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The ultimate Oreo Cookie Balls recipe is right here, waiting to be rolled into your family’s holiday cookie line-up. These no-bake beauties get drizzled with a homemade Caramel Sauce, but you can change them up in a million different delicious, chocolatey ways.
This recipe for cookie balls is as simple as it gets. And with all the different OREO flavors out there, limited edition and otherwise, you’ll have a blast trying all the combinations you dream up.
All you need is three ingredients: a package of OREOS, a box of cream cheese, and semi-sweet baking chocolate. All the steps, plus the recipe for the caramel sauce, is down below.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Caramel sauce: This recipe includes our luscious homemade caramel sauce for drizzling, but you could substitute a jar of store-bought (or omit toppings entirely or choose something else; please see Recipe Tips and Variations for lots of ideas).
Step-by-step instructions
- In a food processor or by hand, finely crush cookies.
- Add cream cheese and mix until evenly combined (filling should have a fudgy texture and appearance). Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (double-boiler method) or melt in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments. Using a spoon, carefully roll chilled balls in melted chocolate.
- Place in single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm.
- To make the caramel sauce, in a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until butter is melted.
- Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan and place a candy thermometer into the mixture, ensuring it does not touch the bottom of the pan. Without stirring, allow the mixture to cook until mixture reaches 235 degrees, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla. Do not over-stir. Allow mixture to cool and thicken, about 10-15 minutes.
- Drizzle cookie balls with caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes longer.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe will make about 36 cookie balls depending on exactly what size you roll them.
- Storage: Store these covered in the refrigerator (or on your patio in winter if you live in a cold climate) for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Melting chocolate in the microwave: Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and melted.
- More toppings: Skip the caramel drizzle + sea salt combo and choose your own adventure! Try sprinkles, toasted nuts, chocolate shavings, crushed candy canes, or finely ground graham cracker crumbs.
- Lemon: Pick up lemon-flavored Oreos in the spring and make this lemony variety.
- Golden Vanilla: Substitute golden Oreos for the standard chocolate variety and dip in white chocolate if desired.
- Circus: Remember those pink and white circus cookies from your childhood? Grind those up and make Circus Cookie Balls. You’ll love ’em!
- Peppermint Bark: Dip in dark chocolate coating, drizzle with white chocolate, and top with crushed candy canes.
Recipe FAQs
Oreo cookie balls are made from crushed Oreo cookies, cream cheese, and chocolate candy coating. That’s it!
Yes, because of the cream cheese in the filling, Oreo cookie balls should be refrigerated (or stored on your patio if it’s winter and you live in a cold climate).
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Oreo Cookie Balls
Ingredients
For the Oreo cookie balls:
- 1 (14.3 ounce) package OREO cookies (36 cookies)
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 (4 ounce) boxes semi-sweet baking chocolate melted
For the caramel sauce (see note 1):
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Kosher salt for garnish, optional
Instructions
To make the Oreo cookie balls:
- In a food processor or by hand, finely crush cookies. Add cream cheese and mix until evenly combined (filling should have a fudgy texture and appearance). Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (double-boiler method) or melt in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments.
- Using a spoon, carefully roll chilled balls in melted chocolate. Place in single layer in baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm.
To make the caramel sauce:
- In a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until butter is melted.
- Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan and place a candy thermometer into the mixture, ensuring it does not touch the bottom of the pan. Without stirring, allow the mixture to cook until mixture reaches 235 degrees, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla. Do not over-stir. Allow mixture to cool and thicken, about 10-15 minutes.
- Drizzle cookie balls with caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes longer.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Caramel sauce: This recipe includes our luscious homemade caramel sauce for drizzling, but you could substitute a jar of store-bought (or omit toppings entirely or choose something else; please see Recipe Tips and Variations for lots of ideas).
- Yield: This recipe will make about 36 cookie balls depending on exactly what size you roll them.
- Storage: Store these covered in the refrigerator (or on your patio in winter if you live in a cold climate) for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Amei a receita, certamente irei testar. Obrigada pelo compartilhamento.
Do the balls have to be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese?
Hi Elaine, yes! Or if you live in a cold climate, put them in your garage or outside. I will go fix this in the recipe so everyone knows. Thanks for the question!
Where do you find salted Carmel sauce?
Hi Ann, so sorry about that. I used to have a post with it, but the link was going somewhere else. I just got the Salted Caramel Sauce posted on its own. It’s on my homepage and linked 3 times in this recipe now. So sorry about that! If you don’t want to make it, you could try buying caramel sauce from the store and adding salt until you like the taste. I should really do that so I can provide the shortcut details! Thanks for letting me know about this. Take care.
What is the carmel sauce? Is it like what you would put on sundaes?
Hi Colleen, you could definitely put it on ice cream sundaes. I’ve also put it on cookies. It’s just a basic salted caramel sauce. I also have to say, it’s optional with these OREO cookie balls… they are good without it. But they are crazy good with it!
I make some variation of these every year around the holidays. They are so easy and everyone lovessss them! The peanut butter Oreos are really good coated with melted Reese’s chips and drizzled with chocolate. The birthday cake Oreo’s make really good ones too! Happy Holidays!
The salted caramel sounds amazing! I needed a great salted caramel recipe for some cookies I’m making for my son, thanks for the great recipe! YUM! #client
I crush my Oreos in the food processor. Super quick and easy. Love the idea of adding salted caramel… which I happen to LOVE!
Yes, the food processor is the way to go for sure. I was at my mom’s house when I made these, no food processor in sight, but of course that is what we should all be doing to make these!
do you have to store them in the fridge since there is cream cheese in it? thanks
Yes, I would. Thank you for reminding me to add that to my post!