Description
These Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites are festive, bite-sized treats made from red velvet cookie crumbs and cream cheese, dipped in vibrant green white chocolate and adorned with red heart sprinkles. Perfect for holiday parties, these no-bake delights offer a rich and creamy texture with a festive twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 3 (9.6-oz.) packages Chips Ahoy Chewy Red Velvet cookies
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
Chocolate Coating and Decoration
- 3 (12-oz.) packages white chocolate chips, divided
- Green food coloring gel
- Red heart sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Crumbs: Place a wire rack on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the red velvet cookies into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form, creating the base for the cake bites.
- Mix Cream Cheese and Crumbs: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cookie crumbs and mix until well combined into a uniform dough.
- Shape the Balls: Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out the dough. Roll each scoop into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange the balls on the prepared wire rack and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
- Melt White Chocolate (First Portion): Set a medium-sized heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, ensuring the bowl bottom doesn’t touch the water. Reserve 1 package of white chocolate chips. Place the remaining 2 packages into the bowl and stir continuously until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Color the Chocolate: Add 1 drop of green food coloring gel to the melted chocolate and stir. Add more drops as needed to reach the desired vibrant green color.
- Dip the Cake Bites: Using a fork, dip each chilled ball into the green white chocolate, letting excess drip off. Return coated balls to the wire rack to set. If desired, apply a second coat for a thicker chocolate shell. Refrigerate the coated bites until set, about 30 minutes. Clean the bowl and keep your double boiler setup ready for the next step.
- Melt Remaining White Chocolate: Using the double boiler, melt the reserved 1 package (12 oz.) of white chocolate chips, stirring until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Color and Thin the Drizzle: Add 1 drop of green food coloring gel to the melted white chocolate and stir. If the chocolate is too thick for drizzling, add hot water from the pot 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Transfer the chocolate to a plastic or piping bag and snip off the tip.
- Decorate with Drizzle and Sprinkles: Drizzle the green chocolate over the coated cake bites to create festive stripes. Before the drizzle sets, top each bite with a red heart sprinkle for a cheerful holiday look.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature to achieve a smooth mixture.
- Be cautious not to let water touch the white chocolate during melting to prevent seizing.
- The size of the cake bites can be adjusted but will affect the number of servings.
- Store cake bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For easier dipping, chill the dough balls very well until firm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake bite
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
