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Enjoy this festive red and green Christmas Cookie Dough Cheeseball at your next holiday party or as a yummy snack for a family movie night. This cookie dough is perfectly safe to eat because it has no eggs and no flour in it. Serve with cookies and pretzels for a yummy Christmas treat!
Do you want more “cheeseball” cookie dough dessert dips? Try my Monster Cookie Dough Cheeseball and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheeseball.
Red & Green Christmas Monster Cookie Dough Dessert Cheeseball Recipe
Whenever I finally spot the cute mini sized red & green Christmas m&m’s at the store, I always stock up for holiday baking. As in I bought 8 bags of them the other day!
I love making Christmas treats with the mini m&m’s. Something about the mini size that makes things so much yummier and cuter.
This dessert “cheeseball” is actually an egg-free and flour-free cookie dough that gets rolled into a big ball and then covered in mini m&m’s for that festive Christmastime look.
Serve it alongside an assortment of dipping options like pretzels, shortbread cookies, mini cookies such as Chips Ahoy or Oreos, Nilla Wafers, Teddy Grahams, and whatever else you can think of. No limits!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter : I use salted butter but unsalted butter can also be used if that’s your preference.
- Cream Cheese : For the best creamy, thick texture and taste I always recommend using full-fat cream cheese and the Philadelphia brand (it tastes the best by far!).
- Creamy Peanut Butter : Use regular peanut butter and nothing that is labeled as ‘no-stir’, ‘all-natural’, or anything with a thick oil layer on top. Those peanut butters tend to be thicker which creates a drier cheeseball that is not as creamy. Use Skippy, Jif, or Peter Pan.
- Vanilla Extract
- Light Brown Sugar : Gives the cookie dough that ‘authentic’ taste.
- Powdered Sugar
- Quick Oats
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Mini Red & Green M&M’s
How To Make A Christmas Cookie Dough Dessert Cheeseball (Printable Recipe Card)
In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter until it’s thoroughly combined and creamed together well. The mixture should be much lighter in color and look creamy.
Add in the vanilla extract and light brown sugar. Beat until combined.
Add in the powdered sugar, quick oats, mini chocolate chips, and mini m&m’s. Beat on low speed (increase the speed as needed) until combined well.
Use a rubber spatula or your clean hands to form the cookie dough into a ball. The dough should not be so sticky that you can’t form and handle it into a ball.
Place the cookie dough ball onto a plate. Gently press the mini m&m’s into the sides and all over the top of the cookie dough ball until it’s completely covered.
Cover the cheeseball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. You can serve the cheeseball right away but it will be much softer. The dip is firm immediately from the fridge, but as it sit out at room temperature it will soften up making it easy to dip.
Serve with your favorite dipping options like graham crackers, pretzels, mini Oreos, mini Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers, shortbread cookies, etc.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftover dip inside the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3-4 days. I recommend removing the dipping options from the plate before storing the dessert cheeseball in the fridge.
My Tips For Success
- Fridge Time : This Christmas dessert cheeseball tastes best after it has had some fridge time before serving. You don’t need much; about 2 hours will do the trick. It will firm up while in the fridge, but the flavors meld together and it just tastes so much better. Let the cheeseball sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before serving so it can soften up slightly.
- Use Mini Chocolate Chips and M&M’s : The smaller size of the chocolate chips and m&m’s works better in this cheeseball dip. Of course, if you can’t find the mini size you can use regular, but I recommend using the mini size.
- Assorted Dipping Options : Serve with an assortment of dipping options! We love pretzels, Nilla Wafers, Mini Chips Ahoy cookies, Mini Oreos, and shortbread cookies. Sliced apples are another great option, or try Teddy grahams, Wafers, or graham crackers sticks or squares.
More Fun Christmas Treats You’ll Love
- Christmas Tree Cake Dip
- Easy Santa Claus Cookies
- Santa’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Christmas Roll Pretzels
- Buddy The Elf Snack Mix
- Buddy The Elf Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Fudge
Christmas Cookie Dough Cheeseball
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup mini m&m’s Christmas mix
- additional m&m's for the outside (about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter until it's thoroughly combined and creamed together well. The mixture should be much lighter in color and look creamy.4 tablespoons salted butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- Add in the light brown sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Add in the powdered sugar, quick oats, mini chocolate chips, and mini m&m's. Beat on low speed (increase the speed as needed) until combined well.1¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 cup quick oats, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/2 cup mini m&m’s Christmas mix
- Use a rubber spatula or your clean hands to form the cookie dough into a ball. The dough should not be so sticky that you can't form and handle it into a ball.
- Place the cookie dough ball onto a plate. Gently press the mini m&m's into the sides and all over the top of the cookie dough ball until it's completely covered.additional m&m's for the outside
- Cover the cheeseball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.*You can serve the cheeseball right away but it will be much softer. It does taste better chilled after the flavors have time to meld together. The dip is firm immediately from the fridge, but as it sits out at room temperature it will soften up making it easy to dip.
- Serve with your favorite dipping options like graham crackers, pretzels, mini Oreos, mini Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers, shortbread cookies, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
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