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
InstructionsÂ
- 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
Recipe Of The Day:
I think this + animal crackers may be my next post-race treat!
Ahhh! I’d been meaning to make the original recipe of yours for this, it looks so delicious! Ah…crushes eh? At least it was better than some of today’s boybands (although I am not ashamed to say I was a massive fan of Backstreet Boys and A1 before discovering real music – rock’n’roll *cough* and Indie *cough cough*).
I hope you’ve been enjoying the World Cup in good company, and had a cracking start to the week 😀 x
Thanks for veganizing up a classic! I think generally sifting the cocoa powder and powdered sugar makes a big difference and is so much easier to stir in too. What recipe did you base it on?
She says she based it on the peanut butter cheesecake ball: https://lett-trim.today/2014/02/04/chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-cheesecake-ball/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
🙂
Whenever the World Cup plays, I cheer for the following teams: the host country (Brazil in this case) because it requires a lot of work to put the event together, USA because I’m a citizen, and Germany because I used to live there and the team has great soccer players. Germany trumps the other teams when they face off.
This recipe really appeals to me, especially for its transportation factor. It looks like the perfect texture and I love anything considered a cheesecake.
Ohh, I can see this with carrot sticks! I’m obsessed with carrot sticks and sweet dips or sweet cheesecake balls! Right up my alley 🙂
I’m of course watching – and of course is the German team my team – they are going to play in half an hour. Too late for the cheesecake ball today, but for the next match this could be the winner.
I had to google Roberto Baggio just to see what he looked like in 1994 and he definitely had the most impressive mullet I have ever seen! He was attractive though, despite said mullet. I love the adolescent/childhood crushes. I’m older than you but I crushed on Simon Lebon…but if you’re going to google him, you must type in Simon Lebon 1982…because even though I was 3 at the time, THAT’S the Simon Lebon I wanted to marry. To be fair, when I saw Duran Duran in 2004, he still looked pretty good…not quite sure what I think of him now, the first picture that came up was an old man with a mustache. I’m not into the mustache…or the old man. And I married someone else anyway. 🙂
Looks yum!!
i made this right away and it tastes good. I mixed the chocolate chips in to use as a spread or eat off the spoon. I used carob powder. I happened to have most of a tub of Daiya cream cheese in the fridge. I bought some to use on bagels and found it to be disgusting, but it does work for this recipe. Thanks.
Thank you so much for trying the recipe!
I’m glad you found a good use for the Daiya as well, so it didn’t go to waste 🙂
Also, thanks for reporting back to let others know that carob powder can be used. I definitely need to look into that!
Oh my goodness! This looks soooo delicious! I so have to make it when my family comes over to watch the world cup!!
xx, Be || lovefrombe