Description
Cheese Ball Bites are savory, bite-sized appetizers made with a creamy blend of cream cheese and cheddar, seasoned with garlic powder and paprika. They are chilled until firm, then rolled in a crunchy, flavorful mixture of crispy bacon, roasted pecans, and fresh chives, and served with pretzel sticks for easy handling. Perfect for parties or casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 1 1/2 (12-oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toppings
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/3 cup roasted salted pecans, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
For Serving
- 18 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, and paprika. Season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Use a cookie scoop to form the mixture into 18 small balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour.
- Cook the bacon: While the cheese balls chill, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon slices and cook, turning occasionally, until crispy and browned evenly, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon slices and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease. Once cooled, finely chop the bacon and set aside.
- Mix the coating: In a shallow bowl, combine the finely chopped bacon, roasted salted pecans, and fresh chopped chives. Stir gently to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Coat the cheese balls: Remove the cheese balls from the refrigerator. Roll each ball in the bacon, pecan, and chive mixture until well coated on all sides. Insert a pretzel stick into each coated ball to serve as a handle.
- Serve: Allow the cheese ball bites to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving to enhance flavor and texture. If not serving immediately, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature cream cheese so it blends smoothly.
- These cheese balls can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- Bacon can be cooked in the oven if a stovetop skillet is unavailable.
- The pretzel sticks add a salty crunch and help with easy serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
