Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Balls (Printable)

No-bake cheesecake bites with pretzels, salted caramel, and chocolate coating for an irresistible sweet-and-salty treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheesecake Base

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
04 - 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-Ins & Coating

05 - 1 cup finely crushed salted pretzels
06 - 3.5 oz salted caramel sauce, plus extra for drizzling
07 - 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
08 - 1 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil (optional, for thinning chocolate)
09 - Flaky sea salt, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
02 - Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
03 - Gently fold in the crushed pretzels and about 1/4 cup of the salted caramel sauce. Reserve the remaining caramel for drizzling later.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the mixture is firm enough to scoop and roll.
05 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of the chilled mixture and roll between your palms to form even balls. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
06 - Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the balls are very firm and hold their shape during dipping.
07 - Melt the semi-sweet chocolate with coconut oil (if using) in a microwave in 30-second intervals or over a double boiler, stirring until completely smooth.
08 - Using a fork or dipping tool, submerge each frozen cheesecake ball into the melted chocolate. Tap gently to allow excess chocolate to drip off, then return to the parchment-lined tray.
09 - Drizzle the reserved caramel sauce over the coated balls and lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still wet.
10 - Refrigerate the finished balls for at least 30 minutes until the chocolate shell is fully set. Serve chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No baking required, which means your oven stays off and your kitchen stays cool even in summer.
  • The combination of salty pretzels, tangy cream cheese, and sweet caramel is genuinely addictive.
  • They look incredibly fancy plated up but come together with almost zero technical skill.
02 -
  • If the mixture is too soft to roll after chilling, freeze it for 15 more minutes rather than adding more powdered sugar which makes them too sweet.
  • Work quickly when dipping because warm hands will soften the frozen balls fast, so keep them in the freezer until right before you dip each batch.
03 -
  • Put the caramel sauce in the microwave for ten seconds so it drizzles in thin elegant lines instead of thick clumps.
  • Double the recipe because twenty balls sounds like a lot until you watch people eat them.

Return