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    Home » Recipes » Halloween

    Halloween OREO Cheese Ball Rat

    Published: Sep 27, '21 · Modified: Sep 27, '21 · By: Beth · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Freak out your friends and families by serving this OREO Cheese Ball Rat at your Halloween party.

    These sweet cheese ball may look a little gross, but it tastes great. The rat is made using a blend of OREO Cookies and cream cheese and it is delicious!

    OREO Cookie cheese ball rat Halloween dessert

    If you are looking for party food that might at first freak out your squeamish guests but tastes so yummy they won't be able to resist, this is the OREO Cookie Cheese Ball Rat is for you.

    • A yummy dough made from Oreo Cookies and Philadelphia Cream Cheese creates the rat's body, legs, and ears.
    • His long body is rolled in crushed cookies which mimics his hair.
    • Chocolate chips become eyes and a simple cream cheese frosting is piped on to create his tail, nose, and toes.

    Kids will love helping you create this adorable yet disgusting creature and will have even more fun eating it.

    Gross Halloween desserts including a spider cake, cheese ball rat, mouse pops, and chocolate roaches.

    I serve my chocolate cheese ball rat at our Carnival of the Carnival of the Creepy Crawlers Halloween party along with a Giant Cake Ball Spider.

    As gross as all my Halloween desserts were, my party guests went nuts over them. There wasn't much left at the end of the night.

    Halloween Cheese Ball Rat

    Ingredients:

    • 18 ounces Oreo Cookies
    • 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened and divided
    • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
    • pink paste or gel food coloring
    • 2 chocolate chips

    Special Equipment Needed:

    food processor
    plastic wrap
    Wilton Disposable 12 Inch Decorating Bags
    Wilton Round #12 Decorating Tip
    Wilton Round #3 Decorating Tip
    Pastry Bag Coupler

    Instructions:

    OREO cookie balls ingredients - cream cheese, and OREO cookies blended together in a food processor

    Step 1 - Make OREO cheese ball.

    • Pour cookies into the bowl of a food processor.
    • Pulse until the cookies are fine crumbs.
    • Remove ⅔ cup crumbs and set aside.
    • Add 7 ounces cream cheese to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is completely combined, scraping bowl as needed.

    Shape OREO cheese ball into a rat shape.

    Step 2 - Shape OREO cheese ball into a rat.

    • Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the cookie/cream cheese dough for the rat's legs and ears.
    • Pour the remaining dough onto a piece of plastic wrap.
    • Use the plastic wrap to help you form the dough into a long oval. Unwrap.

    Roll chocolate cheese ball into crushed oreo crumbs.

    Step 3 - Roll chocolate cheese ball rat into cookie crumbs.

    • Pour reserved cookie crumbs into a long shallow container.
    • Roll dough oval into crumbs, shaping the body as you go.
    • Place on a serving platter.

    Add legs to the chocolate cheese ball rat.

    Step 4 - Add legs and eyes to the rat.

    • Press the two chocolate chips onto either side of the rat's face.
    • Pinch off small amounts of the reserved dough and roll into 2 short skinny front legs and two longer wider back legs.
    • Attach to the body.
    • Pinch off two small balls of dough and flatten them into ears.
    • Attach to the head.

    Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together then mix in pink food coloring.

    Step 5 - Make pink cream cheese frosting.

    • Combine the remaining 1 ounce of cream cheese with the powdered sugar and one very small drop of pink food coloring.
    • Stir until well combined.
    • Spoon pink cream cheese into a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and # 12 decorating tip.

    Pipe pink cream cheese frosting tail onto chocolate cheese ball rat.

    Step 6 - Pipe tail, nose, and pink ears onto the rat.

    • Pipe a long tail onto the back of the rat's body.
    • Start by setting the decorating tip at the rat's back end.
    • Squeeze and as the frosting comes out of the tip, pull out and around the body tapering off as you go.
    • Pipe on a nose and pipe some pink onto each ear.

    Pipe pink toes onto Oreo Cookie cheese ball rat.

    Step 7 - Pipe on pink toes.

    • Remove the #12 decorating tip and replace it with a #3 tip.
    • Pipe on the rat's toes.

    Storing your rat cheese ball.

    • Keep the chocolate cheese ball refrigerated for up to a week.
    • Bring to room temperature before serving.

    Alternative decorating ideas:

    If you don't have any experience piping frosting you can substitute candy pieces for the tail, nose, and toes.

    • You could use strawberry Tootsie Rolls to create these parts.
    • Just soften the candy in your warm hand and cut and mold it into the desired shape.
    • You can also put them in the microwave on defrost for 5 seconds.
    • Just be careful as the candy may be very hot when you remove it from the oven.

    You can even make a savory cheese ball rat.

    I served a bacon cheddar cheese-ball rat at one of my Halloween parties.

