Mini Cheeseballs are the perfect grab n’ go party appetizer or snack, especially during the holiday season. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a New Year’s Eve party (or any party for that matter) you’ll adore this easy, no-cooking-required bite-sized finger food! My mini cheeseballs are a miniature version of a larger cheeseball. They’re filled with cream cheese, cheddar, mayo, and spices, and are then rolled in a mixture of chopped walnuts, bacon, and freshy parsley. Not a fan of mini cheeseballs? No problem! You can easily make one large cheeseball instead with this recipe.
My favorite part about these mini cheeseballs is the fact that they are super easy and require ZERO cooking! They’re done in about a half hour, making them one of the quickest and simplest appetizer recipes. You can easily transform these into a vegetarian appetizer by eliminating the bacon. If you like my Pumpkin Cheese Ball and Alabama Firecrackers recipes, then you’ll love my Mini Cheeseballs!
My delicious Mini Cheeseballs contain cream cheese, cheddar, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, walnuts, bacon, parsley, and pretzel sticks, and takes less than 15 minutes to make! This is a kid and family friendly appetizer recipe that my family enjoys eating on weekends and during holidays.
Ingredients in Mini Cheeseballs
Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese and avoid using nonfat or low-fat as this recipe will not work.
Grated cheddar. Avoid using pre-packaged shredded cheese and instead freshly grate cheddar.
Mayonnaise. Full-fat mayo works best in this recipe.
Garlic powder. Garlic powder combines with onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne, to produce a zesty flavor.
Onion powder. Onion powder blends well with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to create a tasty and aromatic seasoning.
Salt. Like garlic powder and onion powder, salt mixes well with the other spices to produce a delicious flavor.
Pepper. Use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
Walnuts. Finely chopped walnuts are great to roll the cheeseballs in. If you don’t like walnuts, you can use chopped pecans.
Bacon. Fry bacon and use your hands to crumble it.
Parsley. Fresh parsley gives color and a fresh taste to these finger foods.
Pretzel Sticks. We love these Synder’s pretzel sticks best as they’re slightly larger and stronger than smaller pretzel sticks.
How to Make the Best Mini Cheeseballs
STEP 1: Mix the softened cream cheese with the grated cheddar, mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl, mix the walnuts, bacon, and parsley.
STEP 3: Remove the cheese mixture from the fridge and uncover. Line a surface with parchment paper.
STEP 4: Use both hands to roll into tablespoon-sized balls, placing them on your prepared surface. Continue until all the cheese has been rolled into balls.
STEP 5: Roll each cheeseball in the walnut bacon mixture. Place on your prepared surface. Insert a pretzel stick in the middle. Repeat until finished.
STEP 6: If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
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Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make these Mini Cheeseballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this recipe and always respond to all comments.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Mini Cheeseballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz. cream cheese (1 ½ blocks), softened to room temperature
- 1 c cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 c walnuts chopped
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 20 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Mix the softened cream cheese with the grated cheddar, mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the walnuts, bacon, and parsley.
- Remove the cheese mixture from the fridge and uncover. Line a surface with parchment paper.
- Use both hands to roll into tablespoon-sized balls, placing them on your prepared surface. Continue until all the cheese has been rolled into balls.
- Roll each cheeseball in the walnut bacon mixture. Place on your prepared surface. Insert a pretzel stick in the middle. Repeat until finished.
- If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
Nutrition (per serving)
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