This Pumpkin Pie “Cheese” Ball tastes just like pumpkin pie! It’s a creamy, pumpkin spice tasting dessert!

This Pumpkin Pie "Cheese" Ball tastes just like pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Pie “Cheese” Ball

Last weekend my husband had work off so we took the kids to Disney World. It was a little ambitious with 5 kids, a 5 week old included, but we only live a couple of hours away and haven’t been there in years. The trip can be summed up by saying that there were many highs and a couple of lows. Fourteen hours in a theme park meant a day of euphoria peppered with moments of misery.

No one tells you that it’s a journey to even GET to the actual park. It was a 20 minute drive from our hotel to a huge parking lot, to a packed tram, to the monorail (or ferry…your choice), to two insanely long lines – one for tickets, one for a stamp. I was a little spent before I stepped foot in the park.

The greatest part about the day was experiencing Disney World through my kid’s eyes. Not much has changed and for them to enjoy what I remember as a kid was priceless. I did make the mistake of going on Splash Mountain with the boys at the very beginning of the day and got soaked. I spent the rest of the day with damp sticky clothes.

There were a couple of meltdowns from my overtired toddler throughout the day. At one point she had ice cream in one hand and a $30 souvenir in the other and still wasn’t happy. I was internally screaming, “How can you not be happy right now? We just gave you the world, or in this case Disney World!!”

Overall, I’m glad we went. I’ve already overheard the boys talking about, “Remember when we were at Disney World…”

The idea of this Pumpkin Pie “Cheese” Ball came to me when I was thinking about this Peanut Butter “Cheese” Ball. I wanted a festive fall version of it so why not make a ball that tastes like pumpkin pie? It tastes just like it.

The inside is a creamy pumpkin spiced mixture and the outside is coated in crushed gingersnap cookies. We liked it best with graham crackers but you could use sliced apples or gingersnaps as well.

Pumpkin Pie Cheese BallHere’s how you wrap it, freeze it, unwrap it, and roll it in gingersnap crumbs. Use a bigger plate than I did for the crumbs. I made a mess. This can totally be made ahead of time.

OTHER PUMPKIN RECIPES

Pumpkin Pie “Cheese” Ball

5 from 1 vote
This Pumpkin Pie "Cheese" Ball tastes just like pumpkin pie!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, slightly softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, (see Notes for substitute)
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
  • graham crackers, apples, and additional gingersnaps for dipping

Instructions
 

  • With a mixer blend the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and brown sugar and blend well. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
  • Spoon mixture onto plastic wrap in a ball shape. The mixture is wet so it won't quite be a ball but do your best to make a ball or pumpkin shape. Wrap mixture tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until firm.
  • Once ball is frozen remove from the freezer. Place gingersnap crumbs on a large plate or platter. Unwrap the ball. It may look scary but will look fine once the crumbs are on it. Roll the ball in the crumbs, pressing the crumbs into the ball. I noticed that if I let the ball sit for a minute before rolling it had enough moisture to make the crumbs stick. Wrap ball in clean piece of plastic wrap and store in the freezer until serving.
  • To serve: Remove from the freezer about a half hour before serving. The ball can also be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two and will be in a softer state. Any longer than that, it should be stored in the freezer.
  • Cut into wedges and serve with graham crackers, apple slices, or gingersnaps. Graham crackers are our favorite because it really tastes like pumpkin pie.

Notes

If you don't have Pumpkin Pie Spice you can make your own. The substitute for 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice is: 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice.
This substitution is just shy of 1 Tablespoon but close enough that it shouldn't make a difference in taste.
 
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert