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This Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheeseball (dessert cheeseball) is an edible, no flour, egg-free peanut butter that’s covered in mini chocolate chips. Sweet, smooth, and full of peanut butter flavor. Serve with an assortment of mini cookies, pretzels, or a spoon!

Be sure and try my Monster Cookie Dough Cheeseball for another cookie dough twist to a dessert cheeseball. 

A dessert cheeseball with some gone so you can see the inside, topped with chocolate chips, and surrounded with cookie dippers.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheeseball Recipe

I just love me some edible cookie dough! This peanut butter cookie dough cheeseball is so perfect with it’s no flour, no egg, edible cookie dough that’s covered in mini chocolate chips (or brown sprinkles) and eaten with mini cookies and pretzels. 

Simple to make for dessert, a fun treat to share with friends or your kids, and I even make it every year for the Super Bowl! I use white cookie icing to create the white laces on the football and then form the cookie dough into a football shape. It’s always a hit. 

This dessert cheeseball can easily be adapted for any Holiday using themed sprinkles for the outside coating and/or using Holiday themed m&m’s for inside the cookie dough mixture. 

A plate of dessert cheeseball with chocolate chips covering it and with cookie dipper and pretzels around it.

Ingredients Needed

  • Butter – I use salted butter but if you prefer unsalted butter then go ahead and use that instead. Make sure the butter is well softened so it will mix in smoothly, with no chunks, into the peanut butter cookie dough mixture. 
  • Cream Cheese – I always recommend using full-fat, real cream cheese in baking recipes. The texture is much thicker and the flavor is leaps and bounds better than the reduced-fat stuff. Make sure this is softened as well so it will mix in smoothly with no chunks. 
  • Creamy Peanut Butter – It’s important to use regular peanut butter. Do not use the kind where it has that layer of oil on top, or it says all-natural, or no-stir on the bottle. Stick with regular peanut butter like from Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan, etc. 
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Mini Chocolate Chips – I recommend only using the mini sized chocolate chips for this recipe. You will add some into the peanut butter cookie dough ball and then also coat the outside of the cheeseball with more. 
  • Serving Stuff – We love this cheeseball with mini cookies like Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers, Nutter Butter bites, chocolate chip teddy grahams, mini fudge stripes cookies, or try some pretzels or a spoon works too! 😉

Ingredients with each one labeled in text with what it is.

How To Make a Cookie Dough Dessert Cheeseball

Learn how to make this dessert cheeseball with edible peanut butter cookie dough! Be sure and read below where there is a printable recipe card, a pin it button so you can save it for later, and all the tips so that you can have success making this cheeseball. 

  • Creamy Mix : Add the softened butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat until smooth and combined well. Add in the vanilla extract and beat just until combined. 
  • Sugar : Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed, increasing speed as needed, until it’s incorporated well. If the dough is too sticky and not easily formed into a ball with your hands/fingers, then add additional powdered sugar. If you want it sweeter, add more powdered sugar now. I use about 2 cups + 1/4 cup total. 
  • Mini Chocolate Chips : Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. 
  • Cheese Ball : Form the cookie dough into a ball and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or the serving plate you are using. Coat the outside with mini chocolate chips. Cover the cheeseball or the plate it’s on and let it refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving. 

How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.

How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.

How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.

How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.

How To Store Leftovers

Keep leftovers of this dessert cheeseball in the fridge. Make sure it’s covered, either with plastic wrap or foil, and it will keep fresh for up to 4-5 days. If it lasts that long!

The cheeseball will get firm in the fridge but if you let it sit out at room temperature for several minutes before eating/serving, it will soften up real quick and be perfect for dipping. 

Serving Suggestions

Whenever I make this peanut butter cookie dough cheeseball I always serve it with mini sized cookies and pretzels. 

  • Mini Cookies – At the store you can find small packs of mini sized cookies or sometimes bags of them in the cookie aisle. We love Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butters, Keebler Fudge Stripes, and Nilla Wafers. Yes you can use the regular sized cookies but for some reason those minis taste so much better. I always use them. 
  • Pretzels – That sweet & salty combo is the best! 
  • Spoon – This is an edible cookie dough so if you want to eat it with a spoon, go for it!
  • Apple Slices – This is another great serving option. 
  • Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams

Plate with a cheeseball on it, for dessert, with cookies and pretzels around it on a white plate.

Variation Ideas

Here are a few changes that you can make to this recipe to switch it up. 

  • Chocolate/Brown Sprinkles : Instead of using mini chocolate chips on the outside try using chocolate brown colored sprinkles instead. This is a variation that I will normally do whenever I make this. The sprinkles are fun, and much easier for kids to eat, rather than the harder/crisper texture of the unbaked chocolate chips. 
  • Peanut Butter M&M’s : Stick with the peanut butter theme and use crushed up peanut butter m&m’s inside the cheeseball instead of mini chocolate chips. 
  • Crunchy Peanut Butter : Swap out the creamy peanut butter for crunchy. This will add some texture to the cheese ball with the chopped up peanuts inside. 
  • Holidays : Make this cookie dough cheeseball for any Holiday using the colored m&m’s for that particular Holiday and then use Holiday themed sprinkles to coat the outside of the cheeseball with. Or just use the mini chocolate chips inside the cheeseball but the themed/colored sprinkles on the outside. Perfect for Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day, and 4th of July. 
  • Super Bowl Party : Shape the cookie dough into a football, use mini chips or brown sprinkles to coat the outside, and then use white cookie icing to make the white laces on top of the football. They usually have football shaped pretzels around the Super Bowl and those are always fun to serve alongside this. 

