Holiday Peppermint Bark OREO Cookie Balls

New Year’s Eve party planning doesn’t need to be hard. In fact, with these three easy recipes, I’ll do a big part of the work for you!

This post is sponsored by NABISCO®, International Delight OREO Coffee Creamer, and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all opinions are 100% my own!

Start your party out right with Cheddar-Orange RITZ® Bites. Then, ring in the new year with these Holiday Peppermint Bark OREO® Cookie Balls. Pair them with our favorite coffee brand – 1850® – flavored with International Delight OREO® Coffee Creamer and topped off with something special!

Festive Flights and Delights

The holidays are here! It’s my favorite time of the year. It’s cold outside and warm and toasty inside.

I love holiday baking! Most days around my house, you can count on walking through the door and smelling something delicious. As the holidays get closer, the cooking and baking get more frequent.

I am always looking for new, easy recipes to help with my holiday entertaining, and today, I’m going to share a few new ideas with you!

Let’s start with appetizers. When you have a house full of people, you want to be able to enjoy the party with your company. So, it’s important to have some go-to recipes you can prepare quickly and easily.

Cheddar-Orange RITZ Bites are a tasty snack to serve up for your holiday party.

What you need:

• 12 RITZ Crackers
• 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 12 thin slices
• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

What you do:

This is the best part; they are so easy, it’s all assembling and no cooking! Top each of the RITZ Crackers with a slice of cheese, some marmalade and a few slices of almonds–and that’s it!

You can switch things up with different flavors of marmalade or preserves, and if you want, you can use a reduced-fat cheese too.

Now, let’s move on to dessert, my favorite part of the meal!

We love these OREO Peppermint Bark Cookie Balls, and we think you and your guests will be too! (P.S. They pair great with 1850® Brand Black Gold K-Cup® pods and International Delight OREO Coffee Creamer- keep reading for a fun recipe!)

They are so easy to make – no baking and only four ingredients!

Holiday Peppermint Bark OREO Cookie Balls Ingredients:

• 3 ounces brick cream cheese, softened
• 1-10.7 ounce package Peppermint Bark OREO Cookies, finely crushed
• 6 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 3 tablespoons holiday sprinkles

How to Make Holiday Peppermint Bark OREO Cookie Balls

1. First, mix the cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended using a food processor. (Or place the cookies in a sealed plastic bag and crush using a mallet or rolling pin, then thoroughly stir in cream cheese until fully blended together).
2. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by covering it with waxed paper.
3. Shape them into 20 1-inch balls. Place the balls on the covered cookie sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
4. While the cookie balls are in the freezer, melt the chocolate.
5. Remove the cookie balls from the freezer and dip them in the melted chocolate, turning them to evenly coat the entire ball with chocolate.
6. Return them to the baking sheet and decorate them with sprinkles while they are still wet.
7. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until firm.
8. Keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Notes: You can also use white baking chocolate to dip the balls in or drizzle in the opposite color chocolate! 

How long will OREO Cookie Balls last in the fridge?

If you keep these OREO Cookie Balls in an airtight container, you can keep them in the fridge for up to a month and you can freeze them for up to 3 months!

This is really great if you are trying to get ahead for your holiday cooking. You can make these weeks in advance and take them out whenever you are ready for them!

If you really want to impress your guests, serve this delicious dessert along with a hot steamy cup of a special holiday-themed coffee treat!

We love to use K-Cup® pods when we entertain. You never know how much coffee to make, and this is the perfect way to serve a fresh cup of coffee on demand!

We especially like to use a bold coffee for this particular combination. We love 1850® Black Gold K-Cup® pods. They give a dark chocolate flavor with every single cup. Then, we put in a splash of Danone: International Delight OREO Coffee Creamer and top it off with some whipped cream and crushed OREO Cookie! This dessert pairing is a great way to ring in the new year!

Check out my favorite holiday hosting tips:

• Send your invitation using Evite. It’s great to track RSVPs and send out last-minute reminders, and best of all, you can do it all from your smartphone!
• When menu planning, try to use recipes that you can make the day before so you are not slaving away in the kitchen while your guests are there.
• Make clean-up easy by using paper and plastic. That way, you can enjoy counting down to the New Year with your friends and family.
• Don’t get too caught up in playing hostess. Be sure to spend time with your friends and stay out of the kitchen.
• For more awesome inspirational ideas visit www.evite.com/c/festiveflightsandelights
• Be sure to shop in-store at your local Target to save on your favorite OREO® Cookies, RITZ® Crackers, 1850® Black Gold K-Cup® pods, and International Delight products! Check out the Target app for savings with Circle.