Description
These Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites are festive, bite-sized treats perfect for holiday parties. Made with crushed red velvet cookies and cream cheese, then coated in vibrant green white chocolate and decorated with red heart sprinkles, these bites capture the holiday spirit in a delicious and fun way.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 3 (9.6-oz.) packages Chips Ahoy Chewy Red Velvet cookies
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
Coating and Decoration
- 3 (12-oz.) packages white chocolate chips, divided
- Green food coloring gel
- Red heart sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare workspace: Place a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch drips and allow chocolate-coated bites to set evenly.
- Make cookie crumbs: Pulse the red velvet cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form, providing the base texture for the cake bites.
- Mix base dough: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Add cookie crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined into a uniform dough.
- Form cake balls: Scoop out dough using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon and roll into balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange them on the prepared wire rack and refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm and cold.
- Melt first batch of chocolate: Set a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, ensuring the bowl bottom doesn’t touch the water. Reserve one package of white chocolate chips. In the bowl, melt the remaining two packages of chips, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Color the chocolate coating: Add one drop of green food coloring gel to the melted chocolate and stir. Add more drops if necessary until the desired vibrant green color is achieved.
- Coat cake balls in chocolate: Using a fork, dip each chilled cake ball into the green chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place coated balls back onto the wire rack. If desired, apply a second coat for thicker coverage. Refrigerate until the coating sets, about 30 minutes. Clean out the bowl and keep the double boiler setup ready for the drizzle.
- Melt remaining chocolate for drizzle: Return the reserved package of white chocolate chips to the double boiler setup. Melt, stirring until smooth and removed from heat.
- Color and thin chocolate drizzle: Add one drop of green food coloring gel, stirring to incorporate. If needed, thin the chocolate to a drizzling consistency by adding hot water one tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition.
- Drizzle and decorate: Transfer the thinned green chocolate to a piping bag or plastic bag with a snipped tip. Drizzle over the chocolate-coated cake balls to create decorative stripes. Before the drizzle sets, top each cake ball with a red heart sprinkle for a festive finish.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Use a wire rack over parchment to catch drips and make cleanup easier.
- Keep the cake balls chilled before dipping to prevent melting and maintain shape.
- Adjust green food coloring gradually to reach a desired shade without overpowering flavor.
- The drizzle can be thinned with hot water cautiously; add water slowly to prevent chocolate from seizing.
- Store cake bites refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake bite
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
