Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball is a simple, no-bake dessert! This fun “appetizer” has pumpkin pie-inspired flavors, milk chocolate toffee bits, and a coating of mini chocolate chips.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball
Come fall, my boys know that just about everything we eat (and drink) will include pumpkin. So when we swapped our usual weekend chocolate fondue night for this Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball, they weren’t too surprised. Luckily, they all love pumpkin treats!
This fun dessert ball tastes like a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie and is perfect for a fall gathering. It’s such a unique treat, and everyone we’ve served it to loves it!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball ingredients
- Spice cake mix: My favorite for this cheesecake ball is Betty Crocker® Super Moist Spice Cake Mix. It has pudding in the mix for extra thickness and softness.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. Lower-fat versions can make the ball watery and less hold together.
- Unsalted butter: Use unsalted butter to control the overall saltiness since the cake mix has salt.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This mix of warming spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice) is easy to find or can be made at home.
- Canned pumpkin: Use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sugars: Powdered sugar and brown sugar gives a deeper flavor without making the cheesecake ball grainy.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a light flavor.
- Toffee bits: Milk chocolate toffee bits boost flavor and texture.
- Coating: Roll the ball in mini chocolate chips, or use crushed pecans, toffee bits, or cookie crumbs if you prefer.
Quick Tip
Use softened cream cheese and butter, but don’t melt them, or the Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball won’t set. Leave them out for 45 minutes to an hour, or use these quick tips to warm them up.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball Dippers
While I’m partial to a nice big spoon…here are a few of my other favorite things to dip into this Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball:
- Regular graham crackers or cinnamon graham crackers
- Golden Oreos® or Golden Oreo Thins (If you love chocolate and pumpkin together, regular Oreo cookies are also amazing!)
- Vanilla wafers
- Biscoff® cookies
- Pretzels/pretzel thins
- Gingersnap cookies
- Sliced apples (like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp)
How (And Why) To Heat Treat Spice Cake Mix
Spice cake mix is an ingredient in this Cheesecake Ball. Since it isn’t baked, it has “raw” flour that may have bacteria. If you’re worried, heat treat the mix using one of these methods:
- Microwave: Put the spice cake mix in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until it reaches 165°F all the way through.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the cake mix on the pan and bake, stirring every 1.5 minutes until it hits 165°F.
Tip: Heat treating lowers the risk of bacteria like salmonella or E. coli, which can be found in uncooked grains.
Storage
Store the Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball in a sealed container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In
- Soft-baked Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Maple-glazed Pumpkin Scones
- 7 Layer Pumpkin Bars with chocolate chips, toffee, and coconut
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies with chocolate chips
- Pumpkin Créme Brûleé with caramelized sugar on top
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened to room temperature, see note 1
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin not an entire can
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- Orange food coloring optional
- 1-1/3 cups spice cake mix see note 2
- 1/2 cup English Toffee Baking Bits
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Serving suggestions see note 3
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter (softened to room temperature but not melted) using a hand mixer (or stand mixer with whisk attachment) until completely smooth.
- Add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin, powdered sugar, brown sugar, food dye (if desired for a more intense orange color), and cake mix (see note 2). Beat until fully combined. Use a spatula to scrape sides.
- Stir in toffee bits. Although mixture is wet now, it firms up a lot in the fridge!
- Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer mixture to the center of it. Tightly wrap and form into a ball (it doesn’t form perfectly here, but it will be easier to shape once it is firmer!)
- Chill for 2 hours or until firm.
- Once firmed and chilled, place mini chocolate chips on a plate and unwrap the pumpkin ball onto the chips. Roll around and press chips all around the ball. Serve with your favorite cookies/crackers, apple slices, etc.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Heat treat it in the microwave: Add the spice cake mix to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring between each burst. Take your time stirring well to ensure none of the mixture burns. Use a thermometer to test the mixture in a few places to make sure it has reached 165°F throughout. (If you get less than 165°F, return the flour for another burst of 30 seconds).
- Heat treat it in the oven: Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large sheet pan (with sides) with a nonstick liner or parchment paper. Spread the cake mix on the pan. Bake the cake mix, removing and stirring it every 1 and 1/2 minutes. Every time you remove the cake mix to stir, test it with the thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165°F, it’s safe to use in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was surprised to see you used a boxed cake mix in this recipe! I didn’t think you would use it in a recipe like this. I’m sure it must taste good, but I do not use any cake mixes. Any idea for a substitution?
Made this for Thanksgiving dessert and it was a big hit! Had plenty leftover after all 5 of us dug into it, just because it’s so rich. Would make it again for a fall-time party!
I am so happy to hear you guys loved this Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball! Thanks so much Jennifer! 🙂
LOVED IT! Served it with honey graham crackers! Am making it AGAIN for Thanksgiving!
So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this!! Thank you Lea 🙂
Also, to account for the fact that parties will be socially distanced events, I was planning to use a small scoop, and portion it onto gingersnaps and apples, and then apply the chocolate chip coating. Advice?
Hmm this might be tricky; it’s very wet and sticky and I think if you’re going gluten free, it may not firm up as nicely and could still remain a bit sticky.
I’ve not tried this yet, but it seems perfect for a holiday party. I can’t decide if it’s an hors d’oevres, or dessert, but I’ll figure that out after I’ve sampled it. I need to make it gluten free. I can serve it on apple slices and gf ginger snaps, no problem, but I’m a little stumped on the spice cake mix. What do we need besides the flour? I can use GF flour or almond flour (amount?), and then add pumpkin pie spice (amount?), and maybe some vanilla pudding (amount?). Anything else I’d want in there? Salt? Sugar? Milk powder? I don’t suppose I need the leavening agents at all. Thanks for any suggestions.
I’d say it’s definitely a dessert 🙂 I’m not really sure the exact specifications or advice to give you since I haven’t ever attempted to make this gluten free and it would be really hard to guess specific amounts of things without personally testing. I do think you’ll need a good amount of spice if removing the spice cake mix; I’d guess pumpkin pie spice, but you’d also might want to punch it up with additional spices like extra nutmeg, cinnamon, or allspice. You’d certainly want more sugar and salt too. Wish I could give you more help, but I’ve only tested this recipe as written.
I’m making this tonight for an office carry-in tomorrow. Is there any reason why I can’t coat the cheese ball with the chocolate chips tonight? Why do I have to wait until just before serving? Thanks!
Well, I made this ball and your pumkin cookies, well, because I had pumkin left. Big family halloween dinner was canceled because I had a sick child in the house. I tasted a bit myself,,yummy then froze and bringing it back Thanksgiving. Hope it holds well. Really delicious. Wish I could enclose pic, but yours is prettier.
So happy you enjoyed this; sorry about your party, I hope the child recovers quickly! I hope everyone loves it for Thanksgiving though <3 Thanks Tammy!