimal baking skills.
- Easy - Trick your guests this holiday season into thinking you’ve spent hours crafting these perfect pumpkins when in reality they take just 20 minutes prep and 30 minutes to assemble.
- Undeniably Delicious – With golden oreos, cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice AND a candy coating there is too much to love about these oreo pumpkin cookie balls.
PUMPKIN OREO BALLS INGREDIENTS/SHOPPING LIST
- Golden Oreo Cookies or Pumpkin Spice Oreo Cookies
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin spice
- Green icing
- Pretzel sticks
- Fall colored sprinkles
- Orange candy melts
- Green candy melts
PUMPKIN BALLS SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
- Turn into pumpkin pops – If you fancy Oreo pumpkin cake pops instead, add a dab of melted chocolate to the end of a lollipop stick. Then, place the dipped end into the oreo cookie ball before dipping it into the candy melts.
- A splash of liquor – Hosting an adults-only Halloween party or Friendsgiving? Give these Oreo pumpkin cookie balls a boozy twist with a splash of Irish cream, chocolate liqueur, or Baileys.
- Up the Fall flavor – While I let the pumpkin spice do all the talking, feel free to take it up a notch by adding pumpkin puree and cinnamon for added Fall flavors.
- Substitutions for cream cheese – If cream cheese is not your vibe, you can experiment with substitutes such as peanut butter, chocolate frosting or marshmallow fluff.
- Pumpkin spice latte – You can make these Oreo cookie balls taste like another fall favorite- the Pumpkin Spice Latte- by adding a teaspoon of coffee granules alongside the pumpkin spice.
- Pumpkin shape – I’ve kept these round for ease, but if you have a little extra time to spare use a toothpick and score down the sides of the pumpkin spice oreo truffles before dipping, for a more traditional pumpkin shape.
- Oreos – I’ve used golden Oreos as these bring a vanilla base to the cookie balls which I prefer. However, you can substitute with regular Oreos for a bold orange and black color contrast, or go full Fall vibes with pumpkin spiced Oreos. you can even go a totally different direction and use Oreo Peanut Butter Creme Cookies, but I would omit the pumpkin spice, as it may be too much.
- Candy coating – I find candy melts the easiest to work with as they are already green and orange however you can substitute with white chocolate morsels, vanilla almond bark, or Baker's white chocolate and then add gel food color.
- Coconut oil – adding 2 teaspoon coconut oil can help the candy melts melt quicker and pour easier. Note, it may alter the flavor ever so slightly so keep this in mind.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Baking Sheet/ Cookie Sheet
- Microwave Safe Bowls
- Food Processor
- Wax Paper
- 1 inch Cookie Scoop
- Piping Bag
- Small Leaf Piping Tip
HOW TO MAKE THIS OREO PUMPKIN COOKIE BALLS RECIPE
These Oreo pumpkin cookie balls may look complicated but your food processor does all the hard work. Once the crushing and mixing is done, it’s simply roll, dip balls, and chill. Taking less than two hours start to finish (including chill time) it’s a straightforward recipe that even the busiest of ghouls and gals will have time for.
1. Place the golden oreos in a food processor and pulse until they become a fine crumb. The texture should resemble sand.
2. Now mix cream cheese, butter, pumpkin spice and vanilla into the crumbs and blend again to combine. PRO TIP: Use a rubber spatula between pulses to scrape the mixture down the bowl, otherwise you may be left with pockets of cream cheese.
3. Use a 1 inch cookie scoop , or any small cookie scoop to measure out the cookie crumb mix, rolling each scoop into the pumpkin-shaped oreo balls. Once rolled, place each ball onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
4. Push a pretzel piece, for the pumpkin's stem into the top of each Oreo ball. This will resemble the pumpkin stalk but also act as a handle for dipping the cookie balls into the candy coating. PRO TIP: Make sure you don’t push the pretzel too far and make your stalk too short as this will make it tricky to dip the cookie balls in the candy melts.
5. Once all the oreo balls have a pretzel, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. With about 5 minutes left in the chill time, melt the colored candy melts in the microwave according to the package directions.
7. Remove the oreo balls from the freezer and begin to coat each one by holding the pretzel stalk between your finger and thumb and dipping the balls into the pool of candy melts. PRO TIP: Alternatively, you can also drop the Oreo ball into the candy melts and coat it by turning it between two spoons or forks until coated fully. Let the excess chocolate drip for a couple of seconds before you place balls on the sheet.
