Gingerbread Truffles
Celebrate the flavors of the Christmas season with these no-bake gingerbread truffles! It’s a simple recipe that makes one of the best gingerbread desserts.
Best Christmas Truffles Recipe
John and I enjoy making truffles throughout the year, especially during the holidays when festive flavors are in full swing. Every year, I experiment with new combinations to keep things exciting.
Most of the time, I create truffle fillings using ingredients like boxed cake mix, peanut butter, or cream cheese. Over the last few years, Oreo-based truffles have become my go-to because of their versatility and ease.
These no-bake gingerbread truffles are some of our favorites! They combine the warm flavors of gingerbread spices with the sweetness of Golden Oreos.
Then they’re dipped in vanilla melting wafers and topped with crushed gingerbread cookies. The best part? They come together in no time, with no oven required!
Don’t forget to try our other truffle recipes like our peppermint truffles, snickerdoodle truffles, and red velvet truffles.
Equipment You’ll Need
Creating these gingerbread truffles is simple with a few handy kitchen tools. Here’s what you’ll need and how to make the most of what you already have:
- Food Processor: A food processor makes quick work of crushing the cookies into fine crumbs. If you don’t have one, place them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to roll over them a few times instead.
- Hand Mixer: You’ll need a hand mixer to combine the ingredients for the filling.
- Mixing Bowls: Use a medium-sized bowl for the truffle filling and a small, microwave-safe bowl for melting the vanilla coating.
- Baking Sheets: Line them with wax paper or parchment paper to keep the truffles organized as they chill and set. Smaller baking sheets work too—just use a couple if needed.
- Waxed or Parchment Paper: These are great for preventing the truffles from sticking while they firm up. Waxed paper is my preference here!
- Cookie Scoop: A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop is handy for making evenly-sized truffles. If you don’t have one, a regular spoon and your hands will work great.
- Forks or Toothpicks: I love to use two forks to dip the truffles into the coating and transfer them back to the baking sheet without a mess. Toothpicks can be helpful to gently push the truffles off the fork.
- Measuring Spoons: Accurate measurements ensure your spices and ingredients are exactly right.
Tips for Making Gingerbread Truffles
- When it comes to dipping these truffles, I’ve found that avoiding toothpicks is the best route. They can easily get stuck or even break off, which makes things tricky. Instead, forks work wonderfully for a smooth dipping process.
- Reheating the vanilla melting wafers frequently is another tip that makes the coating process easier. A warm coating flows better, ensuring each truffle has an even layer.
- Chilling the truffles in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, or longer, before dipping is a game-changer. It helps them firm up just enough to hold their shape while coating, but be careful not to freeze them solid.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oreo Substitutions: Swap Golden Oreos with gingersnaps, or even traditional gingerbread cookies for a more intense flavor.
- Spice Mix Adjustments: Adjust the spice blend to your preference or add cardamom for an extra layer of flavor.
- Coating Options: Instead of vanilla melting wafers, try dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate. Almond bark is also a great option!
- Decorating Ideas: Use crushed gingerbread cookies, festive sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar for a pretty touch.
Can I use white chocolate chips instead of vanilla melting wafers?
I wouldn’t recommend using white chocolate chips for this recipe. They don’t melt or set quite as well as vanilla melting wafers. If you need a substitute, almond bark works better. While the flavor and texture are a little different, it will coat the truffles more smoothly than chocolate chips.
How many Oreo cookies do I need?
I’ve tested this recipe with both an 18.12-ounce package containing 45 cookies and a 14.3-ounce package with 36 cookies. Both work well, but the larger package creates a slightly drier truffle filling.
Double Stuffed Oreos work great, too, but give the filling a slightly stickier, softer texture that doesn’t set up quite as well as regular Oreos. If Golden Oreos aren’t available, any golden sandwich cookie with a vanilla filling will work just fine.
Why did the truffle coating crack?
Occasionally, the candy coating cracks due to drastic temperature changes. For example, dipping very cold truffle filling into hot, melted coating can cause this to happen as the coating cools. It doesn’t affect the taste, but keeping the truffles slightly chilled (not frozen) can help minimize this issue.
How do I add more gingerbread flavor?
These truffles have a light gingerbread flavor, but you can boost it by increasing the ground ginger or cinnamon slightly. Adding a pinch of nutmeg or clove can also intensify the spiced profile, giving the truffles a stronger gingerbread flavor.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Keep leftover gingerbread truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week to maintain their freshness.
- Freezer: These truffles freeze well for up to 2 months. As they thaw to room temperature, the coating may crack and release a bit of oil, but it won’t impact their flavor.
More Gingerbread Recipes
Ingredients
- 14.3 ounces Golden Oreos
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 20 ounces vanilla melting wafers, for coating (We use Ghirardelli brand.)
Instructions
- Make the Oreo Crumbs: Pulse the Golden Oreos (including the cream filling) in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer the crumbs to a large mixing bowl.14.3 ounces Golden Oreos
- Mix the Filling: Add the softened cream cheese, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the Oreo crumbs. Using a hand mixer, beat until fully combined and the mixture forms a soft, dough-like consistency.8 ounces cream cheese2 teaspoons ground ginger1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Shape the Truffles: Scoop out small portions of the mixture (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll into balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare the Coating: Melt the vanilla wafers in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 20–30 second intervals and stirring until smooth.20 ounces vanilla melting wafers
- Coat the Truffles: Dip each chilled truffle ball into the melted vanilla wafers, using a fork to lift them out and letting the excess chocolate drip off. Place the coated truffles back onto the parchment paper.
- Decorate: While the coating is still wet, sprinkle with festive decorations or drizzle with additional melted vanilla. Let the coating set at room temperature or refrigerate until firm.
- Serve and Store: Once the coating is set, your truffles are ready to enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 36 truffles, with a serving size of 2 truffles each.
- If you’re unable to find a 14.3 ounce package of Oreos, you’ll need about 36 golden/vanilla sandwich cookies.
- I like to keep 20 ounces of vanilla melting wafers on hand to ensure there’s plenty for dipping. Sometimes, I don’t use the entire amount, so you may not need all 20 ounces. It depends on how much extra is used for drizzling.
- About the vanilla melting wafers, I frequently refer to them as vanilla wafers throughout the post and the recipe card. We use Ghirardelli brand Vanilla Melting Wafers not to be confused with white chocolate or Nilla Wafer Cookies.
- These truffles have a light gingerbread flavor. For a bolder gingerbread taste, consider increasing the spices slightly and topping the truffles with crushed gingerbread cookies.