Circus Animal Cookie Balls bring a nostalgic twist to a beloved childhood treat. They turn the iconic pink and white frosted sugar cookies into the best no bake sprinkle-coated treat. The perfect small-sized truffles in a two-bite package.
Circus Animal Truffles
Our easy Circus Animal Cookie Balls recipe turns the nostalgic flavors of an iconic cookie into a delicious no-bake truffle treat. This sprinkle-coated dessert will have you feeling like a kid at heart, made with crushed circus animal cookies and cream cheese, all covered in a sweet pink or white chocolate shell.
Perfect for birthday parties, holidays, or whenever you want a fun and colorful treat, these truffle bites will transport you back to your childhood with every bite!
Ingredients For The Best Circus Animal Cookie Balls
- Frosted circus animal cookies: I used Mother’s brand cookies, but Market Pantry and Stauffer’s also make frosted animal cookies if you cannot find them.
- Cream cheese: I prefer using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe because it gives these treats the most flavor and richness. Reduced fat would still work, but they may not taste as rich. Use softened cream cheese to make mixing and prevent lumps easier.
- Hot pink candy melts: If you cannot find the pink melting wafers, you can tint either white candy melts or white almond bark with 1 or 2 drops of red gel food coloring or hot pink food coloring. I do not recommend using plain liquid food coloring, as even the smallest amount of liquid can cause the almond bark to seize up.
- White almond bark
- Rainbow nonpareils: You can substitute any regular or rainbow sprinkles for the nonpareils.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Circus Animal Cookie Balls: Step-by-Step Guide
- Crush The Cookies: Pulse the cookies into fine crumbs.
- Make The Cookie Ball Mixture: Combine the cream cheese and crushed animal cookies.
- Roll Round: Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie ball dough and roll into round balls. Place each on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Melt In The Microwave: Microwave the pink candy melts in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth. In a separate bowl, microwave the white chocolate almond bark in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip And Decorate: Dip half of the cookie dough balls into the melted hot pink candy melts and half in white almond bark. Sprinkle with nonpareils while the coating is still wet.
- Serve: Chill the coated cookie balls in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the coating is completely firm. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Truffles are the perfect homemade sweet treat for parties, holidays, dessert platters, or gift-giving. Serve your cookie balls in cupcake liners or on decorative trays to match the occasion!
Tips For Making The Best Circus Animal Cookie Balls
- Crush Your Cookies: If you don’t have a blender or food processor, place your Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Make The Mixture: If you are not using a food processor to make the cookie dough mixture, add the cookie crumbs and cream cheese to a medium size mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment to combined them.
- Roll Round: When rounding your truffles, be sure to wash your hands a few times in between. The cookie mixture will best form balls when rolled with clean hands.
- Dip Your Desserts: The best method for coating these balls in melted chocolate is to use a fork and gently tap any excess chocolate on the side of the bowl. I like to use a toothpick to remove the excess from the bottom of the fork and then gently push the ball onto the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Cookie Ball Variations To Try
Decorate With A Drizzle: If you prefer not to use sprinkles, you can drizzle the pink candy coating over the white-coated cookie balls and drizzle the white coating over the pink-coated cookie balls.
Customize Your Candy: Before the chocolate coating begins to set, add some cookie crumbs, sanding sugar, crushed candy, or chopped nuts on top. Get creative and decorate your desserts in colors that match the holiday or celebration.
Prepare As Cake Pops: You can turn your cookie truffles into circus animal cake pops (technically cookie pops!) by pressing a lollipop stick into the center of each ball.
How To Store And Freeze Circus Animal Cookie Balls
- To Store: Store any leftover cookie balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cookie balls in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Separate any layers with wax paper. Allow the cookie balls to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Love Cake Balls? Try These:
- Nutter Butter Truffles
- Oreo Cookie Balls
- Oreo Truffles Ornaments
- Birthday Cake Oreo Balls
- Surprise inside Oreo Balls)
- Banana Pudding Truffles made with Vanilla Wafers.
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Circus Animal Cookie Balls
Ingredients
- 9 ounce package frosted circus animal cookies I used Mother’s brand
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 ounces hot pink candy melts
- 6 ounces white almond bark
- Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles optional garnish
Instructions
- Using a food processor, pulse the frosted animal cookies until they are broken into small pieces. Then, continue processing on low until finely crushed.9 ounce package frosted circus animal cookies
- Slice the cream cheese into the food processor. Pulse to completely combine the cream cheese and crushed animal cookies. (If you are not using a food processor, add the cookie crumbs and cream cheese to a medium size mixing bowl and use a handheld mixer to mix together until completely combined)6 ounces cream cheese
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie ball dough.
- Roll the scooped cookie ball dough into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookie ball dough.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
- Just before you are ready to coat the cookie balls, place the hot pink candy melts and white almond bark in a separate, small microwave safe bowl. Microwave the candy melts in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.6 ounces hot pink candy melts
- Remove the chilled cookie balls from the refrigerator. Use a fork to carefully dip half of the cookie balls into the melted hot pink candy melts, tapping the fork against the side of the bowl to remove any excess coating. Place the coated cookie balls back onto the lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the nonpareils over the coated cookie balls while the coating is still wet.Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
- Repeat the process for the remaining cookie balls in the melted white almond bark, and sprinkling the nonpareils over them.6 ounces white almond bark
- Chill the coated cookie balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the coating is completely firm. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftover cookie balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cookie balls in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Separate any layers with wax paper. Allow the cookie balls to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can place your Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- If you are not using a food processor to make the cookie dough mixture, add the cookie crumbs and cream cheese to a medium size mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment to combined them.
- When rounding your truffles, be sure to wash your hands a few times in between. The cookie mixture will best form balls when rolled with clean hands.
- The best method for coating these balls in melted chocolate is to use a fork and gently tap any excess chocolate on the side of the bowl. I like to use a toothpick to remove the excess from the bottom of the fork and then gently push the ball onto the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