A spoon with edible cookie dough on it.

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

  • Sweeter Cheeseball/Dough Too Sticky? : The recipe calls for 2 cups of powdered sugar but if your cookie dough ball is really sticky, or difficult to form into a ball, you probably need to add additional powdered sugar. I usually end up using about 2 + 1/4 cups of powdered sugar. I think it’s the perfect sweetness and makes the cheeseball easier to handle. But some may find it too sweet so 2 cups of powdered sugar will definitely do the job. 
  • Don’t Use All-Natural or No-Stir Peanut Butters : This recipe has been specifically created with regular creamy peanut butter. The all natural peanut butters, the type with the oil layer on top that you need to stir in, are usually drier and thicker which means you won’t end up with a smooth & silky cheeseball texture inside. 
  • Fridge Time : It’s important to let the peanut butter cookie dough cheeseball sit in the fridge, covered, for at least 1-2 hours before serving. It will firm up and almost be too hard to eat right out of the fridge, but let it sit at room temperature for just a few minutes, and it will soften perfectly for eating and dipping. 

Close up of edible cookie dough shaped like a cheeseball.

You’ll Also Love These Savory Cheeseballs

 

Plate with a cheeseball on it, for dessert, with cookies and pretzels around it on a white plate.
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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheeseball


Author Jessica - Together as Family
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Fridge Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10
This Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheeseball (dessert cheeseball) is an edible, no flour, egg-free peanut butter that's covered in mini chocolate chips. Sweet, smooth, and full of peanut butter flavor. Serve with an assortment of mini cookies, pretzels, or a spoon!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Outside of Cheeseball/Serving

  • 1 bag (10 oz) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (*see notes)
  • Mini Oreo Cookies, Nutter Butter Bites, Mini Chips Ahoy, Pretzels, Mini Nilla Wafers, Mini Graham Cracker shapes, Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams, Mini Fudge Stripes, etc.

Instructions

  • Add the peanut butter, butter, and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until smooth and combined.
    * It's important to use soft butter + cream cheese to avoid lumps in the mixture.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
    How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed, increasing speed as needed, until everything is combined.
    *At this point, if the cookie dough is too sticky and hard to form a ball using your fingers, or if you want it sweeter, you may need to add more powdered sugar. About an additional 1/4 cup.
    How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.
  • Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
  • Turn the cookie dough onto a parchment lined countertop, serving plate, or cookie sheet. Use your clean hands to form it into a ball. Cover the entire outside of the cheeseball with mini chocolate chips (or chocolate brown colored sprinkles work too).
    * I suggest not doing this part on the serving plate you're using to serve, as it is messy with all the sprinkles or mini chips.
    How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.
  • Transfer the cheeseball to the fridge, cover it with plastic wrap or foil, and let it refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  • Serve with mini cookies, pretzels, apple slices, or a spoon!
    * I share lots of ideas for serving up in the ingredient section of the recipe card.
    * The dip out of the fridge will be firm and hard to dip anything into it, let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before serving, and it will soften up perfectly.
    How to make an edible dessert cheeseball with step by step process photos.

Notes

Outside Coating : I frequently make this recipe using chocolate/brown colored sprinkles for the outside rather than mini chocolate chips. The mini chips have a harder texture which can be difficult for some kids. Using sprinkles on the outside is most often how I make this recipe. 
Variations : Use mini m&m's or chopped peanut butter m&m's inside the cheeseball rather than the mini chocolate chips. You can also coat the outside of the cheeseball with chopped peanut butter m&m's, or try using peanut butter chips on the outside or inside the cheeseball in place of the mini chips. 
I make this for the Super Bowl and shape the cookie dough into a football shape. I then use white cookie icing to make the laces on top. 
Make this for any Holiday using the color themed m&m's for that Holiday and/or use Holiday themed sprinkles to coat the outside of the cheeseball. 
Recipe Yield : This recipe yields approximately 2.5 cups of peanut butter cookie dough. I figure the serving size is about 1/4 cup each, so this cheeseball can feed 10 people. The serving number could be larger or smaller depending on how much each person eats. For my family of 6, this cheeseball is plenty and we always have leftovers. 
Mini Cookies : I love serving this cheeseball with the mini sized cookies. Of course, you can use regular sized, but the minis are just so cute and they look great on the plate around the cheeseball. We also like this with pretzels, a spoon, apple slices, and even some bite sized graham cracker shapes. 
Tip : Don't put the cookies or pretzels on the plate with the cheeseball, while it's refrigerating for 1-2 hours, before serving. Only refrigerate the cheeseball and then add the serving cookies and pretzels when you take it out of the fridge for serving. 
This cookie dough cheeseball will firm up in the fridge, which might make it hard to dip or eat, leave the cheeseball at room temperature for several minutes before serving, and it will soften up perfectly for dipping and eating. 
Leftover cheeseball needs to be stored, covered, in the fridge.
Use regular creamy peanut butter and NOT the kind that is all-natural, no-stir, or has that layer of oil on top. Those peanut butters tend to be drier and thicker, which won't turn out well in this recipe. But you can always experiment. 
Nutrition Information : This is for 10 servings with each serving being equal to 1/4 cup of cookie dough. It includes the mini chips inside the cookie dough and mini chips on the outside. This information could vary greatly depending on what you put on the outside. It does not include any calories for serving dippers like cookies or pretzels. 

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

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