A rich, dark, fudgy, chocolatey brownie cheese ball – the perfect party dessert!
My obsession with World Cup soccer began in 1994.
As a young child, I fell in love with the Italian World Cup team… more specifically, I fell in love with their star player, Roberto Baggio, and decided I was going to marry him someday.
(My Italian grandmother was immensely happy to hear this.)
For my birthday that year, I received a soccer jersey and tickets to the Italy-Bulgaria semifinals game, where my favorite player scored both goals in an Italy victory.
It’s probably safe to say I’m not quite as invested in the World Cup this year.
For one thing, my dream husband is retired… and married to someone else.
Sigh.
I’m pretty sure the jersey would no longer fit me, and nowadays I am more apt to root for the underdog than for powerhouses like Italy. But I still enjoy watching.
This giant chocolate brownie dessert cheese ball was brought to a World-Cup-watching party for Saturday’s Italy-England game.
It was adapted from the original version above: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cheese Ball.
The recipe is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a giant ball of chocolate brownie cheesecake.
Easy to make, easy to transport, gluten-free, no-bake, and—unlike desserts that are frozen or made with coconut oil—it can be set out at a party without immediately melting.
Don’t be surprised if everyone congregates around the brownie cheese ball and completely forgets there’s even a game going on.
Who needs sports when you have chocolate and cheesecake?
Chocolate Brownie Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, or allergy friendly sub
- 8 oz cream cheese or coconut butter
- 2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar (or Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, or more if needed
Instructions
- Dessert Cheese Ball Recipe: Bring the cream cheese and the peanut butter to room temperature (to a stir-able consistency). Mix together with a spoon in a deep bowl, then add the cocoa powder and vanilla and stir. Gradually add the powdered sugar: It will seem dry at first, but just keep stirring and it will eventually become creamy. Cover the bowl and freeze 6 hours or overnight (depending on the type of peanut butter used), until the mixture is no longer too sticky to spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring up the sides of the plastic wrap and twist very tightly to form a ball shape. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm enough that the plastic wrap can be removed without the ball sticking to the wrap. Place chocolate chips in a large bowl or ziploc bag, then roll the cheese ball until evenly coated with chocolate chips. Freeze until ready to serve (or refrigerate if not serving until the next day). Serve with graham crackers, sliced fruit, or anything else you desire.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
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Recipe Of The Day:
Chelsea says
Just made this for a small dinner party last night. Amazing! Everyone loved it, and it was very easy to throw together. We didn’t taste the peanut butter, if that is a concern for some people. I found it was firm enough to shape into a ball right away for freezing – just lined a container with plastic wrap and pulled up the sides to form a ball, secured with a clip and froze until the next morning when it was ready to roll in chocolate chips. Served with strawberries and graham crackers. I’m happy there was a tiny bit leftover, which I will now justify as part of a balanced breakfast. 🙂