These gingerbread truffles are no bake balls of crushed gingerbread cookies, cream cheese and warm spices, dipped in white chocolate. One batch makes 20 to 24 truffles and takes about 55 minutes, and 30 of those are the dough chilling in the fridge.
The ratio is the whole recipe: 300 g of fine cookie crumbs to 120 g of cream cheese. That gives a dough you can roll without it sticking, and the cream cheese makes each one taste like a small bite of gingerbread cheesecake.
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Try the Recipe Converter →What You Need for 20 to 24 Truffles
- Cookies: 300 g (about 2 1/2 cups) gingerbread cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
- Cream cheese: 120 g (4 oz, half a block), softened
- Spices: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- Vanilla: 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Coating: 250 g (8 oz) white chocolate chips or melting wafers
- Toppings (optional): festive sprinkles, crushed gingerbread or a dusting of cinnamon
There is no ground ginger on the list because the cookies already bring it. Cinnamon gives the familiar holiday smell, nutmeg rounds it out, and the cloves add an edge. Measure the cloves level. A heaped 1/4 teaspoon is enough to make the whole batch taste medicinal. The teaspoon of vanilla keeps the cream cheese from tasting sour next to the white chocolate.
Which Gingerbread Cookies to Crush
Use crisp, dry cookies: packaged gingerbread, gingersnaps or Swedish style ginger thins. They grind to an even crumb and soak up the cream cheese the same way every time. Soft homemade cookies vary with how long they baked, and the soft ones turn into a wet paste.
If you only have leftover gingerbread man cookies, leave them out on a tray for a few hours to dry before you crush them. Pulse in a food processor until the crumbs look like fine sand with no pieces bigger than a lentil, or crush them in a sealed bag with a rolling pin. Big pieces make lumpy balls that poke through the coating.
Mixing a Dough That Holds Its Shape
Stir the crumbs, soft cream cheese, spices and vanilla together in a large bowl. The cream cheese should be soft enough to press with a spoon but not warm or melted. A spatula gets it started. Your hands finish the job faster, and the dough comes out smoother.
Then do the squeeze test. Pinch a tablespoon of dough and roll it. It should hold together without cracking and not coat your fingers. Cracks mean it is too dry, so work in more cream cheese a teaspoon at a time. If it smears, add a spoonful of crumbs or chill the bowl for 10 minutes. Use full fat block cream cheese, because the spreadable tub kind is softer and makes the dough sticky.
Cream Cheese or Sweetened Condensed Milk
Both work as the binder, and they make two different truffles. Cream cheese firms up in the fridge, so the balls hold their shape on the fork, and the slight tang keeps them from tasting too sweet under white chocolate. That tang is the cheesecake flavor, and it is the version in the recipe card. If you like that flavor, gingerbread cheesecake bars lean into it even more.
Sweetened condensed milk gives the older, fudgier style. The dough is sweeter, softer and chewier, and it never sets as firm, so these need a longer chill before dipping.
Gingerbread Truffles With Condensed Milk
Leave out the 120 g of cream cheese and keep everything else the same. Add about 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk to the crumbs and spices, mix, and then add more a tablespoon at a time, usually up to about 1/2 cup, until a pinched ball holds together. Roll them, then freeze the balls for 20 to 30 minutes instead of 15, because the softer dough slips off the fork if it is not cold.
Rolling and Chilling Before You Dip
Scoop level tablespoons so all the truffles set at the same speed, and roll each one between your palms. Damp hands stop the dough from sticking. Line them up on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Chill the tray for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, or 15 minutes in the freezer, until the balls feel firm when you press one. A cold center sets the coating quickly. A soft one slides off the fork and leaves a bald patch.
Dipping Gingerbread Balls in White Chocolate
Chips are easier to find. Wafers melt smoother and stay glossy longer. Either one works if you treat it gently. Microwave in 30 second bursts and stir after each one, and stop while a few pieces are still whole, then stir until they melt. White chocolate scorches and turns thick much sooner than dark chocolate. Keep the bowl and fork completely dry too, because one drop of water makes it seize.
Drop a truffle in, roll it with a fork, lift it, and tap the fork on the rim so the extra drips back. Do not spear it. If the chocolate thickens halfway through, give it another 10 seconds. Balls straight from the freezer can crack the shell as they warm, so let those sit 5 minutes first.
Toppings for a Christmas Cookie Box
Add toppings while the coating is still wet, because once it sets nothing sticks. Crushed gingerbread on half and a pinch of cinnamon on the rest makes it easy to tell them apart on a platter. Red and white sprinkles look best in a gift box, next to peppermint Oreo truffles or a few squares of gingerbread fudge. Let the coating set at room temperature, or put the tray back in the fridge to speed it up.
