Today, I’m sharing a delightful recipe that will add a dash of holiday magic to your dessert spread – Reindeer Caramel Oreo Balls. These bite-sized goodies are not only adorable but also incredibly delicious. These reindeer caramel Oreo balls are a no-bake but super fun recipe to try! So, grab your aprons and let’s dive into the world of sweet reindeer wonders!
Special Decorating Ingredients
Before we embark on our delicious journey, let’s gather some special ingredients to give our Oreo balls that extra touch of holiday cheer.
Anterlicious Pretzels
First things first, we need antlers for our reindeer! For these, you want the heart-shaped pretzels. In order to get my antlers, I admit, I went through a lot (like, a lot!) of pretzels. I tried to cut them right down the middle of the pretzel, vertically, but as pretzels do, they kind of broke in every which way.
I used a knife to facilitate my cutting, as I found that breaking the pretzels with my hands didn’t work very well.
Candy Eyes
What’s a reindeer without its sparkly eyes? I got my candy eyes at Micheael’s. You can get a small bottle, and that will still have plenty of eyes for this project! I got my candy eyes at Halloween to make some cutout cookies, and I still had plenty leftover for Christmas decorating fun.
Alternatively, if you do not want to buy candy eyes and have a pretty steady hand, you could draw some eyes using white (for the white part of the eye) and dark (for the pupil) chocolate and some small icing bottles. If you do this, make sure your chocolate is thoroughly melted, as the tiniest little bit will clog up your decorating tip!
Red Candy Noses
Rudolph isn’t the only one with a red nose! For our caramel-coated reindeer, you can use red mini M&Ms. I found these little red decorating pearls at Michael’s that I used. I do wish they had been a tiny bit bigger, but they were what I had, and I think they worked!
Pro Tips for Decorating Reindeer Caramel Coated Oreo Balls
Now that we’ve got our special decorating ingredients, let’s move on to some pro tips to ensure your Oreo balls turn into the most charming reindeer in town.
Chilled Perfection
The key to crafting perfect Oreo balls is ensuring they are chilled to perfection before decorating. Once you’ve formed your reindeer Oreo balls and attached the antlers, pop them into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This helps the Oreo balls firm up, making them easier to handle and decorate.
Have Everything Ready to go for Decorating
Because your Oreo balls are going to be chilled, the caramel coating on them is going to harden rather quickly. Therefore, make sure you have your candy eyes and noses ready to place on while the candy coating is still wet. Also, I like to have some extra parchment paper laid down to catch my mess, and some wet paper towels on hand to wipe my fingers.
It takes some practice to attach tiny candy eyes, and you almost always end up with some candy coating on your hands when you’re done decorating just one reindeer. Paper towels will be your best friend!
Pre-Antler Attachment
I recommend forming your Oreo balls into balls, attaching the antlers and then chilling them. The antlers being pre-attached means that you have to have a bit of finesse with your candy coating in the end. However, the pre-attached antlers also give you something to hold on to while your coat your Oreo ball in the melted caramel candies.
As an important side note, you do still have to be careful with those antlers while you decorate. A few of mine snapped while I was decorating, and I tried to reattach them with a little melted candy, but it’s definitely not ideal! This is also why it’s good to chill your Oreo balls thoroughly in the freezer before coating them in the caramel.
How to Make Reindeer Shaped Caramel Oreo Balls
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – crafting these adorable reindeer treats!
Ingredients:
– 1 package of Double Stuf Oreo cookies
– 1/2 block of cream cheese (4 oz), softened
– Pretzels
– Candy eyes
– Red chocolate candies or red M&M’s
– Salted Caramel Candy Melts (I always buy these from Michael’s. If you can’t find the salted caramel, you could go for a light-colored milk chocolate
-Coconut oil (Optional, but to me it makes the process easier)
Instructions:
1. Place your cream cheese and Oreos in a food processor. Pulse until you get a consistent dough that resembles Play Dough. You may need to take a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides of your food processor a couple times.
2. Break your pretzels into antlers.
3. Roll Your Oreo dough into bite-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined tray.
4. Attach your pretzel antlers to the Oreo balls.
5. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Melt the caramel candy melts according to the package instructions. I like to add a little bit of coconut oil to my melted candy because I think it makes the decorating a little bit easier. You want the excess candy melts to drip off without you having to scrape it off, and the coconut milk makes the texture just a little bit thinner.
I don’t actually measure my coconut oil for this part, but I would estimate that I used about 2 teaspoons per 6 oz of melting candies. You could always start out with 1 teaspoon and add more if you think it’s necessary.
5. Gently dip each chilled Oreo ball into the melted caramel, ensuring it’s fully coated. Gently lift your reindeer Oreo ball by the antlers to let the excess caramel drip off. Place on a sheet of parchment paper to decorate.
6. Quickly add the eyes and nose while the candy coating is still wet. Leave the reindeer to set fully on the parchment paper before moving it.
8. Store reindeer Oreo balls in the fridge until ready to serve. Then, watch as these festive treats disappear with delight!
There you have it – a fun and delicious way to add a touch of holiday magic to your dessert table. These Reindeer Caramel Oreo Balls are not only a treat for the taste buds but also a feast for the eyes. Get ready to spread joy and indulge in the festive spirit with these adorable and scrumptious creations. Happy holidays and happy munching!
Looking for Other Fun, Easy Holiday Desserts?
- Christmas Ornament Oreo Balls
- Christmas Tree Brownies
- Super Easy Christmas Light Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Filled Bundt Cake
Reindeer-Shaped Decorated Caramel Coated Oreo Balls
Ingredients
- 1 package Double Stuf Oreos 30 total
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 40 mini heart-shaped pretzels (40 gives you some extras in case you mess up!)
- 56 candy eyes
- 28 candy noses
- 16 oz salted caramel candy melts You could probably buy one 12 oz. bag and be okay, but having an extra bag on hand is a good idea!
- coconut oil Optional. See notes above.
Instructions
- Place cream cheese and Oreos in a food processor. Pulse until you get a thick, smooth dough. You might have to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your food processor a couple times.
- Line a cookie sheet or flat tray with parchment paper. Roll your Oreo dough into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter, and place them on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Break your mini pretzels into antlers for your reindeer (See note above). Attach your antlers to the sides of your Oreo balls.
- Place Oreo balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Melt your salted caramel candy melts according to the package instructions. I like to add a little bit of coconut oil to the melted candy because that gives it a more watery texture so that the excess drips off more easily. This part is optional and depends on your preferences.
- Have all of your decorating tools and materials ready to go! You'll want an extra piece of parchment paper to place your Oreo balls on while you decorate, a small pile of eyes ready to go, and a small pile of noses. I would also recommend having some damp paper towels so you can wipe your fingers, as this can get messy.
- Carefully, dip your Oreo balls in the melted caramel candy. You can gently hold them by the "antlers," but be sure not to accidentally snap an antler off!
- Carefully remove the coated Oreo ball from the melted caramel and place on a piece of parchment paper. While the caramel coating is still wet, place 2 eyes and a nose on your reindeer.
- Allow all of your Oreo balls to set before moving them. Store in the fridge to keep them fresh.
