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Christmas Oreo Balls dressed up as Rudolph are the treat that steals the cookie tray, mint Oreo truffle centers dipped in chocolate with pretzel antlers and little candy faces, and the December weekend we made a batch, Maddie and Lizzie argued over who got to place the red noses. If you want the classic undecorated version, our Oreo balls are the plain dipped original.
The dough is just two ingredients, and the reindeer faces are easier than they look.
Christmas Oreo Balls Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes (no bake)
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes plus freezing
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 pieces
- ⚡ Calories: 102kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fudgy mint chocolate truffle centers under a snappy chocolate shell
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy with a fun decorating step, same energy as our cream cheese mints
Quick Answer
Pulse mint Oreos to crumbs in a food processor, mix with softened cream cheese until it forms a dough, and roll into tablespoon sized balls. Press broken pretzel pieces into the tops as antlers and freeze overnight. Dip each ball in melted almond bark, then attach a red M&M nose and candy eyes with leftover melted bark. Let them set and serve.
Jump to:
- Christmas Oreo Balls Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Christmas Oreo Balls
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Christmas Oreo Balls FAQs
- Other Recommended Christmas Treat Recipes
- Christmas Oreo Balls
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The whole Oreo goes in. Cookie and cream filling together grind into crumbs that already carry fat and sugar, so the centers taste like fudgy truffles, not dry cookie dust.
- Cream cheese is the binder. Its soft fat structure holds the crumbs in a rollable dough with a cheesecake tang that cuts the sweetness of the coating.
- Antlers go in before freezing. Pressing the pretzels into soft dough and then freezing locks them in place, so they survive the dip instead of sliding out.
- Freezing before dipping. Cold, firm balls hold their shape in warm melted bark and the coating sets in a thin, snappy shell almost on contact.
- Almond bark over chocolate chips. Bark is formulated for melting and re-setting, it stays fluid for dipping and hardens with a clean snap, no tempering required.
- The antlers double as handles. Holding the pretzels while you dip keeps your fingers out of the chocolate, just be gentle so they do not break.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are a no bake treat, the oven stays off and the kids can do half the work, rolling balls and sticking on faces.
- One batch makes 24 reindeer, enough for the school party AND the cookie tray, right alongside our Christmas fudge.
- The mint Oreo center under snappy chocolate tastes like a peppermint patty and an Oreo had a Christmas baby.
Key Ingredients
Six simple ingredients turn into a herd of reindeer, and each one has a job.
- Mint Oreos: The whole cookie, filling and all, becomes the truffle center. The mint plays perfectly against the chocolate coating, though regular Oreos work if your crowd is mint averse.
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese binds the cookie crumbs into that fudgy, truffle-like dough. Full fat holds together best.
- Almond Bark: The chocolate coating that shells each ball. It melts smoother and sets harder than chocolate chips, which is exactly what you want for dipping.
- Pretzels: Broken into curved pieces, they become the antlers. Mini twists give you the most antler-shaped breaks per bag.
- Red M&Ms and Candy Eyes: The Rudolph faces. A dab of leftover almond bark glues them right on.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The reindeer format is endlessly riffable, here is where to take it.
- Regular Oreos: Not a mint family? Classic Oreos make the traditional cookie ball, golden Oreos make a vanilla version.
- Peanut butter noses: Swap the red M&Ms for Reese’s Pieces for a peanut butter chocolate combo.
- White chocolate herd: Dip in white almond bark instead for polar-bear-style treats, the antlers still read as reindeer.
- Skip the faces: Roll the dipped balls in crushed candy canes or sprinkles instead, basically our classic Oreo balls in a holiday coat.
- Dark chocolate: Dark almond bark against the mint centers turns these into a grown up after dinner treat.
How to Make Christmas Oreo Balls
- Place the Oreos in a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the softened cream cheese and mix until it comes together in a dough-like consistency.
- Portion the mixture with a tablespoon scoop and roll into balls. Place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Break the pretzels gently into curved pieces to form antlers, and press two into the top of each cookie ball. Freeze overnight.
- Melt the almond bark as directed on the package. Carefully dip each frozen cookie ball into the melted bark and place it back on the lined sheet. The antlers help with dipping, just handle them gently so they do not break.
