OREO Cookie Balls Inspired by Rudolph & Friends

This #OREOCookieBalls shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

It’s hard not to get in the holiday spirit a little earlier than I normally do, with working in a retail store that started putting out wrapping paper and Christmas trees in the middle of October. For me, the beginning of the season is marked by two things: holiday movies and sweet treats.

While we were at Wal-Mart last week to pick up more treats and toys to keep Mowgli occupied during his 6 weeks of crate confinement, Josh and I started browsing the holiday displays. I was ecstatic to see there was almost an entire row devoted to the old stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special.

What can I say? It’s my favorite Holiday special. And seriously .  . . a Bumble pillow? Squee!

We finished up our grocery shopping and, given my boyfriend’s massive sweet tooth, ended up in the cookie aisle. With a recipe for OREO Cooke Balls and Rudolph on the brain, I picked up a couple packs of OREO cookies and decorations to merge the two in honor of my three favorite characters from the special, just in time for its annual airing on Thanksgiving.

The classic recipe for OREO cookie balls is super easy:

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
• 36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
• 4 pkg. (4 oz. each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Make it!

• MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
• SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.
• CUSTOMIZE it with your own ingredient additions or decorative skills.
• REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Share and enjoy!

As easy as the classic version is, I wanted to jazz it up a little to match it to my Rudolph characters. I picked up a pack of double stuf for Rudolph, golden for the Spotted Elephant, and Mint for Hermey. Rudolph and Hermey OREO cookie balls were made with regular cream cheese, but I switched it up a little for the Spotted Elephant and went with strawberry cream cheese.

The other additions I used to make the characters were: white and green candy coating melts, pretzels, peppermint candy canes, chocolate red balls, and pink pearls (or sprinkles).

Here’s the rundown of what was used where:

Rudolph OREO Cookie Balls: Double Stuf OREOS, regular cream cheese, dark chocolate melts, pretzel antlers, and red chocolate ball noses

Hermey OREO Cookie Balls: Mint OREOS, regular cream cheese, green candy melts, crushed peppermint candies sprinkled on top

Spotted Elephant OREO Cookie Balls: Golden OREOS, strawberry cream cheese, white candy melts, pink and red sprinkles

Want more great ideas on how to make OREO cookie balls your own? Check out the #OREOCookieBall Pinterest party, on Saturday, December 6 at 12pm ET and this coupon for .50 cents off a pack of OREOS. 

Who’s your favorite character in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie?