Batty For Chocolate Dessert Cheese Ball #HalloweenTreatsWeek
A fun & festive idea, this Bat-themed chocolate dessert cheese ball contains three different kinds of chocolate and is a perfect appetizer or finger food for Halloween parties & events. It’s adorable, but tastes totally indulgent making it the perfect appetizer or dessert to make the focal point of your sweet spread.
This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.
It’s that time of year again!
My favorite season. The one with all the most fun. Halloween is coming, y’all.
And with it, this year once again, we’re bringing you a whole week’s worth of family fun in the form of themed recipes.
This year’s annual #halloweentreatsweek will be full of all things fun and spooky, but absolutely delicious.
It’s one of my favorite ways to get the whole family in the kitchen.
As always there will be an awesome giveaway, so don’t forget to continue scrolling below the recipe to ENTER TO WIN an awesome prize.
Stay tuned, and make sure to check back the rest of the week to see what other spooky snacks we have in store for you!
You name the holiday, and I can almost guarantee you that I have a themed cheese ball recipe for just that occasion.
I wasn’t kidding when I said they’re one of my favorite things.
They’re super easy to throw together, even at the last minute, and easy to customize to fit whatever theme you need.
Easter, Christmas, even Valentine’s Day– I’ve got you covered.
Let’s break it down to basics though, because not everyone is familiar with this awesome culinary creation.
What Is A Cheese Ball?
A cheese ball is typically a cream cheese based dip, that combines soft cheese with various mix in ingredients.
Once the mixture’s combined, they’re rolled into a ball inside plastic wrap and chilled until semi firm.
The cold cheese ball’s then unwrapped and rolled in a ‘toppping’ of choice that fits the theme of the various ingredients.
Cheese balls can be either sweet or savory, and can be served as an appetizer before a meal or as a delicious snack to end an event.
Because cheese balls have a cream cheese base, they’re very easy to make sweet or savory.
Decide on your event, then choose flavors you love, and go from there.
Halloween for me embraces all things sweet & chocolate, so naturally my party planning had to include a dessert cheese ball. A chocolate cheese ball.
Not just any cheese ball either, but one that truly looked the part and could be the center of my dessert table.
Naturally, a Batty For Chocolate dessert cheese ball fit the menu better than I could have ever hoped!
Ingredients Needed
I know cheese balls seem to have a fancy reputation, they’re actually super simple to whip up.
This particular ‘death by chocolate’ version is no exception.
Only a handful of ingredients, and you’re going to be ready to go.
- butter
- cream cheese
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- chocolate fruit dip
- vanilla extract
- cocoa powder
- powdered sugar
- salt
- mini chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- Hershey’s kisses
I know it’s a bit of a longer list than normal for one of our desserts, but this is one where you don’t want to skimp on any flavor layer.
How To Make This Triple Chocolate Dessert
Trust me when I say again, making a cheese ball is so much easier than you’d think. Follow our simple steps, and there won’t be anything to it.
There’s basically two steps to making one. Prepping, mixing, and forming your ball. Then decorating it for the presentation after it’s thoroughly chilled.
The Cheese Ball
To make this dessert cheese ball, start by adding the softened butter & cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. You can then use a hand mixer to whip them together until smooth and fluffy.
Next you’re going to add in the brown & granulated sugars, again whipping until smooth and completely incorporated.
Mix in the chocolate fruit dip and vanilla extract, just until evenly combined.
Add the dry ingredients- cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt- to a small bowl and whisk them together just until combined.
Slowly pour in the dry mixture, a little at a time, to the cream cheese. Whip the mixture together to evenly combine after each addition of the cocoa powder mix.
Continue until all the dry ingredients have been evenly incorporated into the cream cheese mixture.
Spread a piece of plastic wrap out flat over a clean counter top. Using a spatula or spoon, transfer the cheese ball mixture to the center of it.
Pull the edges of the wrap up around the cheese ball mixture, gather them all at the top, and twist to seal it shut. Using your hands, smooth out the edges and shape into a ball to the best of your ability.
Set the ball upside down, to trap the excess plastic wrap underneath so it remains sealed, in the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour- or up to overnight.
Putting On The Finishing Touches
Just before you’re ready to serve the chocolate dessert cheese ball, take it out of the fridge.
Spread a hefty layer of mini chocolate chips out on a large plate.
Carefully remove the plastic wrap, and transfer the dessert ball to the plate. Roll it around to coat it evenly in the chocolate chips. Gently press chips in to cover any stubborn bare spots that remain.
Gently transfer the chocolate chip covered cheese ball to your intended serving platter.
Add two candy eyes to the cheeseball, pressing them in just until they stick. Below the eyes, press in two white chocolate chips upside down for the teeth.
Unwrap two Hershey’s kiss candies, and place one on either side of the chocolate cheese ball for the bat ears.
That’s it, the cheese ball’s ready to add some spooky fun to your Halloween-themed spread.
Serve It With
Cheese balls are great, and almost always a great crowd pleaser.
Part of that is making sure you pair them with the best options for dipping.
While savory cheese balls are easy to come up with ideas for, the sweet kind can be harder.
There are plenty of tasty dipping options to pair it with though.
They include:
- apple slices
- pretzels or pretzel chips
- vanilla wafers
- strawberries
- graham crackers
- animal crackers
- waffle cone pieces
- sliced bananas
Make sure to have a cheese knife or small spreader handy for guests to use to scoop the dip from the cheese ball and onto their fruit & cookies, or their plates.
TIPS & TRICKS
- If you have one, you can conveniently whip this cheese ball up in the bowl of a stand mixer instead of using a hand mixer.
- Trying to shave a few calories off this dessert dip? You can substitute low fat or even Neufchatel cheese for regular cream cheese. I haven’t tried it yet with the Greek yogurt based cream cheese, so I can’t say if that will work well or not.
- While they may seem interchangeable, do not substitute dark brown sugar for light brown in this recipe. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it, which adds more moisture- not something you want to add more of into a cheese ball that needs to hold it’s shape.
- When you’re ready to coat your cheese ball in chocolate chips, be ready to do so as soon as you remove it from the fridge and don’t over-handle it. The heat from your hands will cause it to soften and lose it’s shape quickly if you do.
How Long Will A Cheese Ball Last?
This depends on which stage you’re at.
A fully decorated ready to serve version will only be good for 24 hours, stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container.
It won’t look as pretty though, so I wouldn’t recommend this option for party planning.
When just the cream cheese ball is made and stored sealed in the plastic wrap, before decorating, it will be good for 72 hours.
At which point you can remove it, dress it up as instructed, and serve to guests.
Halloween will be here before you know it! Start gathering ideas now, and jotting down menu notes.
Whether you plan on celebrating with a group, or keeping things simple with a fun & festive family dinner- this cute ‘bat’ themed chocolate cheese ball will make the perfect dessert.
Other Spooky Cheese Ball Ideas
Need other Halloween-themed ideas & inspiration? Check HERE!
Make sure to keep scrolling below the recipe card to enter the give away and see what other yummy treats have been brought to today’s party!
If you’ve tried this BATTY FOR CHOCOLATE DESSERT CHEESE BALL, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Batty For Chocolate Dessert Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 12 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Dixie Crystal's light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Dixie Crystal's granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate dip the kind found near the fresh fruit
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup Dixie Crystal's powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- mini chocolate chips
- candy eye balls
- white chocolate chips
- Hershey's kisses
- vanilla wafers, pretzels, graham crackers, sliced apples, etc for dipping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, whip them together until smooth- about 2 minutes.
- Next add in the sugars, and again whip until evenly combined.
- Add the chocolate dip and extract to the mixture, whipping again until evenly combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt- whisking together until evenly combined.
- Add this dry mixture into the cream cheese slowly, whipping well with each addition. Repeat until all of the dry ingredients are completely incorporated.
- Spread a piece of plastic wrap out over a clean surface. Place the cheese ball in the center. Roll up the wrap up tightly around the cheese ball to seal, and smooth as needed to further form the mixture into a smooth ball.
- Put the wrapped dessert cheese ball in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least one hour, or up to over night.
- When ready to serve, place the mini chocolate chips into a shallow dish, or plate in an even layer.
- Unwrap the chilled ball and roll it in the chips to evenly cover all sides. Press chocolate chips in, as needed, to cover any bare spots. Transfer the chocolate dessert ball to your desired serving plate/platter.
- Add the candy eyes, press two white chocolate chips in upside down for the teeth, and then an unwrapped Hershey kiss into each side of the ball for the ears.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve- but no more than 15-20 minutes or so.
- Add fresh fruit slices, graham crackers, pretzels, etc to the platter for dipping, set out for guests, and dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
Happy Halloween!
Spooky Season is here and it is time for 2020’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event! #HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.
“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”
For the 3rd annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 30 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week!
Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media and look at the bottom of each post to see all of the Halloween recipes that we’re sharing!
Plus, don’t forget that we have some great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsor and bloggers this year!
Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set
Prize #2 from Angie at BigBearsWife
Ninja OP301 Foodi 9-in-1 Pressure, Slow Cooker, Air Fryer and More, with 6.5 Quart Capacity and 45 Recipe Book, and a High Gloss Finish
Prize #3 from Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar
Origami Owl Locket and Halloween Charms
Prize #4 from Kathy at Lemon Blossoms
6 Quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
Prize #5 from Terri at Our Good Life
Young Living’s Thieves Mints ($50 Value)
Pop a Thieves Mint into your mouth for cinnamint-fresh breath after meals. Made with naturally derived ingredients and free of artificial sweeteners, dyes, and preservatives, Thieves Mints are a choice you can feel good about. Created with Young Living’s Thieves essential oil blend, these mints deliver minty coolness with a hint of warm, sugar-free sweetness. Thieves Mints come in a conveniently sized container that is great to take on the go!!
Prize #6 from Julie at Back To My Southern Roots
1 Copy of – The Peanuts Family Cookbook: Delicious Dishes for Kids to Make with Their Favorite Grown-Ups
Prize #8 from Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS
1 Copy of her new cookbook “Holy Sweet! 60 Indulgent Recipes for Bigger, Better Desserts”
Prize #9 from Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
1 Copy of her cookbook, “Incredible One-Pot Cooking: Easy, Delicious Recipes for Exciting Meals Without the Mess”
Prize #10 from Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog
1 Copy of “Friends: The Official Cookbook”
Prize #11 from Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer from Take Two Tapas and Michele from West Via Midwest
ONE (1) $75 Amazon gift card
Prize #12 from Shanaka from It’s Shanaka
ONE (1) $25 Amazon gift card
Prize #13 from Ashley from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Prize #14 from Amy from House of Nash Eats
ONE (1) $100 Amazon gift card
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 5th – October 10th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 14 prizes and therefore we will have a total of 14 winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes. We would also love to give a huge thanks to our Halloween Treats Week bloggers because a lot of them also donated prizes for the giveaways, including: Angie of BigBearsWife , Nicole of Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar, Kathy of Lemon Blossoms, Terri of Our Good Life, Julie of Back To My Southern Roots, Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS, Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen, Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog, Michaela of An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer of Take Two Tapas , Michele of West Via Midwest, Shanaka of It’s Shanaka, Ashley of Cheese Curd In Paradise, and Amy from House of Nash Eats!
Take a look more spooky Halloween recipes from our #HalloweenTreatsWeek Bloggers today:
Halloween Cookies & Bars:
-
- Cake Mix Monster Cookies from Big Bear’s Wife
Candy Bar Cookies from Devour Dinner
- Oreo Mummy Cookies from Savory Experiments
- Easy Halloween Cake Mix Confetti Cookies from Family Around the Table
- Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars from House of Nash Eats
- Eye Love Chocolate Sugar Cookies from An Affair From the Heart
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars form Back To My Southern Roots
Halloween Cakes & Cupcakes:
- Bloody Broken Glass Red Velvet Cake from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Halloween Bats Oreo Cupcakes from Lemon Blossoms
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting from The Flour Handprint
Halloween Brownies:
- The Scream Brownies fromWest Via Midwest
- Halloween Monster Chocolate Cake Brownies from JZ Eats
- Halloween Marshmallow Brownies from Sweet Beginnings
Halloween Pies:
- Halloween Mini S’mores Pies from For the Love of Food
- Jack Skellington Boo-berry Pie from Savory Moments
Halloween Breakfast:
- Halloween Smoothie Bowl from Fresh Coast Eats
- Halloween Pancakes from I Am A Honeybee
Halloween Drinks:
- Bloody Hot Cocoa from It’s Shanaka
Chilled Halloween Treats:
- Pennywise Ice Cream Float from Cheese Curd in Paradise
- Wicked Witch Popsicles from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
No Bake Desserts:
- Muddy Buddy Halloween Snack Mix from Tastes of Homemade
- Candy Corn Rice Crispy Treats from The Spiffy Cookie
- Kid-Friendly Halloween Snack Board from Love and Confections
- Rice Krispie Treat Haunted Houses from Sweet ReciPEAS
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts from Pastry Chef Online
- Ghostly Snack Mix from Fake Ginger
- Spooky Pretzel Rods from Take Two Tapas
- Halloween Candy Bark from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Batty For Chocolate Dessert Cheese Ball from 4 Sons R Us
- Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Ball from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Adorable!