Gingerbread Two Ways: Truffles and Popcorn – Two EASY NO-BAKE gingerbread-inspired recipes that are perfect for the holidays!! They make great gifts, and who can say no to silky smooth gingerbread truffles or salty-and-sweet popcorn!!
I love all things gingerbread and since I already have plenty of recipes for gingerbread cookies and gingerbread bars, I wanted to get more creative and I made gingerbread truffles and popcorn that are twice as nice for any holiday gathering!
As you may have guessed, both are no-bake and both are easy, which is the name of the game during this busy time of year.
How To Make Gingerbread Truffles
To make the truffles, you’re going to start with a holiday classic, gingerbread cookies! Depending on your preference, you have a few options:
- Make them from scratch with this great recipe from McCormick.
- Use pre-packaged gingerbread cookies
Once you settle on which is right for your kitchen, grind-up the gingerbread cookies with cream cheese and spike the no-bake dough with McCormick Ground Cinnamon, McCormick Ground Ginger, and McCormick Ground Nutmeg (if using the McCormick recipe, just combine with cream cheese!).
McCormick’s spices are a staple in my kitchen, and especially during holiday baking (or non-baking) season, because they deliver the robust flavors that I need in my recipes. No sense buying spices that don’t have enough, well, spice and oomph. McCormick has both!
To form the approximately 42 truffles the recipe makes, I find it easiest to use a 1-inch cookie scoop so they are uniformly sized. And it’s faster this way, too.
Dipping The Truffles
There are two easy ways to dip the truffles in the melted coating. Either balance them one-by-one with two forks, dip into your melted coating, and shake off the excess. Or, you can pierce them one-by-one with a toothpick, dip, and shake off the excess melted coating.
For the actual coating, look for vanilla candy melts or vanilla almond bark. Both are readily found in grocery stores this time of year. I don’t recommend using actual white chocolate because it’s trickier to work with and either doesn’t melt smoothly or sets too quickly.
How Do The Gingerbread Truffles Taste
The interior is soft and tender and the coating and sprinkles on top add a bit of crunch. The truffles also pack a wallop of gingerbread flavor thanks to the cookies and McCormick spices. The white chocolate coating is a perfect pairing with the gingerbread.
The truffles are a great hostess gift or cookie exchange recipe because they keep for weeks in the fridge and are so festive.
How To Make The Gingerbread Popcorn Mix
This past weekend, after I posted a sneak peak of this gingerbread Christmassy popcorn to my Instagram Story, I got lots of DMs asking for the recipe, and here it is.
Let’s talk about how to make this gingerbread popcorn that’s loaded with goodies including pretzels, red and green chocolate-coated candies, then coated with vanilla candy melts or vanilla almond bark. It’s also spiced with McCormick Ground Cinnamon, McCormick Ground Ginger, and McCormick Ground Nutmeg.
Simply combine the popcorn and pretzels, add the spices and the melted vanilla coating, stir, turn it out onto a baking sheet, and sprinkle in the chocolate candies and sprinkles. Easy peasy.
How Does The Gingerbread Popcorn Taste
It’s crunchy, salty, sweet, and has a lovely gingerbread flavor without being overpowering. For me, salty and sweet treats, especially with crunch, are just so addictively good.
Just like the truffles, the gingerbread popcorn makes a great hostess gift; or the next time you are entertaining, set a bowl out and watch people go crazy! I shared it with family and friends, and everyone was going nuts for it.
Favorite No-Bake Holiday Recipes:
- 12 Easy No-Bake Holiday Desserts – No time to bake? Here are 12 fast and easy no-bake recipes! Whether you want chocolate, peanut butter, cheesecake, bark, or truffles, these recipes have you covered!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Stacks – Easy, no-bake treats that are a holiday favorite! They have it all: Salty, sweet, crunchy, and gooey with chocolate and peanut butter! Great for cookie exchanges or impromptu parties!
- Loaded Christmas Bark – This easy, no-bake chocolate bark is loaded with goodies! Oreos, M&M’s, peanuts, pretzels, and sprinkles! Great for holiday parties and cookie exchanges! Salty, sweet, and addictively good!
- McCormick Peppermint Truffle Cookies – A chocolate surprise awaits you when you bite into these rich truffle-like cookies!
- McCormick Eggnog Truffles – These easy eggnog truffles make a great holiday or hostess gift!
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Gingerbread Two Ways: Truffles and Popcorn
Ingredients
Gingerbread Truffles
- 1 pound package gingersnap cookies, use crunchy rather than soft gingersnaps
- one 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg
- 12 ounces white chocolate/vanilla candy melts or vanilla almond bark
- holiday sprinkles for garnishing, as desired
Gingerbread Popcorn
- 8 cups popped popcorn, about 5 ounces
- 1 ½ cups pretzel twists
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg
- 1 pound 16 ounces white chocolate/vanilla candy melts or vanilla almond bark
- 1 cup cup red and green chocolate-coated candies
- holiday sprinkles, as desired
Instructions
- Gingerbread Truffles - To the canister of a food processor using the S-blade, add the gingersnap cookies and process on high speed until you have fine crumbs.
- Add the cream cheese, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and process on high speed until dough is evenly mixed. It will likely clump up in a softball-sized ball, this is a good thing because it means the dough has come together evenly.
- Using a 3/4 to 1-teaspoon cookie scoop, form approximately 42 truffles and place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet; set aside.
- Melt the candy melts or bark according to package directions.
- Using two forks or you can pierce each truffle with a toothpick, dip each truffle into the almond bark, shake off the excess, and place on parchment paper.
- Add sprinkles before the coating sets up. Allow coating to set up at room temp (about 2 hours) or place tray in the fridge (about 45 minutes) before serving. Truffles will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 1 month.
- Gingerbread Popcorn - To a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper, add the popcorn, pretzels, evenly sprinkle the spices, and toss to combine.
- Melt the candy melts or bark according to package directions and evenly drizzle over the popcorn mixture.
- Add the red and green chocolate-coated candies, sprinkles, and toss to combine.
- Turn mixture out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow mixture to cool for about 30 minutes at room temp, or until set. Popcorn mix will keep airtight at room temp for at least 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Post is brought to you by McCormick. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.
great
I love the gingerbread spin on both of these and the popcorn really looks intrigiing!!
It’s so good! I gave half of it away before I ate the whole batch myself :)