Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball at Home

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball is a simple, no-bake dessert! This fun “appetizer” has pumpkin pie-inspired flavors, milk chocolate toffee bits, and a coating of mini chocolate chips.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball

Come fall, my boys know that just about everything we eat (and drink) will include pumpkin. So when we swapped our usual weekend chocolate fondue night for this Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball, they weren’t too surprised. Luckily, they all love pumpkin treats!

This fun dessert ball tastes like a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie and is reliable for a fall gathering. It’s such a unique treat, and everyone we’ve served it to loves it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball ingredients

• Spice cake mix: a reliable for this cheesecake ball is Betty Crocker® Super Moist Spice Cake Mix. It has pudding in the mix for extra thickness and softness.
• Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. Lower-fat versions can make the ball watery and less hold together.
• Unsalted butter: Use unsalted butter to control the overall saltiness since the cake mix has salt.
• Pumpkin pie spice: This mix of warming spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice) is straightforward to find or can be made at home.
• Canned pumpkin: Use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Sugars: Powdered sugar and brown sugar gives a deeper flavor without making the cheesecake ball grainy.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a light flavor.
• Toffee bits: Milk chocolate toffee bits boost flavor and texture.
• Coating: Roll the ball in mini chocolate chips, or use crushed pecans, toffee bits, or cookie crumbs if you prefer.

Quick Tip

Use softened cream cheese and butter, but don’t melt them, or the Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball won’t set. Leave them out for 45 minutes to an hour, or use these quick tips to warm them up.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball Dippers

While I’m partial to a nice big spoon…here are a few of my other favorite things to dip into this Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball:

• Regular graham crackers or cinnamon graham crackers
• Golden Oreos® or Golden Oreo Thins (If you love chocolate and pumpkin together, regular Oreo cookies are also amazing!)
• Vanilla wafers
• Biscoff® cookies
• Pretzels/pretzel thins
• Gingersnap cookies
• Sliced apples (like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp)

How (And Why) To Heat Treat Spice Cake Mix

Spice cake mix is an ingredient in this Cheesecake Ball. Since it isn’t baked, it has “raw” flour that may have bacteria. If you’re worried, heat treat the mix using one of these methods:

• Microwave: Put the spice cake mix in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until it reaches 165°F all the way through.
• Oven: Heat the oven to 300°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the cake mix on the pan and bake, stirring every 1.5 minutes until it hits 165°F.

Tip: Heat treating lowers the risk of bacteria like salmonella or E. coli, which can be found in uncooked grains.

Storage

Store the Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball in a sealed container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Use Leftover Pumpkin In:

Desserts

Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Breakfast

Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Desserts

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Desserts

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (softened to room temperature, see note 1)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup (not an entire can)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar, firmly packed)
• Orange food coloring (skippable)
• 1-1/3 cups spice cake mix (see note 2)
• 1/2 cup English Toffee Baking Bits
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• Serving suggestions (see note 3)

Method

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter (softened to room temperature but not melted) using a hand mixer (or stand mixer with whisk attachment) until completely smooth.
2. Add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin, powdered sugar, brown sugar, food dye (if desired for a more intense orange color), and cake mix (see note 2). Beat until fully combined. Use a spatula to scrape sides.
3. mix in toffee bits. Although mixture is wet now, it firms up a lot in the fridge!
4. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and move mixture to the center of it. Tightly wrap and form into a ball (it doesn’t form evenly here, but it will be easier to shape once it is firmer!)
5. Chill for 2 hours or until firm.
6. Once firmed and chilled, place mini chocolate chips on a plate and unwrap the pumpkin ball onto the chips. Roll around and press chips all around the ball. Serve with your favorite cookies/crackers, apple slices, etc.