A Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball is the appetizer or treat you didn’t know you needed! A “cookie dough” covered in your favorite cookie toppings! What could be better than that?
With soft, flavored cream cheese, this Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball is so delicious, you’d think it was actual cookie dough!
What is a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball?
Think of this as the sweet cousin of the savory cheese ball. It’s almost like cookie dough! Instead of using cheeses, cream cheese is whipped, sweetened, and flavored just like your favorite cookie dough and then rolled in your favorite cookie toppings and additions.
Unlike other cookie dough-flavored recipes, this one doesn’t have flour! So there are no worries about eating raw flour and it’s actually gluten-free. And eggs, nope! None are to be found here.
How and When to Serve a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
Short answer? Anytime! Serve this easy Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball as a fun snack for your guests. Not only is it simple to prepare but it is easy and fun to eat no matter how old you are.
You don’t need a big party or holiday to show it off. Movie nights, book clubs, Sunday suppers, you name it, a chocolate chip cheese ball recipe is great. Let’s be honest, dessert usually falls last on the to-do list, but because you can make this ahead of time, you save time!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe
Chocolate chip cookie dough dip rolled into mini chips and served with your favorite dippers- what’s not to love?
- Easy to make – Besides the time needed for chilling, this chocolate chip cheesecake ball will only take you 10 minutes from start to finish. It uses simple ingredients too.
- Great for any occasion – Whether serving for a holiday party, baby shower, or just your next party, this no-bake dessert is the best party food for any occasion.
- Versatile – Besides being able to serve it for just about anything, you can also customize it any way you’d like to. Add mix-ins or change up what you serve on the side to dip into it. The sky’s the limit.
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Ingredients
One of my favorite parts of Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball recipe is the fact that it has simple ingredients. Many of which you most likely have on hand in your pantry. The rest can be found at your local grocery store.
- Cream cheese – As is the base of most savory cheese balls, cream cheese is also the base for this sweet cheese ball too. Room-temperature cream cheese is easier to work with and will whip up nicely.
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter when cooking or baking to control the amount of salt in the recipe. However, you can use salted butter if you like. Be sure to give it a taste to test the salt levels.
- Powdered sugar – This adds sweetness and the starch in the powdered sugar works to stiffen the texture without making it heavy.
- Brown sugar – You can choose to use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. This helps to achieve that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor and brings a depth of sweetness thanks to the molasses.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is fantastic to bring that cookie flavor home. If you are lucky enough to have vanilla paste in your pantry, that will work here too!
- Mini chocolate chips – You can use regular chocolate chips in this recipe, but I find the smaller chips tend to stick to the exterior of the cheese ball better and give your guests a better bite.
How to Make a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
You are going to love how easy it is to make this dessert cheese ball recipe.
- Beat cream cheese and butter. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Adding in the air helps prevent it from being dense and heavy. You know it’s done with the color gets just a touch lighter.
- Add sugars and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, blending until no streaks remain. If you rush this step, you are likely to get a mouthful of sugar in some bites and none in others.
- Chill. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This setting time gives the starch in the powdered sugar time to set up and allows the butter and cream cheese to firm up a bit.
- Roll the ball in chocolate chips. Place the mini chocolate chips into a bowl and then using a spatula, form your “dough” into as much of a ball as you can. Place the cookie dough ball in the center or the chips and coat. You can use your hands to gently press the ball into the chips.
- Wrap and chill. Turn it out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it tightly. Chill for another couple of hours or until you are ready to serve.
- Serve. Unwrap and place onto a serving platter with your favorite dippers – cookies and pretzels are two of my favorites.
How to Serve
This dessert cheese ball would be great with cookies or pretzels. Another fan favorite is graham crackers! There are many different graham cracker varieties to try too! Chocolate, cinnamon sugar, honey, and vanilla, can you imagine?
Even serving this chocolate chip cheese ball with granny smith apples gives a great sweet and tangy flavor! It might make this dish feel slightly healthier. (Very slightly.)
Variations on Dessert Cheese Balls
We love this chocolate chip cream cheese ball recipe exactly as written, but you can mix up the recipe any way you’d like.
- Dippers – The options for dippers are really endless. Some of our favorites are chocolate graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, graham cracker sticks, Teddy Grahams, mini vanilla wafers, sugar cookies, apple slices, animal crackers, or if you are feeling saucy, Ritz crackers.
- Topping – Instead of miniature chocolate chips, you could roll cheese ball in other sweet treats. A few suggestions include toffee bits, graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, cookie crumbs, or white chocolate chips.
- Add ins – Take this easy cheese ball recipe even one step further by mixing in some fun add-ins. Mix some chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even a tablespoon or two of peanut butter into the cream cheese mixture for a fun addition.
- Shape – You can certainly make dessert cheeseballs in any shape you want. Shape it into a football shape for a football party, or if you’re feeling extra ambitious, even a Christmas tree cheese ball.
Storage, Make Ahead, and Freezing
Storage: Store your cheese ball in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Any plastic container or freezer bag that seals tightly will do.
Make ahead: You can make your chocolate chip cheese ball up to a few days in advance. Be sure to keep it in the fridge and hold off coating the outside with the chocolate chips until just before serving.
Freezing: I recommend keeping it well wrapped in plastic and stored inside an airtight container. To thaw, simply place in the fridge a day before eating. Make sure to let it sit on the counter a bit before serving to make it easier to dive into.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a traditional cheese ball, I like to use Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins or something similar. But for dessert dips like this one, I prefer to use something with a sweet twist like graham crackers or Nilla Wafers.
While every recipe is slightly different, this sweet chocolate chip cheese ball starts by making the cheese ball mixture, chilling and then rolling in toppings.
A classic cheese ball is generally served with crackers or pretzels, but this dessert ball tastes great with lots of things like Nilla Wafers or any other sweet ingredients you prefer.
More Cookie Dough Desserts
- Edible Sugar Cookie Dough
- Cherry Chocolate Edible Cookie Dough
- Eggless Chocolate Edible Cookie Dough
- Cookie Dough Truffles
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
Equipment
- Heat Resistant Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/3 cup salted butter , softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar , packed
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- Cookies or pretzels for serving
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar and vanilla, blending until no streaks remain.
- Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
- Place the mini chocolate chips into a bowl and then using spatula, place the cookie dough in the center (forming as much of a ball as you can). Press the chocolate chips into the ball.
- Turn it out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Chill for another 1-2 hours or until you are ready to serve.
- Unwrap and place onto a serving platter with your favorite cookies or pretzels.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
I’ve never heard of a cheese ball, but if there’s cream cheese involved I’m in! May try pairing it with sliced apples and pears for a lightly healthier twist 😉
There ya go! Or even use reduced fat cream cheese!
I’ve never made a sweet cheeseball before. What a unique idea! Sounds yummy!
What an amazing dessert! I will be making this for dessert very soon.
This is the perfect sweet treat! It’s a great recipe for my kids to make themselves too.
i LOVE YOUR CREATIVITY. This is such a unique recipe and idea too. Love to have it for a kids party. Yummy.