- By the time you finish dipping, the first balls will be set. Spoon the remaining almond bark into a zip top bag, snip a tiny corner, and use it to attach a red M&M nose and two candy eyes to each ball.
- Let the faces set completely, then serve your reindeer.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Freeze the balls overnight. This is the step that makes dipping painless, soft centers fall apart in warm almond bark.
- Soften the cream cheese first so it blends evenly into the crumbs, cold cream cheese leaves white streaks in the dough.
- Break extra antlers. Pretzels snap unpredictably, break a big handful and pick the most antler-shaped pieces.
- Melt the bark in short bursts and stir between each, overheated almond bark turns thick and gloppy and coats unevenly.
- Use a fork or dipping tool to lift each ball out of the chocolate and tap off the excess before setting it down.
- Glue faces with melted bark, not pressure. Pushing candy into a set shell cracks it, a tiny dab of warm bark works like cement.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Line them up on the holiday dessert tray next to our Christmas fudge and Christmas sandwich cookies, the reindeer are always the first to go.
For a party spread with height, stand them on a cake pedestal beside our Christmas tree meringue cookies and a bowl of candied grapes.
They make adorable gifts, tuck 4 or 5 in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon, and they hold up beautifully at room temperature for a party.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and let them sit out for 10 minutes before serving so the centers soften slightly.
Christmas Oreo Balls FAQs
Yes, Christmas Oreo balls are a perfect make ahead treat. The undipped balls can sit in the freezer for up to a month, and fully decorated reindeer keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The overnight freeze is built into the recipe anyway, so you are already working ahead.
Yes, because of the cream cheese centers, Christmas Oreo balls should live in the refrigerator. They are fine sitting out on a dessert tray for a couple of hours at a party, but for storage beyond that, keep them chilled in an airtight container.
Absolutely. Regular Oreos give you the classic cookies and cream flavor, and the recipe works exactly the same, 30 cookies to 8 ounces of cream cheese. The mint version just adds a peppermint patty vibe that feels extra festive for Christmas Oreo balls.
They were not cold enough. The balls must be frozen solid before they hit the warm almond bark, soft centers absorb heat and crumble. Freeze them overnight, and only take out a few at a time while dipping so the rest stay firm.
Candy melts are the easiest one to one swap for coating Christmas Oreo balls. Chocolate chips work too if you add a teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening to thin them, though the shell sets softer and can bloom in the refrigerator. Bark and candy melts stay the most reliable.
Press the pretzel pieces into the balls while the dough is still soft, before freezing. The overnight freeze locks them in place so they hold through dipping. If an antler breaks or pops loose, dab the hole with melted almond bark and reseat it, the bark sets like glue.
Want the classic version without the antlers? Our Oreo balls are the year-round original.
Park the reindeer next to a forest of our Christmas tree cupcakes.
Keep the tray going with our striped-kiss red velvet blossom cookies.
Christmas Oreo Balls
Ingredients
- 30 mint Oreos 15.25 oz container
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- almond bark
- pretzels
- red M&Ms
- candy eyes
Instructions
- Place Oreos in a food processor and pulse until they form crumbs. Add in the cream cheese and mix to combine. It will for a dough like consistency.30 mint Oreos
- Portion mix and roll into balls using a tablespoon scoop. Place on a lined baking sheet.30 mint Oreos
- Taking the pretzels and breaking them slightly to form antlers, press into the cookie balls on the top. Freeze over night.30 mint Oreos
- Melt the almond bark as directed on the back of the package. Carefully dip the cookie balls into the melted almond bark. Place back on cookie sheet. (I used the pretzel antlers to help with the dipping but be careful with them so they don’t break!)30 mint Oreos
- By the time you are done dipping all the cookie balls, the first ones will be hardened and ready to decorate. Place the remaining almond bark into a zip lock bag with a tiny bit of a corner snipped off. Now, attach the noses to all of the cookie balls and then the eyes.30 mint Oreos
- Let them harden, serve and enjoy!30 mint Oreos
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I just melt the whole block, the one I get is normally a 24 ounce block. However, you will have a lot left over, but its needed since you have to dunk the Oreo balls in, otherwise, it would be difficult to coat them. Hope that helps!
How much almond bark do you use?
Congratulations Dana! It’s looks so easy. Nice decoration for the Christmas Dinner!