    I used the same basic idea to make this savory cheese ball rat but rolled it in cracker crumbs and created the nose, eyes, and ears out of black olives.

    Printable Recipe

    Chocolate cheese ball rat covered in crushed OREO Cookies and decorated with pink cream cheese frosting.
    Print
    OREO Cheese Ball Rat
    Prep Time
    20 mins
    Cook Time
    0 mins
     

    This rat-shaped chocolate cheese ball is covered in OREO Cookie crumbs and is decorated with pink cream cheese frosting. It will make a creepy Halloween dessert for your party.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cheese ball, cream cheese frosting, gross halloween food, halloween desserts, oreo, OREO Cookie Balls
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 269 kcal
    Author: Beth
    Ingredients
    • 18 ounces Oreo Cookies, crushed into crumbs
    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
    • pink paste or gel food coloring
    • 2 chocolate chips
    Instructions
    1. Reserve ⅔ cup crumbs and 1 ounce cream cheese.

    2. Stir the remaining crumbs and cream cheese together and pinch off about 3 tablespoons and set aside, then shape the rest into a rat shape.

    3. Roll into the reserved cookie crumbs.

    4. Place on a serving platter.

    5. Pinch off small amounts of the reserved dough and roll into 2 short skinny front legs and two longer wider back legs.

    6. Pinch off two small balls of dough and flatten them into ears and attach them to the head.

    7. Press the two chocolate chips onto either side of the rat's face.

    8. Blend the remaining cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pink food coloring together.

    9. Combine the remaining cream cheese with the powdered sugar and the pink food coloring.

    10. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a # 12 decorating tip.

    11. Pipe a pink cream cheese frosting tail, nose, and ears onto the cheese ball rat.

    12. Change the tip to a #3 and pipe on toes.

    Recipe Notes
    • Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
    • Bring to room temperature before serving.

    This Halloween recipe was originally published on my Hungry Halloween blog on August 3, 2010. I updated it with better pictures in 2021.

    Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.

    You might also like these other creepy Halloween recipes.

    Oreo Spider Bites - Cute and creepy Halloween treats.

    OREO Cookie Ball Spiders

    Spider chocolate chip cookies.

    Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Corn dog caterpillars and centipedes

    Corn dog caterpillars and centipedes

    Chocolate roaches in white chocolate popcorn.

    This chocolate roach-infested popcorn was probably the grosses Halloween dessert I've ever made.
    What do you think?

    Some of my party guests thought it was hilarious! Other's were totally grossed out.

     

    SaveSave

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth
    Beth
    Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth
    Latest posts by Beth (see all)
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    About Beth

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    1. Betsy

      October 31, 2020 at 2:16 pm

      This fast, easy, and looks good! However I’m a lazy person and used a plastic baggie instead of a pastry bag. Mixed the sugar, cream cheese, and dye in a snack size baggie. Then I cut a tiny hole in the corner, pipped out the toes, then cut hole a tad bigger and did the tail, ears, and nose. Added a couple pieces of coconut as whiskers.

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 31, 2020 at 9:16 pm

        I love the idea of mixing the sugar, cream cheese, and food coloring in the snack bag. Brilliant!

        I hope you enjoy your cheese ball rat. Happy Halloween

        Reply
    2. Bonnie Snow

      September 02, 2020 at 11:21 pm

      I LOVED this idea!! My nephew was promoted to sergeant at Middletown,Ohio police recently. We wanted to get together after the pinning in front of city council. I did a regular congrats cake ,however,his nickname since college was Rat (It's a VMI thing). I found this idea and just knew I HAD to make it for him.He absolutely loved it and so did everyone else. I even had one of my co-workers ask if I could make one twice the size for her church fall gathering. Thanks again for having the perfect idea and easy directions.

      Reply
      • Beth

        September 02, 2020 at 11:34 pm

        Hi Bonnie,
        I'm so happy to hear your nephew and all the party guests enjoyed this fun dessert. I think it is hilarious that your coworker wants a rat for her church gathering. I'd love to know what she plans to do with it.

        Reply
    3. Sandy

      October 24, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      Love this idea! But wondering, does it need to be refrigerated or can it sit out for a few hours? I plan on making it for a work party

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 24, 2016 at 6:05 pm

        You can let it sit out for a few hours without any problem. I served it at my Halloween party and it sat out through dinner then got cut into for dessert.

        Reply
    4. Beverly

      October 20, 2016 at 8:36 am

      About how big is this rat? I'm trying to decide what size serving platter I need. I'm thinking about bringing it to our office party this year since my home was most recently invaded by rats. However, I want to change it up a bit and buy a plastic rat trap, clean it thoroughly, make it look like the rat got caught, and use red jell icing for fake blood.

      Also, any other ideas about what to serve with it except graham crackers or tortilla chips?

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 20, 2016 at 4:46 pm

        I love that idea!!! This is about the size of a real rat. I'd say it was about 8 inches long plus the tail. Of course, you can shape it and make it any size you want so that it fits on your platter.

