What To Do with Leftover Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles

Name: Leftover Cookie Truffles Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces baked chocolate chip cookies; 3 ounces cream cheese (light cream cheese works great); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

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Sneak Preview: What can you do with leftover cookies? Make truffles–rolled balls of cookie crumbs mixed with cream cheese, then dipped in chocolate coating. No thermometer or cooking is required.

chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookie truffles with strawberries

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Do you feel guilty about throwing away dessert? Maybe it reminds you of wasted money or poor kitchen management, or you feel bad because somebody special made it or gave it to you.

I can relate. When my grandkids visit, they love to make chocolate chip cookies. I try to send them home with the kids, but sometimes a few too many stay behind.

Truffles are a great way to recycle leftover chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, shortbread, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, Oreos, etc.

Four Reasons Why This May Become One of Your Most Useful Recipes

Truffles are a great way to recycle leftover chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, shortbread, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, Oreos, etc.
You don’t have to be a good candy maker. Read more below.
Get fancy by dipping the balls in chocolate or rolling in powdered sugar.
Use store-bought or homemade cookies.

The type of cookie matters. Crunchy and crumbly cookies work best. Cookies resembling teacakes and containing too much moisture do not work. However, if they have some frosting on top or inside, like sandwich cookies, they are still good for this recipe.

Are you a candy maker?

It seems that some people are….and some are not.

I am not a candy maker, although my mom was. In her heyday, she could make perfect fudge, peanut brittle, toffee, caramel, and divinity.

Obviously, I did not get her candy gene. The closest I get are these caramelized pecans or this dark chocolate bark.

Happy Cooks Speak Up

“I had a ton of left over chocolate chip cookies. No idea how to measure 1 pound, so I just threw a bunch of cookies in the processor, added cream cheese and shortening, cinnamon, and vanilla. Dipped in chocolate. Oh my! I think these are better than the original cookies!!”-–JILL

truffles coated with chocolate and others with powdered sugar

If you’re like me, we can make these. They are so easy. Even your kids can make them.

After you mix the cookie pieces with the cream cheese, use a blender or food processor to get the right consistency. Shape a spoonful into a small ball with your hands. Shaping and dipping are where the kids come in.

An Idea for Leftover Christmas Cookies

Freeze any crunchy cookies. Double-wrap them to avoid the dreaded freezer flavor. This recipe gives those frozen leftovers new life when Valentine’s Day rolls around.

truffles in a gift box next to strawberries — I found these little gift boxes at Hobby Lobby (several years ago). Try Amazon if you can’t find them locally.

How To Make Truffles with Leftover or Stale Cookies

mixing cookie crumbs in a food processor — Use a food processor to grind and mix cookies and other ingredients. A stand mixer or blender will also work.

undecorated truffle balls — Form the cookie dough mixture into round balls with your hands.

Coating Variations

Leave these delectable little balls plain, OR…

Coat them with dipping chocolate (see recipe below)
Roll one batch of balls in powdered sugar
Roll another batch in cocoa powder

Frequently Asked Questions About Leftover Cookie Truffles

Does freezing baked cookies change the taste?

Freezing can change the taste if you leave them in the freezer too long or expose them to the freezer air. Double-wrap to be safe.

You mentioned using plastic gloves. What kind do you mean?

I use the surgical gloves sold at Costco or almost any drugstore. I have many more ideas for the rest of those gloves if you buy a box.

Can I do this with store-bought cookies?

Absolutely, as long as they are crunchy.

How should I store these cookies, and how long will they keep?

Because they contain cream cheese, they must be stored in the fridge. They should be good for ten days to two weeks.

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Parting thoughts: Unfortunately, I will not be giving any of these away since my husband and I have managed to eat every last one of them. I know. 😳

Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!

