Description
Candy Cane Oreo Balls are a festive and delicious holiday treat that combines crushed Oreo cookies and cream cheese, shaped into candy cane forms, dipped in red candy melts, and decorated with royal icing and white sanding sugar for a beautiful and tasty dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Oreo Mixture
- 1 package Oreos (14.3 oz)
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, room temperature
Coating
- 1 bag red candy melts
- Vegetable shortening or oil (for thinning candy melts, as needed)
Decoration
- White sanding sugar
- Candy cane cutter cookie
Small Batch Royal Icing
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- ½ Tbsp meringue powder
- 1 ½ Tbsp water (plus more as needed)
Instructions
- Crush Oreos: Put the whole package of Oreos into a blender and pulse until you have fine Oreo crumbs.
- Mix with Cream Cheese: Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. The mixture will stick together when fully combined.
- Press Mixture and Freeze: Press the Oreo mixture evenly onto a small baking sheet (about 12.75 x 8.75 inches). Freeze for 15 minutes to set.
- Cut Candy Cane Shapes: Remove from freezer, use the candy cane cutter cookie to press into the mixture firmly, wiggle slightly, then remove the cutter. Use fingers to remove excess around the cut shapes and set candy cane shapes on another baking sheet. Repeat until all mixture is used.
- Freeze Candy Canes: Freeze the cut candy canes for 10 minutes to firm up before dipping.
- Prepare Baking Sheet for Dipping: Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt Candy Melts: Melt 1 bag of red candy melts over low heat, stirring gently. If too thick, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening or oil to thin the mixture for easier dipping.
- Dip Candy Canes: Remove a few candy canes at a time from the freezer. Dip each candy cane into the melted chocolate to coat fully, remove with a fork, and tap off excess chocolate. Use a toothpick to transfer the coated candy cane onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Chill to Set Chocolate: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to help the chocolate coating harden.
- Make Royal Icing: Once chocolate is set, mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in a small bowl using an electric mixer for 5-7 minutes until fluffy. Adjust consistency by adding water 1 teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Decorate candy canes: Transfer the royal icing to a small squeeze bottle and draw white stripes on each candy cane. Immediately sprinkle white sanding sugar over the stripes.
- Set Icing and Finish: Allow the royal icing to set at room temperature or in the fridge. Once set, gently tap off excess sanding sugar.
- Serve: Transfer the finished candy cane Oreo balls to a platter. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve to keep them fresh and firm.
Notes
- Use a quarter sheet pan or similar sized baking sheet to press and freeze the Oreo mixture evenly.
- Do not remove all candy canes from the freezer at once to prevent them from melting during dipping.
- Thinning candy melts with vegetable shortening or oil helps achieve a smooth dip inconsistent coating.
- Keep the Oreo balls refrigerated to maintain firmness and freshness.
- Royal icing can be thinned carefully with water to achieve pipeable consistency for decoration.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 candy cane Oreo ball
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