For gifting, set them in mini paper cups so they do not rub against each other. My Christmas cookie packaging ideas have more ways to box them up.
How Long Gingerbread Truffles Keep
Store the set truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, with parchment between the layers. To freeze, lay them in a single layer until hard, then move them to a sealed bag or container for up to 1 month. Before serving from frozen, let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
That makes them easy to make a week ahead of a party. For the dessert table, serve them with a gingerbread latte or a slice of gingerbread cake.
Quick Answers Before You Roll
Can I make 3 ingredient gingerbread truffles?
Yes. Cookies, cream cheese and white chocolate are all you need if your gingerbread is well spiced. The cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla just make the flavor stronger.
What is the difference between cookie truffles and gingerbread cake truffles?
These use crisp cookie crumbs, so they are denser with a little bite. Gingerbread cake truffles start with a baked gingerbread cake crumbled into cream cheese, so they are softer and more like cake pops, with a milk or dark chocolate shell.
Gingerbread Truffles Recipe
These gingerbread truffles are no bake balls made with crushed gingerbread cookies, cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla, dipped in white chocolate. The recipe makes 20 to 24 truffles of about 1 tablespoon each in about 55 minutes, including a 30 minute chill, with a soft, spiced center and a crisp white chocolate shell. The ratio of 300 g fine cookie crumbs to 120 g cream cheese gives a dough that rolls cleanly and tastes like a small gingerbread cheesecake bite. Serve these gingerbread balls dipped in white chocolate on a Christmas dessert platter, pack them into cookie boxes, or give them as gifts. For gingerbread truffles with condensed milk, swap the cream cheese for about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. They keep 1 week in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 300g (about 2 ½ cups) gingerbread cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
- 120g (4 oz or half a block) cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g (8 oz) white chocolate chips or melting wafers, for coating
- Optional toppings: festive sprinkles, crushed gingerbread, or a dusting of cinnamon
Instructions
- CRUSH THE COOKIES: Place the gingerbread cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Alternatively, place them in a sealed zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until they reach a fine crumb texture.
- MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, combine the crushed cookies with softened cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla extract. Stir until fully incorporated and a soft, sticky dough forms. Using clean hands to mix can help achieve a smoother texture.
- ROLL INTO BALLS: Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it between your palms to form a ball. Place each truffle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 20–24 truffles.
- CHILL THE TRUFFLES: Place the tray in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes until the truffles are firm enough to dip.
- MELT AND DIP: Add the white chocolate chips or melting wafers to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Dip each chilled truffle into the chocolate using a fork, allowing the excess to drip off. Return the coated truffle to the parchment-lined tray. Add optional toppings while the coating is still wet.
- LET SET: Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature or place the tray back in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Once set, the truffles are ready to serve or store.
Notes
Use crisp store-bought gingerbread cookies or gingersnaps and grind them to fine crumbs; soft cookies make a sticky paste.
Squeeze test: a pinch of dough should hold together without cracking and not coat your fingers. Add cream cheese a teaspoon at a time if it cracks, or a spoonful of crumbs if it smears.
Use full fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable tub kind.
Condensed milk version: replace the cream cheese with about 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, adding more a tablespoon at a time (up to about 1/2 cup), and freeze the balls 20 to 30 minutes before dipping.
White chocolate scorches easily: stop microwaving while a few pieces are still whole and stir until smooth. Keep the bowl and fork completely dry. Let balls from the freezer sit 5 minutes before dipping so the coating does not crack.
Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a sealed bag or container for up to 1 month. Let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving from frozen.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 36Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 2mgSodium 25mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 3gProtein 1g
Did you use store bought gingerbread cookies for this recipe? Crunchy or soft?
Tessa, I used store-bought gingerbread cookies for these. The crunchy kind works best because they blend into a fine crumb and give the truffle mixture a smoother finish. I tried a softer cookie once, and the dough turned pasty, which made the centers a bit dense. If you stick with the crisp ones, you’ll get that creamy texture when it mixes with the cream cheese 😊
Can you freeze these?
Sabrina, yes, they freeze well. I freeze them in a single layer first, then move them to a sealed container once they’re firm. That keeps the coating from getting scuffed. When you’re ready to serve them, let them rest on the counter for about fifteen minutes. I’ve kept batches this way for holiday trays and the texture stays dependable. 😊
hey emma! would gingersnaps work for this?
Hey, Mary 😊 Gingersnaps can definitely work, especiallyy if you like a bit of crunch and a stronger spice. Just keep in mind they’re usually crisper than traditional gingerbread cookies, so the texture of the truffle filling might turn out a little firmer and less chewy. If you’re using really crunchy gingersnaps, you might want to pulse them a bit finer and add a touch more cream cheese to help it all bind smoothly. Let me know how it goes if you try it!