This Snickers Cheese Ball takes just 15 minutes to prep and tastes like a scoopable candy bar with caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. It’s the perfect appetizer, snack, or dessert for parties and is great for making ahead of time!
If you’re as obsessed with Snickers as I am, be sure to try my Snickers Brownie Bites, Snickers Cheesecake Cake, and Snickers Apple Icebox Cake!
This Snickers Cheese Ball is creamy, sweet, and loaded with chocolate, caramel, and peanuts. It’s basically a giant, scoopable Snickers bar!
I love the idea of cheese balls around the holidays because they’re SO easy to make.
You can prepare them well in advance, freeze them, shape a few smaller ones, or just go big with one impressive centerpiece.
Serve this one with apple slices, graham crackers, or even spoon it straight into your mouth. You could even press it into a graham cracker crust and call it a cheesecake!
Snickers Cheese Ball Ingredients:
- Peanut butter: Use regular smooth or crunchy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy), not natural peanut butter as it will be too thin.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: You can also use milk chocolate if you want it sweeter or dark chocolate for less sweetness!
- Heavy cream: Just a splash helps the chocolate and peanut butter melt into a silky base. Don’t swap with milk or half-and-half! It won’t set as well.
- Cream cheese: Full-fat cream cheese is key here. Reduced fat can be watery, which makes the cheese ball softer and less stable.
- Powdered sugar: Add sweetness and makes the filling smooth.
- Caramel sauce: Look for a thick, jarred caramel sauce (often labeled “sundae topping”). A runny caramel drizzle won’t hold up in the mixture. If you can’t find it, the best substitute would be melted Kraft caramels.
- Peanuts: Finely chopped peanuts add crunch and give that Snickers candy bar flavor! Salted peanuts give a great sweet-and-salty bite, while unsalted peanuts keep it mild.
- Mini chocolate chips: Smaller chips mix in better than regular-sized ones, so you get little pops of chocolate in every bite. They also stick to the outside more evenly when you roll the cheese ball!
How to make a Snickers Cheese Ball:
This Snickers Cheese Ball is the perfect no-bake dessert for the holidays! Check the recipe card for the full list of instructions.
- Add softened cream cheese to the peanut butter, chocolate, and cream mixture.
- Mix in powdered sugar and caramel sauce until combined.
- Fold in peanuts and mini chocolate chips.
- Roll in more peanuts and chocolate chips and set aside to chill.
Tips for the best Snickers Cheese Ball:
- Small balls: For parties, make two smaller cheese balls instead of one big one to spread out the fun.
- Shape it right: If shaping into a ball is tricky, just wrap tightly in plastic wrap, chill, and reshape once firm.
How to store a Snickers Cheese Ball:
Store the cheese ball tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftovers keep well and can be served chilled straight from the fridge.
Snickers Cheese Ball
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- ½ cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter, (not natural)
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 packages full fat cream cheese, (500 grams or 16 oz) room temperature
- ½ cup powdered icing sugar
- ¼ cup thick caramel sauce
- 1 cup finely chopped peanuts, (divided)
- ¾ cup cup mini chocolate chips, (divided)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, chocolate chips and cream. Microwave on high in 20-30 second intervals, stirring each time, until smooth (this should take 45-50 seconds).
- Add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and combined.
- Add sugar and caramel sauce and beat until combined.
- Stir in ½ cup peanuts and ¼ cup mini chocolate chips. Wrap in plastic wrap and press into a ball (to the best of your ability!). Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours (to make ahead, wrap well and freeze at this point up to 3 months).
- Combine remaining ½ cup peanuts and ½ cup mini chocolate chips in a rimmed plate. Roll cheese ball in peanut mixture, pressing into an even circle as you do so. Place on a large plate with apple slices and graham crackers and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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- Candy bar mix-in: Fold in chopped Snickers bars or mini Reese’s cups for extra candy flavor.
- Nut-free option: Swap peanuts for sunflower seeds or pretzel pieces for crunch without nuts.
- Different nut flavors: Try almonds, cashews, or pecans instead of peanuts for a twist.
- Chocolate lovers: Use dark chocolate chips for a richer flavor, or milk chocolate if you prefer it sweeter.
- Caramel upgrade: Add toffee bits or drizzle extra caramel over the top before serving.
Make-ahead option:
This Snickers Cheese Ball is perfect for making ahead. You can prep the mixture, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate it up to 4 days before serving.
Or freeze it (before rolling in peanuts and chocolate chips) for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw overnight in the fridge and coat it fresh.
kelly fred says
Best way to keep apples from browning on the platter?
Ashley Fehr says
Something acidic should help — orange, lemon or pineapple juice would be all right, but they may affect the flavor slightly
Sarah says
Please verify where to find caramel sauce? I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for.
Ashley Fehr says
I will buy a jar of dulce de leche if I can find it — it’s super thick and will make a great cheese ball! It’s usually with the jams and spreads or the chocolate sauces.
Leslie O says
Hi, Could you tell me what type of cream…its says 1/4 cup cream but I wasn’t sure which kind…thanks in advance….
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Leslie! I’m sorry about that! Really any cup of cream will do in this recipe, you can use light or heavy as it is just meant to thin out the cream cheese to be a more spreadable, dunkable consistency.
Kari says
Are you saying a package of cream cheese is one 8 oz package?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes I use the standard 8oz packages
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Ashley! This would be ideal for a New Year’s Eve get together! Easily transportable and something everyone would love (my son comes to mind)!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Dorothy! I think so too! Happy holidays to you and your family!