8. Next add the sprinkles or sugar crystals before the chocolate hardens.
9. Finally the finishing touch, pipe green leaves onto each oreo pumpkin cookie ball and place them in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to fully harden.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Work in batches – this will make your life so much easier! As the chocolate is warm but with the oreo balls frozen, it is easier to work in batches. When the balls are removed from the freezer they will start to thaw which can make them tricky to coat if they become too soft. I recommend removing from the freezer, dipping and decorating in batches of 10. This will also allow you to add any sprinkles before the chocolate coating hardens.
- Creating crumbs - I find it easiest to crush the Oreos in a food processor, but a zip bag with a rolling pin would work too. You can then add the crumbs to a bowl with the remaining ingredients and combine using a spatula or spoon.
- Bigger isn’t always better – I know with treats this tasty it may be tempting to make them huge but you’ll risk them falling apart. Keep them bitesize – no bigger than a walnut – for best results.
- Oreos leftover? Your friends and family will love my Halloween dipped Oreos or check out my Chocolate and Peanut Butter Owl cookies.
STORAGE TIPS
- Although these oreo pumpkin cookie balls will taste great at room temperature as they contain cream cheese they need to be refrigerated. If they get too warm they may also fall apart so keep them cool right up until serving.
- They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks when stored in an airtight container (and if you can resist them that long!)
- If you plan to gift them, wrap them as you wish then keep them refrigerated until you can deliver. Don’t forget to let your recipient know to keep them refrigerated too.
PUMPKIN OREO COOKIE BALLS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can you skip freezing them before dipping them?
I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step. The chill time is essential as not only does it make the oreo pumpkin cookie balls easier to dip but cold balls will help the coating harden quicker. If they are too warm, the pretzel stalks will slide out and your balls will fall apart in the candy melts.
Can I use a low-fat cream cheese for these Oreo Pumpkin Cookie Balls?
I wouldn’t recommend low fat cream cheese as it’s slightly thinner in consistency which will affect the way your cookie ball mix binds together. Full fat cream cheese also tastes more rich and creamy. Rumor has it calories don’t count at Halloween or Thanksgiving anyway so stick to the full fat kind.
Can you store pumpkin truffles in the freezer?
Yes. Oreo cookie balls are the ultimate crowd pleaser so if you have a big Halloween party planned, double up the recipe and make a bigger batch. You can then store any leftovers in the freezer for up to 2 months. For best results, I recommend freezing them in a single layer first, then transferring to another container. That way they will retain their shape and won’t stick together as they freeze.
The oreo balls are oily when I roll them, is this normal?
The heat from your hands will naturally encourage the oil from the butter and cream cheese to release as you roll. This is totally expected. You want the mix a little oily and soft in order to morph into the perfect pumpkin shape.
MORE FALL INSPIRED FAVORITES
- Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Spice Monster Cups
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Want to steal the show at your next fallparty? Make these Oreo pumpkin cookie balls. They packed with pumpkin spice for the ultimate treat!
- 48 Golden Oreo Cookies one Family Size package
- 8 oz cream cheese one block, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 2 bags of colored candy melts 8 oz bags each-one orange, one green
- ½ cup green icing pre-made, 8 oz package
- 16 pretzel sticks each one broken in half
- Fall colored sprinkles
-
Place golden oreos in a food processor and pulse until they become a fine crumb.
-
Add the cream cheese, butter, pumpkin spice and vanilla to the oreo crumbs and blend together. (you may need to scrape down the bowl as you blend because the mixture can get caught and be sticky, make sure to thoroughly combine all the ingredients so you don’t have pockets of cream cheese).
-
Use a 1 inch cookie scoop to measure out the oreo batter, then roll each into a ball and place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
-
Push each pretzel stick piece into the tops of the oreo balls. (Make sure to leave enough at the top to allow you to dip the truffles in chocolate later.
-
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.
-
With about 5 minutes left in the chill time, using microwave safe bowls, melt the colored candy melts according to the package directions.
-
Remove the oreo balls from the freezer and begin to coat each one in chocolate.
-
Work in batches and make sure to add the sprinkles before the chocolates harden.
-
Once you assemble all the pumpkin oreo balls, pipe green leaves onto each one and place them in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to fully harden.
Because the chocolate will be warm and the oreo balls are frozen, I highly recommend working in batches. If you pull all 30 pumpkin balls out of the freezer at once, the ones sitting out on the baking sheet will begin to thaw and not stay as hardened, making it more difficult to coat each one. Only take 10-15 oreo balls out of the freezer at a time.
We recommend keeping these refrigerated until you serve them, they taste great at room temperature if you plan to have them sitting out on a platter but keeping them cool until you serve them is best. If you plan to make little bags to hand out, those can be stored in the refrigerator until you deliver them. These will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Leave a Reply