Oh, You Want Gingerbread Truffles? Here’s My Take!
Okay, so—let me tell you about the first time I made these Christmas No-Bake Gingerbread Truffles. I was in a mad scramble, trying to juggle wrapping presents (that I'd obviously left till the last minute, classic me), entertain my cousins’ kids, and not burn anything in the process—not that there’s much danger here, seeing as it’s all no-bake! Anyway, my kitchen looked like a cinnamon bomb went off by the end. But I’ll be honest: every single crumb of these? Gone by Boxing Day. Even my aunt, who’s picky as a magpie, asked for the recipe.
Why I Keep Coming Back to These Truffles
I whip these up when I want something festive now, not in four hours, or when the oven is being hogged by someone’s ambitious yule log. My family loves ’em because they taste like those fancy bakery treats, but honestly, (don’t tell my mum) they’re way easier than her classic gingerbread. One year I tried dunking one in coffee by accident—it was amazing! Plus, if you hate sticky dough, you’ll be happy: this is more like edible arts and crafts than baking.
What You'll Need—But Trust Me, This Is Flexible
- 1 sleeve ginger snaps (about 250g)—I’ve used Biscoff cookies in a pinch; it’s not really the same, but nobody complained
- 120g (about half a brick) full-fat cream cheese, softened—sometimes I use the light stuff, just don’t tell my brother-in-law who’s a cheese purist
- ¼ cup (60ml) dark brown sugar—my gran says molasses instead, but honestly, either works
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg—freshly grated is lovely, but who has time?
- Pinch of salt—optional, but I think it wakes up the spices
- 200g white chocolate (for melting and drizzling)—I’ll admit, sometimes I go half and half with milk chocolate for drama
- Sprinkles or crushed pistachios, or skip if you’re feeling lazy
How I Actually Throw These Together
- Crush the ginger snaps into fine crumbs. Easiest way? Food processor. If you don't have one, bung ’em in a zip bag and bash away with a rolling pin (did this once using a wine bottle; worked a treat!)
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese, brown sugar (or molasses!), ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Get in there with a spatula—at this stage, it’ll look a little lumpy, but don’t stress.
- Dump in the cookie crumbs. Stir it up until no streaks, then squish together with your hands. It feels a bit weird—like sandcastle stuff. Now, this is where I sneak a taste. Never regret it.
- Roll into 1-inch balls. I get about 20-ish, though once I tried to make extra big ones for ‘more impact’ and they sort of sagged.
- Chill the balls in the fridge for half an hour (or the freezer for fifteen if you’re, let’s say, impatient like me).
- Melt chocolate in the microwave (30 second bursts, stirring every time, or you’ll have to start over like I did once). Dip each truffle using a fork; let excess drip off.
- Set on parchment. If you’re into sprinkles, get them on right away before the choc sets.
- Chill again till the shell hardens—it’s honestly the only tedious bit.
Weird Little Notes I’ve Learned the Hard Way
- If you use super cheap cream cheese, the mixture sometimes gets too soft. Actually, I find it works better if you add a tiny spoon of cookie crumbs to fix this.
- The rolling can get messy—wet hands make it easier, or just accept getting sticky. (I do.)
- If you drop a truffle straight in the chocolate, fish it out with a fork; don’t try with fingers. Seriously.
Variations—Some Winners, One Dud
- Swapped half the ginger snaps with speculoos last year—delicious.
- Once tried with a splash of orange zest: tasted like Christmas, but too strong for the kids.
- Used chocolate chips in the filling once. Not great, they went all crunchy which felt weird. Lesson learned.
I Don’t Have a Food Processor!
No stress. As I mentioned, grab a rolling pin. Or, I’ve literally used a saucepan as a makeshift smashing device. If the crumbs aren’t perfect? Eh, adds texture!
Can I Store These? Do They Even Last?
Pop ’em in a sealed tub in the fridge. Technically they’ll keep for 5-6 days, but honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! If you want to freeze them, wrap each in cling film first—they’ll last a month, though they sometimes get a bit tacky as they thaw.
How I Love to Serve (aka Show Off)
Best on a cake stand with extra gingerbread cookies around, very ‘wow’ at parties. I always sneak one on Christmas Eve with mulled wine (pro tip: totally delicious). My niece likes them stuck on toothpicks for easy snacking; up to you.
Pro Tips (AKA, My Blunders)
- I once tried rushing the chilling step—don’t. If the balls are warm, the chocolate coat goes all streaky. Not a good look.
- And, double-dipping the balls can make the shell way too thick. Restraint, Rita, restraint!
- Start with less ginger if you're spice-shy—you can always add more, but you can't really take it out (believe me, I tried once, didn't work!).
FAQ—You Ask, I’ll Spill
- Can I make these dairy free? People do ask a lot. I’ve heard Miyoko’s vegan cheese works, but I haven’t tried it, so no promises.
- No parchment paper—what now? Honestly, I just use a clean plastic bag cut open, or even tinfoil if I’m in a right pickle. It works.
- Kids want to help—good idea? If you don’t mind mess! Actually, this is one recipe I do let my youngest help with since there’s zero hot stuff. Just get ready for wonky shapes.
- Can I use milk chocolate for dipping? Absolutely—makes it sweeter, though. Try both! Why not, right?
- Any good resources for handling chocolate mess? Check out the tempering guide on Sally's Baking Addiction; it saved me from streaky blobs last year. Or, for fun gingerbread flavor ideas, King Arthur Baking has variations I want to try next.
So, if you fancy a no-bake treat that's got all the smells of Christmas, a fair bit of chaos, and a loooot of flavor—give these gingerbread truffles a bash. And if you’ve found a mix-in that actually works, let me know. I’m always keen for a kitchen experiment (preferably one that doesn’t end with a call to the fire brigade this time).
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gingerbread cookie crumbs
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 7 oz white chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoon holiday sprinkles
Instructions
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1In a medium bowl, combine the gingerbread cookie crumbs, softened cream cheese, maple syrup, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well blended and a dough forms.
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2Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and roll into balls. Place them on a parchment-lined tray.
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3Chill the truffle balls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until firm.
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4Dip each chilled truffle into the melted white chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Return them to the tray.
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5Immediately sprinkle the tops with holiday sprinkles before the chocolate sets. Chill for another 10 minutes or until set. Serve and enjoy!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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