Leftover Cookie Truffles Recipe

By Paula Rhodes

These truffles are made from crumbled baked chocolate chip cookies formed into balls, then dipped into chocolate

5 from 24 votes

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Prep time: 30

Total time: 30

Ingredients

6 ounces (170 g) baked chocolate chip cookies
3 ounces (85 g) cream cheese light cream cheese works great
1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon (12 g) vegetable shortening

Instructions

Crush 6 ounces (170 g) baked chocolate chip cookies. You can put them in a zippered plastic bag and flatten with a rolling pin. It’s easier to use a food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 ounces (85 g) cream cheese and process or mix until the mixture holds together. Expect the mixture to be dark in color.
If you have them, put on plastic gloves and form cookie mixture into 1-inch balls. I like to use a small ice cream dipper to get uniformity. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or a silicone baking sheet. Refrigerate.
Place 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon (12 g) vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring to melt. Add time in very small increments to finish melting if necessary.
Dip balls into melted chocolate with fork until completely covered. Return balls to wax paper or silicone baking sheet and chill until chocolate is hard.

Notes

If you don’t want to mess with the dipping, try rolling the balls in powdered sugar or cocoa.

Equipment

Nutrition

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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20 Comments

Paula,

What an awesome way to repurpose a batch of cookies that came out not as expected! There was nothing wrong with the cookies they just didn’t hit the spot. I didn’t want to throw them out cause I used a 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips. I can’t wait to try these tomorrow. I plan on making some with cream cheese and the rest with peanut butter.
Thank you!

Paula says:

at

Thank you so much for your comment! Recycling cookies is such a fun way to give them new life, and I love that you’re planning to try both cream cheese and peanut butter—sounds delicious! I know what you mean about the chocolate chips. They have become precious these days.

I hope you enjoy the results! Let me know how they turn out.

Reply

These are delicious ty
Can I use peanut butter in place of cream cheese with my leftover chocolate chip cookies next time?

Paula says:

at

Hi Carol,
Wow! That sounds like a scrumptious idea. I’ve never tried it. The key is going to be keeping them supercold. You might have to add additional powdered sugar. Let me know how they turn out.

Reply

Overall, this was fine. I do not recommend microwaving chocolate chips, ever. Instead use some milk and chocolate chips and heat slowly on the stove.

Paula says:

at

Hi Vicki,
So nice to hear from you. Glad you liked the recipe.

To your comment about microwaving chocolate chips, I’ve never had a problem, but feel free to melt chocolate using your favorite method.

Reply

I had a ton of left over chocolate chip cookies. No idea how to measure 1 pound, so I just threw a bunch of cookies in the processor, added cream cheese and shortening, cinnamon, and vanilla. Dipped in chocolate. Oh my! I think these are better than the original cookies!!

“Leftover” chocolate chip cookies??? Would I find that on the store shelf next to the “leftover” wine? Such things don’t exist in my house! Tee hee!

Seriously – I’ll have to try these. They look delish and easy.

Thank you so much for this awesome idea- no waste and looks amazing!!

Ooh, yum! I was thinking they were going to be raw cookie dough, the crushed cookies is an awesome idea!

I’ve seen Oreo truffles, but I really like the idea of using homemade chocolate chip cookies. I think these would really impress people and they’d have no idea how easy they are to make!

I have a friend who makes these with crushed Oreo cookies. These look like a delicious variation. Yum!

Boo! Hoo! You did not save one for your exercise friend?? Surgical gloves do help with sticky foods, I can attest to that!!

Thanks for the shout out. I am in Austin checking your blog on my phone. This is a great idea for a cooking activity in kindergarten. They would get so excited about making these for their moms.

Definitely a perfect treat for Valentines Day they look scrumptious.

Yummmmm. Only one hitch – how do you manage to have leftover chocolate chip cookie crumbs??? LOL I guess I’ll have to stash some away from the next batch.

Gina, Leave it to a PA student to ask a question like that. 🙂 Basic medical gloves–or actually any plastic gloves. Anything to protect the dough from body heat and cooties. Protecting hands from the sticky dough is a good idea too.

Great idea – these look really good. Surgical gloves? Are you talking about the real deal sterile gloves or just basic medical gloves?

I love making candy. Not only are these beautiful, but quick and easy to make. I guess I wil have to hide some chocolate chip cookies from the other Mimi’s in order to make these.
Mimi

Oh my! These look so good and easy! Our body cleanse ends on Sunday so I’m definitely going to try and make some of these for my hubby by Monday–especially since he loves Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Thanks for sharing!

Paula Rhodes, owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.