These easy no bake pumpkin balls take just a few minutes to make and are the perfect pumpkin treats for the fall season! They taste almost like little bites of pumpkin pie or and cheesecake combined into one tasty treat!
With pumpkin season in full swing, I thought it was about time to share these yummy no bake pumpkin cheesecake balls that we’ve been enjoying with all fall long!
They’re a great way to use leftover canned pumpkin since the recipe only uses a 1/3 of a cup of pumpkin puree. Make them along with these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, these spice cake mix pumpkin cupcakes, and this pumpkin pie dip for a dessert tray loaded with pumpkin treats!
These are perfect for pumpkin fans and cheesecake fans because they taste like little balls of creamy pumpkin cheesecake all coated in a delicious white chocolate coating!
Make up a batch for any fall party, a Thanksgiving dessert table, or any time you’re just craving a delicious treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No bake recipe – if you don’t want to fire up the oven, these pumpkin bites are the perfect no bake option for a holiday dessert!
- Perfect make ahead dessert – if you need something to make ahead of time, this recipe is a great thing to try! Make them and keep them chilled until you’re ready to serve!
- Creamy pumpkin flavor – these are a delicious alternative to the typical Oreo truffles or even brownie balls for the fall with tons of pumpkin flavor!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin puree – make sure that you’re using pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s is the most common but any brand works as long as it’s real pumpkin puree.
- White chocolate chips – you can use either high-quality white chocolate chips (they melt better than generic ones), white almond bark, or white chocolate melting wafers. All three will work to make the coating of white chocolate on these pumpkin balls.
- Graham cracker crumbs – you can buy store-bought graham cracker crumbs or just put graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.
- Pumpkin pie spice – I typically just use a store-bought one but if you have a homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe you love, it should work fine too!
- Cream cheese – make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature before trying to add it to the pumpkin mixture. This will make your pumpkin balls nice and creamy instead of full of cream cheese chunks!
Tip!
If you are going to use graham crackers to make your own graham cracker crumbs instead of buying store-bought, make sure that your graham cracker crumbs are processed to fine crumbs and don’t have any large pieces!
How to make pumpkin balls
These pumpkin balls are as easy as can be, especially if you’ve ever made something like Oreo balls or brownie balls.
1 – Make The Pumpkin Ball Dough
You’re going to start by making the filling for the pumpkin balls. This is super easy and pretty fool-proof as long as you follow the measurements listed in the recipe card!
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or just a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until they are light and creamy, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, mix in the pumpkin puree, graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Mix together until everything is fully combined.
Tip!
Add the graham cracker crumbs in increments and mix in between. I like to start with 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, mix that in thoroughly, then add in the next 1/2 cup. If you add them all at once, people have mentioned that the mixture can be more crumbly than it needs to be.
- Then put plastic wrap or tin foil over the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better but 30 minutes at least a must.
2 – Roll the Pumpkin Balls
After the dough is done chilling, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Using a small spoon or a tablespoon make 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
Refrigerate the dough again for at least 30 minutes. Longer is okay but make sure it’s at least 30 minutes so that the dough doesn’t just fall apart when you are dipping them in the white chocolate.
3 – Dip and Decorate the Pumpkin Truffles
Microwave the white chocolate chips in a medium microwave safe bowl on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat this process again until the white chocolate chips are completely melted.
Tip!
If the white chocolate chips feel too thick to dip anything into them, it can help to add a tsp of coconut oil to the mixture to thin it out a bit. This also gives the coating a nice shiny look.
Dip the refrigerated pumpkin balls into the melted chocolate chips by using a fork or a candy dipper like this one. Tap the fork on the bowl to get rid of any excess chocolate.
Once the pumpkin balls are dipped, place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet to allow them to set.
Lastly if you want to decorate the truffles, drizzle the rest of the melted chocolate over the truffles and sprinkle the sprinkles or leftover graham cracker crumbs directly onto the drizzles. You can even sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over the melted chocolate if you want even more pumpkin flavor!
Place the finished balls in the fridge, about 20 to 30 minutes, for a little to make sure they are completely hardened.
Transfer to a serving dish or platter and serve immediately! I personally prefer these eaten chilled, but they’re good at room temperature as well.
Expert Tips
Store the pumpkin balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. No need to take out to thaw before eating, they’re actually best enjoyed chilled!
Freeze these pumpkin balls in a zipper top freezer safe bag for up to three months. Remove however many you want to eat and let them thaw in the fridge for a few hours before enjoying chilled.
Divide the pumpkin truffles into small treat bags and give them away to family and friends with one of these cute Thanksgiving gift tags! They make great gifts!
Recipe FAQs
Is pumpkin puree the same thing as canned pumpkin?
Canned pumpkin is typically canned pumpkin puree but make sure to double-check that you’re not accidentally purchasing pumpkin pie filling instead, which is already mixed with spices and ready to pour directly into a pie.
Can I make these with regular chocolate?
You can make these pumpkin cheesecake balls with any type of chocolate you like, I just prefer the white chocolate coating instead of milk or dark chocolate. But as you can tell from my pumpkin blondies, I like pumpkin with regular chocolate as well so I’m sure that would be good too!
Why is my mixture crumbly?
If your mixture is crumbly and won’t come together, it’s probably either because your cream cheese wasn’t soft enough, your graham cracker crumbs weren’t fine enough, or you added too many graham cracker crumbs. Or you just didn’t mix the mixture long enough so keep mixing and it should eventually come together!
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you like these no bake pumpkin cheesecake bites, make sure to check out these other pumpkin recipes!
- Pumpkin crunch cake – the most popular pumpkin dessert on our site, layers of pumpkin, and layers of crunch!
- Pumpkin delight – layers of creamy pumpkin, pudding, and Cool Whip combine for something similar to pumpkin dessert lasagna!
- No bake pumpkin pie – a simple and delicious alternative to traditional pumpkin pie!
- Cream cheese pumpkin muffins – soft and creamy pumpkin muffins filled with a cream cheese cheesecake swirl.
- Glazed pumpkin cookies – cookies filled with pumpkin, quick oats, and tons of delicious flavor!
No Bake Pumpkin Balls
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1-2 tsp coconut oil optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or just a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until they are light and creamy, for about 2-3 minutes.4 oz cream cheese, 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- Next mix in the pumpkin puree, 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Mix together until everything is fully combined. Then add in the second cup of graham cracker crumbs and mix again. This should help you avoid having crumbs!1/3 cup pumpkin puree, 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Then put plastic wrap or tin foil over the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better but 30 minutes at least a must.
- After the dough is done chilling, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Using a small spoon or a tablespoon make 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.Refrigerate the dough again for at least 30 minutes.
- Microwave the white chocolate chips in a medium microwave safe bowl on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat this process again until the white chocolate chips are completely melted.2 cups white chocolate chips, 1-2 tsp coconut oil
- Dip the refrigerated pumpkin balls into the melted chocolate chips by using a fork or a candy dipper. Tap the fork on the bowl to get rid of any excess chocolate. Once the pumpkin balls are dipped, place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet to allow them to set.
- Drizzle the rest of the melted chocolate over the truffles and sprinkle the sprinkles or leftover graham cracker crumbs directly onto the drizzles.
- Place the finished balls in the fridge, about 20 to 30 minutes, for a little to make sure they are completely hardened.
- Transfer to a serving dish or platter and serve immediately!
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