These easy Sugar Cookie Valentine Truffles are sweet, soft, and perfect for gifting! Simply bake a 9x13 pan of sugar cookie bars, roll into balls, dip in white chocolate, and top with festive sprinkles!
Hack: While homemade sugar cookies taste better, you can also turn these into no bake cookie balls by using store-bought sugar cookies!
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If you're looking for a festive recipe for Valentine's Day that doesn't require hours in the kitchen, these Valentines truffle cookie balls are perfect. They're a fun alternative to Oreo balls, but every bit as delicious!
Why We Love These Sugar Cookie Balls
- Easy to make! Instead of making individual sugar cookies that are going to be crumbled up anyway, you'll bake a batch of my Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9x13 pan.
- So delicious! The vanilla and almond extract make them taste super similar to Starbucks cake pops.
- Customize! This sugar cookie truffle recipe yields 4 dozen truffles, making them fun to gift. If you want to make cookie balls without cream cheese, use the buttercream in my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bar recipe or use canned frosting instead (frosting allows them to stay out at room temperature for longer).
- Shape into hearts! You can also make these into heart-shaped truffles by using a knife or spoon to create a heart shape.
What You Need to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Truffles
- Sugar cookies – Use homemade or store-bought to make these easy Valentine truffle cookie balls even easier! I've included my recipe for a batch of 9x13 sugar cookies bars so that you don't even have to roll or cut out the cookies!
- Cream cheese (or buttercream frosting)
- Almond bark or melting wafers – You'll find this in the baking section near the bars of chocolate. I prefer Ghiradelli melting wafers but almond bark also works fine.
Tips for Success
- Melt 6 squares of the almond bark at 50% power in microwave, then pour it into tall skinny cup for dipping. If your almond bark is too thick, add a dollop of butter-flavored Crisco before melting to help it thin out.
- Freeze the sugar cookie balls for 30-60 minutes before you dip them so they don't fall apart.
- Use a skewer to dip the truffles. Work quickly and add the sprinkles right after dipping, before the almond bark hardens.
- Dye the white chocolate red and pink for Valentine's Day or top with festive sprinkles or jumbo heart sprinkles!
How to Make Valentine Sugar Cookie Truffles:
Step 1: Bake Sugar Cookie Bars
Follow my sugar cookie bar recipe (included below) to bake the dough in a 9x13 pan. Bake until golden brown. You'll bake these a little bit longer than you'd normally bake sugar cookie bars because you want them to be a bit crisper so that they crumble better.
Tip: If you want it to be even easier, just buy some sugar cookies and this will be a no-bake sugar cookie truffle recipe. When using storebought, I like using Pepperidge Farm (you want the cookies to be a bit crunchy, not fresh and soft).
Step 2: Crumble & Add Cream Cheese
Once the sugar cookie bars have cooled, use your hands to crumble them into a bowl. Stir in the softened cream cheese and keep stirring until everything is uniformly mixed.
Tip: You can make sugar cookie truffles without cream cheese by using frosting instead. Use the frosting recipe in my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars, or buy a can of frosting at the grocery store, like Pillsbury. If making homemade buttercream, they'll be a bit stickier so you'll want to refrigerate the "dough" before rolling into balls.
Step 3: Roll Into Balls
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough from the bowl and roll it into balls with your hands. This is great for kids to help with—just make sure their hands are clean! Set the formed balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Tip: Pop the balls in the freezer for 30-60 minutes so they solidify a bit. This will make them easier to work with when you're dipping them in the almond bark.
Step 4: Dip in Almond Bark and Top with Sprinkles
Pierce a ball with a skewer and dip it into the almond bark. Working quickly, place it back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and scatter sprinkles over the top. Repeat with the remaining Christmas truffles.
Tip: Make your own copycat version of Starbucks cake pops by using lollipop sticks instead of a skewer when dipping, then simply leave the sticks in.
Step 5: Enjoy!
These vanilla truffles are super yummy when chilled in the fridge, but they'll be fine at room temperature for an hour or two if you're making them for a party. Because they have cream cheese, refrigerate until serving.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can sugar cookie truffles be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze these truffles! Store them in a freezer bag or airtight container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
How should these sugar cookie truffles be stored?
Since they're made with cream cheese, these Christmas truffles should be refrigerated or frozen. They'll be okay at room temperature for an hour or two, but beyond that, they'll need to be refrigerated.
Store in the refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
What's the best brand of almond bark?
Any kind of white almond bark works, but I prefer Ghirardelli baking melts for dipping because they melt thinner. Because almond bark can be finicky, melt almond bark at 50% power in the microwave. If your almond bark is too thick, add a dollop of butter-flavored Crisco before melting to help it thin out.
If you make these sugar cookie truffles, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
Valentine Sugar Cookie Balls
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies (can use 5-6 cups store-bought sugar cookies instead):
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Mix-Ins & Topping:
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 12 oz. almond bark 6 squares or white chocolate, for dipping
- Sprinkles
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- If making the homemade bars (which I suggest!), preheat oven to 350℉. If using store-bought sugar cookies, proceed to Step 5.
- In a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter (1 cup, i.e., 2 sticks) and granulated sugar (1 cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds. Mix in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (1 teaspoon). On low speed, mix in baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups).
- Press dough into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 metal pan.
- Bake bars at 350℉ for 18-20 minutes until edges and top are slightly browned (we want them to be a bit crunchy).
- Allow bars to completely cool, then break apart and crumble (they do not need to be pulverized into crumbs).
- Using an electric or stand-mixer, mix together the crushed sugar cookies and cream cheese (8 ounces). Mix until cookies are broken down and everything is incorporated.
- Roll into 1 tablespoon sized balls and freeze on a cookie sheet for 30-60 minutes.
- Dip in melted white almond bark (12 ounces). See tip in notes; for smoother almond bark add a dollop of butter flavored crisco.
- Immediately top with sprinkles.
- Store sugar cookie truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (freeze if storing longer). Because they have cream cheese, they need to stay chilled until serving.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make these sugar cookie truffles, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
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