No bake Red Velvet Cake Balls are a delectable bite-sized dessert made with 4 simple ingredients. This homemade treat is perfect for holidays and special occasions.
Heat treat the cake mix: line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the unprepared cake mix evenly on top of the paper. Heat treat in the oven for 5 minutes, until the cake mix measures 165°F. This will ensure that there is no bacteria present. Let cool completely on a wire rack before combining with the cream cheese.
Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat it until smooth.
Add the cooled cake mix to the bowl and beat on medium-high speed until reaching a cookie dough-like consistency.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough and place onto the baking sheets. Roll each portion into smooth and even-sized balls with your hands. Set aside and allow them to rest for 15 minutes, so they are closer to room temperature, before dipping in the coating.
Using a double boiler, melt the vanilla melting wafers on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. You can alternatively place wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on a low setting in 30 second increments, stirring between each cycle, until fully melted.
Using a fork or chocolate dipping tool, submerge each dough ball one at a time into the melted wafers. Remove and gently tap the fork on the edge of bowl or pot to remove the excess coating from the ball. Place the coated ball onto the baking sheet.
Finish coating the remaining dough balls, setting them 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets..
Place the red candy melts into a small microwave-safe piping bag and microwave on a low or defrost setting until fully melted. Massage the bag to mix around the contents and make sure the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
Snip off a small piece of the tip of the bag and then drizzle onto the coated balls.
Allow the coating to set completely before serving.
Notes
To heat treat the cake mix in the microwave place the dry mix in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 3 minutes, stirring the cake mix every 30 seconds, to ensure it is evenly heated and to avoid any hot spots.
Don't skip chilling the dough - it makes it easier to work with.
Be sure to let the dough balls rest for about 15 minutes after rolling to avoid cracking. Cracking may occur if the dough is too cold and the melts are too hot.
We recommend using the double boiler method to melt the vanilla wafers because it tends to keep the temperature consistent and helps to prevent seizing.
If using the microwave to melt the wafers, keep in mind some melting wafers do not reheat well and they may thicken instead of melting.
We recommend using high quality melting wafers like Ghirardelli vanilla or dark chocolate to coat the balls.
Decorating option: add sprinkles immediately after drizzling on the candy melts.
Store leftover cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.