If you need something sweet for Christmas but turning on the oven is absolutely not happening, these no bake truffles, balls or whatever you want to call them are a good place to start (especially if you're super busy and have like 6 minutes to prepare them). This collection includes everything from classic rum balls and gingerbread truffles to Oreo, Biscoff, Nutella and lemon cheesecake balls, with plenty of options for Christmas platters, edible gifts or getting dessert sorted ahead of time.
Most use simple supermarket ingredients and can be prepared in batches, so you're not spending an entire afternoon making Christmas treats from scratch. Make a batch ahead, store them in the fridge or freezer where suitable, and that's one less decision to make when Christmas gets busy.
I'm not a huge gift giver so instead of typical gifts, I'll personally make hundreds of these every Christmas and use these as gifts.
And don't worry, in true Athlete Lunchbox fashion, these are prepped ahead of time so I can guarantee they hold up well in the freezer. I actually make most of them at the end of November/December before gifting them closer to Christmas because it gives me a little bit of time back and makes the holiday season feel slightly less hectic.
12+ No Bake Balls for Christmas
1. No bake gingerbread truffles
If you want gingerbread without rolling dough and cutting out 47 tiny gingerbread men, these no bake gingerbread balls are much easier. Gingersnap cookies, condensed milk, coconut and warm gingerbread spices are rolled into truffles and can be finished with white chocolate and Christmas sprinkles. They're easy to prepare ahead for Christmas platters or homemade gifts
2. Baileys truffles
These Baileys chocolate truffle balls are the grown-up Christmas option, combining crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and Baileys Irish Cream before being rolled in desiccated coconut. They're rich and fudgy without requiring any baking. Make them ahead and keep them chilled until you need dessert, a Christmas platter or a homemade gift.
3. Lemon cheesecake balls
For something lighter than the chocolate-heavy Christmas options, these no bake lemon cheesecake balls combine lemon and coconut with simple pantry staples for a creamy, zesty bite. They're easy to make ahead and work just as well for Australian summer entertaining as they do for grabbing straight from the fridge. No oven required, which is always useful when Christmas happens to fall in the middle of summer (well, for us Aussie's anyways)
4. Dubai chocolate inspired truffles
These Dubai-inspired pistachio truffles combine pistachio spread, condensed milk and crushed biscuits before being finished with chocolate drizzle and chopped pistachios. You still get the pistachio-and-chocolate combination without making anything overly complicated. They're a good make-ahead no bake option when you want something a little different in a Christmas gift box or dessert spread.
5. Biscoff cheesecake truffles
Crushed Biscoff biscuits, cream cheese and rolled oats create the cookie-butter base for these easy Biscoff cheesecake balls. Once rolled, you can dip them in chocolate or drizzle them with Biscoff spread depending on how much effort you're prepared to commit. They're quick to prepare ahead and easy to keep chilled for holiday platters, gifting or repeated fridge visits.
6. Tim tam cheesecake balls
You only need three ingredients for these no bake Tim Tam cheesecake truffles: Tim Tams, cream cheese and rolled oats. The oats help the chocolate cheesecake mixture hold its shape, so you get a rich little truffle without needing to bake anything. They're also an easy Aussie Christmas treat to prepare ahead when you need something that looks like considerably more effort went into it.
7. White choc cheesecake balls
White Tim Tams, condensed milk and desiccated coconut turn into these soft white chocolate coconut balls in around five minutes of prep. After a short stint in the fridge to firm up, they're ready for a Christmas platter or last-minute dessert. They're also useful when you've remembered you're supposed to bring something approximately 20 minutes before leaving the house.
8. Grandma's rum balls
It wouldn't be a Christmas truffle collection without classic chocolate rum balls. This five-ingredient version combines the traditional chocolate, biscuit and rum flavours with coconut and comes together without switching on the oven. They're easy to batch ahead for Christmas entertaining, dessert platters or homemade edible gifts.
9. Cherry ripe truffles
These homemade Cherry Ripe balls combine cherry flavours with coconut, creamy coconut condensed milk, biscuits and chocolate for a no bake version of the classic combination. The recipe makes a generous batch, which is handy when you're preparing Christmas treats for more than one occasion. Keep some for dessert and turn the rest into an easy edible gift.
10. Oreo truffles
Crushed Oreos, cream cheese and rolled oats make these Oreo cheesecake balls taste like mini cheesecakes without any of the actual cheesecake effort. They're rolled into bite-sized truffles and coated in more crushed Oreo cookies for an easy no bake dessert. Because the ingredients are simple and the prep is quick, they're useful when Christmas dessert needs to happen without adding another baking project to the list.
11. Nutella balls
With only three ingredients, these Nutella cheesecake truffles are one of the easiest options in the collection. Nutella and cream cheese create a soft, creamy filling that's rolled into bite-sized chocolate balls and chilled until firm. Make them ahead for Christmas gifting or entertaining, or keep them in the fridge for every time you mysteriously find yourself standing in front of it.
12. Mint chocolate balls
These no bake chocolate mint truffles combine Mint Slice biscuits, condensed milk, oats and cacao with a little peppermint extract for extra mint flavour. Finish them with green-tinted white chocolate and Aero Mint if you want to make them more festive for Christmas. They can be made ahead, stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months, which makes them an easy option for Christmas platters and edible gifts.
FAQs
Many truffle recipes can be frozen, although the exact method depends on the ingredients and coating.
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As a general rule of thumb, I like to freeze them for up to 3 months for best texture. Although, I have frozen batches for almost a year and they do get some ice crystals which impact the texture and dull the taste, but they are still okay.
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Check the storage and freezing instructions on each individual recipe before freezing, especially for chocolate-coated or cream cheese-based truffles.
Depending on the recipe, truffle balls can be rolled in desiccated coconut, crushed biscuits, cocoa or chopped nuts, or dipped or drizzled with chocolate. Choose a coating that works with the flavour and follow the individual recipe for quantities and setting instructions.
Chilling the mixture before rolling can help if it has softened while you're preparing it. Ingredient ratios also matter, which is why I recommend sticking to the quantities in the individual recipes rather than adding extra liquid ingredients that can make the mixture difficult to shape.
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