HOT COCOA DESSERT CHEESEBALL

Hot Cocoa Dessert Cheeseball made with cream cheese and hot cocoa mix. This delicious no-bake recipe is the perfect appetizer or dessert for any holiday party.

What is a Dessert Cheese Ball?

Regular cheese balls are often served as appetizers and tend to be more on the savory side for cracker dipping. This cheese ball is sweet and more like a dessert. This cheesecake cheese ball is made with butter, cream cheese, cocoa powder, dehydrated marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, and cookie crumbs. Roll the whole ball in more chocolate chips and dehydrated mini marshmallows, along with holiday sprinkles before serving. It tastes just like cheesecake, but functions like a dip – no baking required!

WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS CHEESE BALL RECIPE!

If you are not familiar with a holiday cheese ball, it is time to try one. Here are a few reasons we think you will enjoy this recipe.

• Prep it in advance. One great thing about this recipe is that you can make this dessert cheese ball a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. That means on the day of your event you have one less appetizer to prepare.
• No-Bake Dessert! This recipe is as easy as combining and shaping a few ingredients into a ball. There are no ovens, stovetops, or even microwaves needed. Making them a fantastic appetizer idea, minimal prep, and all the amazing taste!
• They are customizable. You can truly make the dessert balls to suit your own family’s tastes. Add nuts, and dried fruit, or shape your cheese ball into a festive and fun REINDEER CHRISTMAS CHEESE BALL for the next holiday party.

When to serve a cream cheese ball?

This sweetened cream cheese ball is a delicious dessert that looks great at football and tailgate parties. Holiday parties. Pretty much any gathering. Or just an after-school snack. Everybody loves this little treat no matter when you make it!

Ingredients in Hot Cocoa Dessert Cheeseball

Cream cheese – Any type of cream cheese will work great. I usually use regular cream cheese, but low-fat or non-fat varieties work well too.

Butter – A stick of butter is needed. Make sure to soften the butter to room temperature before mixing with the other ingredients. For best results, use real butter instead of margarine.

Hot cocoa mix – Use your favorite hot cocoa mix! Any flavor will work – feel free to experiment. You will need a cup of hot cocoa mix. If you are using packets, you will need about 5.

Cookie crumbs– Use a blender or food processor to grind store-bought chocolate chip cookies into fine crumbs.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips – I like to use mini chocolate chips, but regular-sized chocolate chips work great too!

Dehydrated mini marshmallows – These tiny little marshmallows are perfect for hot chocolate and they work perfectly in this recipe as well.

Holiday sprinkles – These are optional but the sprinkles add a festive splash of color to the dessert.

Dippers – Vanilla wafers, ginger snaps, graham crackers, and chocolate chip cookies are all delicious dipped in the cheeseball.

How to make Hot Cocoa Dessert Cheeseball

Mix the butter, cream cheese, hot cocoa mix, and cookie crumbs in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until very well combined. 

Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup dehydrated mini marshmallows.

Place the mixture on a piece of parchment paper, form it into a ball shape, and wrap it up in the parchment paper.

Refrigerate the cheeseball for a minimum of two hours and then unwrap it.

Combine the remaining chocolate chips, dehydrated marshmallows, and the sprinkles in a medium bowl and roll the cheeseball around in the mixture until fully coated.

Serve the cheeseball with cookies and graham crackers or whatever else sounds good. Or just eat it with a spoon!

Do I Have to Use Mini Chocolate Chips?

Nope! While mini chocolate chips do work better at holding on to the outer cheese ball, you can use regular-sized chocolate chips if you want. In fact, you could use any chocolate chip variety. So white chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate are all great options.

WHAT KIND OF CREAM CHEESE TO USE IN CHEESEBALLS?

I usually use regular cream cheese, but you can also use a low-fat or non-fat variety if you prefer. Just make sure it is softened to room temperature before adding to the recipe.

HOW TO SOFTEN CREAM CHEESE

Cream cheese is easy to soften – you can set it out at room temperature or soften it more quickly in the microwave.

-To soften at room temperature more quickly, just set the cream cheese on a plate and cut it into smaller pieces. The cream cheese should reach room temperature in about 15-20 minutes with this method.

-To soften the cream cheese in the microwave, remove the foil packaging and set the cream cheese in a small bowl or on a plate. Microwave for about 10-15 seconds. If the cream cheese is still cold and hard, continue to microwave for about 5 seconds at a time until the cream cheese is soft throughout. Just make sure not to microwave it too long or it will start to melt!

Do I Need to Refrigerate Cheesecake Balls?

Yes, when not being eaten this cream cheese ball must be kept well wrapped/covered and in the fridge for food safety reasons. Also, the original recipe recommended letting it chill overnight before being eaten, but I’m impatient and eat it straight away- it’s still incredibly delicious!

HOW LONG ARE DESSERT CHEESE BALLS GOOD FOR?

This tasty treat should be good for 5-7 days, as long as it is stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.

MORE DELICIOUS HOT COCOA RECIPES:

• HOT COCOA COOKIES
• NO-BAKE HOT CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES
• HOT CHOCOLATE SNACK MIX
• HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN
• HOT CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW COOKIE CUPS
• BANANA SPLIT HOT CHOCOLATE
• HOT CHOCOLATE DIP
• HOW TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS
• HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
• HOT CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CUPS
• SLOW COOKER HOT CHOCOLATE
• SWISS MISS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Hot Cocoa Dessert Cheeseball made with cream cheese and hot cocoa mix. This delicious no-bake recipe is the perfect appetizer or dessert for any holiday party.