        You could serve it with cinnamon sugar pita chips.

        Reply
    5. Cindy

      September 27, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Is that 18 oz. of oreo cookies when they are crushed or is that the whole package?

      Reply
      • Beth

        September 28, 2016 at 9:32 am

        Crush the entire 18 ounce package of Oreo Cookies then remove 2/3 cup crumbs and set aside. That 2/3 of a cup of crumbs will be used to coat the cheese ball. The rest will get mixed with the cream cheese.

        Reply
    6. Tania

      October 25, 2015 at 5:15 pm

      Amazing idea ! How come it has to be refrigerated for a week?

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 25, 2015 at 11:19 pm

        It can be refrigerated for up to a week or served the day it's made.

        Reply
    7. Tania

      October 25, 2015 at 5:04 pm

      Amazing idea ! Just why leave it in the fridge for a week?

      Reply
    8. Danielle

      October 31, 2013 at 2:48 pm

      I use this base to make oreo truffles (just roll them into balls and dip in chocolate) but this is so much easier and Halloween-appropriate. I had a tough time sticking the ears to the head so i just connected them to each other and they kind of sit on top of the head. I had to add a splash of milk to the pink frosting to be able to pipe it. Thanks so much for this cute idea! Everyone at my work Halloween party loves it!

      Reply
      • beth

        October 31, 2013 at 3:16 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that you and your coworkers loved your rat. I realize looking at the picture of the ingredients that I used 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese and recently I discovered that it is more wet than regular. I was making a cheesecake and used it instead and it really changed the recipe. So, adding some milk to the pink frosting was a good idea. If you used regular cream cheese, it was probably a bit thicker. Glad it all worked in the end. If you snapped any pictures, I'd love to see them. Send them to beth@hungryhappenings.com

        Happy Halloween!

        Reply
    9. Suzanne Singleton

      October 26, 2013 at 8:02 pm

      I love it! Just finished mine up and he is ready for the party!

      Reply
      • beth

        October 26, 2013 at 9:18 pm

        I'd love to share a picture in my Reader's Gallery of your rat. Have a great party!

        Reply
    10. Anonymous

      October 24, 2013 at 5:38 pm

      Do we take the cream out of the center of the cookies for this? or just put the cookies in whole to make the crumbs?

      Reply
      • beth

        October 24, 2013 at 5:55 pm

        You need to use whole cookies to make the crumbs.

        Reply
    11. weebaby

      October 15, 2013 at 5:49 pm

      This is the entry that led me to your site (via Mental Floss, I think?) and I LOVE it! I had to subscribe to your RSS feed.

      Thanks for sharing all of your creative ideas with us!

      Reply
      • beth

        October 15, 2013 at 5:55 pm

        Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for subscribing. I hope you continue to enjoy my projects.

        Reply
    12. Anonymous

      October 06, 2013 at 8:15 pm

      I think I will serve graham crackers with it. It will taste like oreo balls without the coating.

      Reply
      • beth

        October 06, 2013 at 9:29 pm

        It will taste great with graham crackers. You can even cut them into cats using a cookie cutter if you want.

        Reply
    13. Kayce Arnold

      October 03, 2013 at 8:49 pm

      how would u make cat shaped fried tortilla chips

      Reply
      • beth

        October 03, 2013 at 9:19 pm

        What a fun idea! I would use a cat shaped cookie cutter to cut out flour tortilla, then I'd fry them and sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. You could even add some cocoa powder to add some dark color to your cats. Have fun. I'd love to share a photo if you make them!

        Reply
    14. Kayce Arnold

      October 03, 2013 at 8:47 pm

      how would u make cat shaped fried tortilla chips

      Reply
    15. Bennett Schneider

      October 30, 2012 at 11:23 pm

      Oh i wish I had seen this on the weekend! My coworker HATES mice and rats but love cakes and I would have loved to have brought this into work.... next year! mwahahahaha!

      Reply
    16. Erin

      October 10, 2011 at 1:15 pm

      This is soooo cool!!! Can't wait to make it and freak everyone out! Thanks!!!

      Reply
    17. Scratching at the Window

      September 01, 2011 at 8:53 pm

      Wow, thank you Beth for posting this ratty! He's adorable and your directions are really clear. I will certainly be trying it out this Halloween season!

      Reply
    18. Beth Jackson Klosterboer

      September 15, 2010 at 11:51 pm

      Hi Noelle,

      I just slice it and eat it as it has a crumb like crust. You could make cat shaped fried tortilla chips and serve them on the side. Then your guests could scoop out the rat with a cat! That would be pretty funny.

      Reply
    19. Noelle

      September 15, 2010 at 11:26 pm

      Do you just slice "him" up and eat it, or use it as a spread on something else?

      Reply

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    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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