Halloween treats have always been my favorite part of the season. I love making spooky snacks just as much as I love carving pumpkins with the kids. But that doesn’t mean I want to spend hours in the kitchen when there are costumes to finish and decorations to hang. I prefer treats that come together quickly.
That’s why these Ghost Oreo Balls are my Halloween hero in the kitchen. They only need a few ingredients and take less than an hour to make from start to finish. I can whip them up while dinner is in the oven. No fancy techniques required.
Want something cute and spooky? These are perfect. Need a treat for the school party? Same. Honestly, I’ll make a double batch because they disappear faster than real ghosts.
Why You’ll Love These Ghost Oreo Balls
- No-bake treat – These spooky treats require no oven time, making them perfect when you want something sweet without heating up the kitchen.
- Simple ingredients – With just four basic ingredients that you can find at any grocery store, this recipe couldn’t be easier to shop for.
- Fun Halloween activity – Kids will love helping you roll the mixture into balls and decorating the ghost faces, making this a great family project for the spooky season.
- Quick preparation – Ready in under an hour, these ghost oreo balls are perfect when you need a last-minute treat for Halloween parties or trick-or-treaters.
- Crowd-pleasing dessert – The creamy oreo filling covered in smooth white chocolate creates an irresistible bite-sized treat that disappears fast at any gathering.
What Kind of Oreo Cookies Should I Use?
Regular Oreo cookies are perfect for this recipe, and you don’t need to overthink it – the classic chocolate sandwich cookies will give you exactly the flavor and texture you’re looking for. You can use the original Oreos or even try Golden Oreos if you want a slightly different taste, though the regular ones work best for that classic cookies-and-cream flavor. Make sure your Oreos are fresh and not stale, as this will affect how well they crush up and blend with the cream cheese. If you only have Double Stuf Oreos on hand, those will work too, but you might want to use slightly less cream cheese since there’s already more filling in each cookie.
Options for Substitutions
These spooky treats are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:
- Oreo cookies: Regular Oreos work best here since they provide the right texture and color contrast. You could try other chocolate sandwich cookies, but stick with the classic black ones for that ghostly look.
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened for easy mixing. If you’re in a pinch, you can use mascarpone cheese, but the texture will be slightly different and a bit richer.
- White chocolate melting wafers: Regular white chocolate chips work too – just add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening to help with melting and coating. You can also use white candy coating or almond bark.
- Black melting wafers: If you can’t find black melting wafers, use black gel food coloring mixed into white chocolate, or simply pipe on eyes and mouths with black icing from a tube. Dark chocolate chips melted down also work for the facial features.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest mistake when making Oreo balls is not letting your cream cheese come to room temperature first, which makes it nearly impossible to mix smoothly with the crushed cookies and creates lumpy, uneven balls.
Another common error is overheating your white chocolate – melting wafers can seize up quickly, so use short 30-second intervals in the microwave and stir between each one to keep the coating smooth and workable.
Make sure to chill your rolled balls for at least 30 minutes before dipping them in chocolate, as warm Oreo balls will cause the coating to slide right off and create a messy disaster.
For the cleanest ghost faces, let the white chocolate set completely before adding the black details, and use a toothpick to create small dots for eyes rather than trying to pipe large amounts of black chocolate.
What to Serve With Ghost Oreo Balls?
These spooky treats are perfect on their own, but they’re even better when you turn them into the star of a Halloween dessert spread! I love setting them out alongside other Halloween goodies like pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies, candy corn, and maybe some chocolate-dipped pretzels for a fun mix of textures. They’re also great for Halloween parties – just arrange them on a black or orange platter with some plastic spiders or fake cobwebs for extra spookiness. Since they’re pretty rich and sweet, a glass of cold milk or hot apple cider makes the perfect drink pairing to balance out all that chocolatey goodness.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate: These spooky treats need to stay chilled to keep their shape and that perfect creamy texture. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like to place them in a single layer with parchment paper between layers if I’m stacking them.
Freeze: Ghost Oreo balls freeze really well for longer storage! Place them on a baking sheet to freeze individually first, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. This way they won’t stick together and you can grab just a few at a time.
Serve: Let frozen Oreo balls thaw in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving, or leave them at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. They taste best when they’re slightly chilled but not rock hard. The white chocolate coating might get a little condensation if they warm up too quickly, but they’ll still taste great!
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Total Time | 45-55 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 3700-4100
- Protein: 26-32 g
- Fat: 210-240 g
- Carbohydrates: 420-470 g
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Ingredients
For the truffle base:
- 36 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as oreo)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
For the decoration:
- 2 cups white chocolate coating wafers
- 1/2 cup black decorating wafers or black icing
Step 1: Crush the Cookies
- 36 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo)
Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Make sure there are no large chunks left.
Step 2: Make the Truffle Mixture
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- crushed chocolate sandwich cookies from Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the crushed cookie crumbs from Step 1.
Mix well until a dark, smooth, truffle-like texture forms.
I like to use my hands to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
Step 3: Shape and Chill the Ghosts
- truffle mixture from Step 2
Firmly press 1-2 tablespoons of the truffle mixture from Step 2 into each cavity of a ghost-shaped mold.
Press down to pack them tightly.
Refrigerate the molds until firm, or freeze for about 20 minutes if you want to speed things up.
Step 4: Coat the Ghosts in White Chocolate
- 2 cups white chocolate coating wafers
- ghost-shaped truffles from Step 3
Melt the white chocolate coating wafers according to the package directions, either in a microwave or double boiler.
Carefully remove the chilled ghosts from the molds, then dip each one into the melted white chocolate to fully coat.
Place the coated ghosts on a parchment-covered baking sheet.
Refrigerate them for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate is set.
For a smoother finish, I like to tap off any excess chocolate before setting them down.
Step 5: Decorate with Faces
- 1/2 cup black decorating wafers or black icing
- chocolate-coated ghosts from Step 4
Melt the black decorating wafers or fill a piping bag with black icing.
Use the melted chocolate or icing to pipe eyes and a mouth on each coated ghost.
Be creative with your ghost faces!
Step 6: Chill and Serve
Keep the finished ghost truffles refrigerated until ready to serve.
This helps the coating stay firm and the ghosts keep their shape.
Enjoy your spooky treats!
Homemade Ghost Oreo Balls
Ingredients
For the truffle base:
- 36 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
For the decoration:
- 2 cups white chocolate coating wafers
- 1/2 cup black decorating wafers or black icing
Instructions
- Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, you can put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Make sure there are no large chunks left.
- In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the crushed cookie crumbs from Step 1. Mix well until a dark, smooth, truffle-like texture forms. I like to use my hands to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
- Firmly press 1-2 tablespoons of the truffle mixture from Step 2 into each cavity of a ghost-shaped mold. Press down to pack them tightly. Refrigerate the molds until firm, or freeze for about 20 minutes if you want to speed things up.
- Melt the white chocolate coating wafers according to the package directions, either in a microwave or double boiler. Carefully remove the chilled ghosts from the molds, then dip each one into the melted white chocolate to fully coat. Place the coated ghosts on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate them for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate is set. For a smoother finish, I like to tap off any excess chocolate before setting them down.
- Melt the black decorating wafers or fill a piping bag with black icing. Use the melted chocolate or icing to pipe eyes and a mouth on each coated ghost. Be creative with your ghost faces!
- Keep the finished ghost truffles refrigerated until ready to serve. This helps the coating stay firm and the ghosts keep their shape. Enjoy your spooky treats!
