Mini Cheeseball Bites

These mini cheeseball bites with pretzel sticks are a great idea for holiday parties and other special occasions any time of year. Creamy, cheesy and flavorful, you will love all the possibilities for these little appetizers.

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These delightful mini cheeseball bites are such fun to serve at a holiday party and are beyond simple to make. Starting with a creamy, cheesy filling, this recipe will give you plenty of ideas to make a variety of flavors just by changing up the sweet or savory toppings.

Mini Cheeseball Bites Ingredients

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You’ll need:

For The Cheeseballs:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons of salted sweet cream butter, softened
• 1 cup of freshly shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon of horseradish sauce
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce 

For The Toppings:

• ½ cup of finely chopped green onion
• ½ cup of chopped dried cranberries
• ½ cup of chopped sliced almonds
• ½ cup of finely chopped pecans
• 5 slices cooked, finely chopped bacon bits
• 30 pretzel sticks

PRO TIP:

Do not use thick-sliced bacon for these mini cream cheese ball bites. Center cut works best because it is less fatty and not too thick to mix with the cream cheese.

I like to pre-chop my raw bacon into thin slices before cooking it. I find it cooks a little faster and also yields more evenly sized bacon crumbles.

Substitutions And Additions

SPICE: If you want a spicier cheeseball, you can add a teaspoon of hot sauce to the cheese mixture before chilling. 

CHEESE: You can substitute a different cheese in the cheeseball. Any freshly shredded cheese including mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack cheese are also tasty choices. What about adding blue cheese crumbles for a tangy twist? 

CREAM CHEESE: Regular or light cream cheese would both work in this perfect party appetizer.

PRETZELS: You could use any type of hard pretzel or small hard breadstick for serving these easy appetizers.

How To Make This Mini Cheeseball Bites Recipe

STEP ONE: Using a stand mixer, or a medium bowl and a hand mixer, on medium-high, beat the softened cream cheese and butter for one minute.

STEP TWO: Add the cheddar cheese, horseradish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue mixing on medium speed until well combined.

STEP THREE: Tightly cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

STEP FOUR: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.

STEP FIVE: Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cheese mixture. Form the cream cheese mixture into a ball and set it on the prepared baking sheet.

STEP SIX: Once all of the cheese mixture has been scooped and balled, roll balls in the different toppings until the cheeseballs are completely coated.

Return the coated cheeseballs to the baking sheet pan. 

STEP SEVEN: Just before serving, stick a pretzel stick into the center of the cheeseball.

How To Serve

This easy party appetizer would be a huge hit at your New Year’s Eve festivities.

Add a few festive cocktails, including our Grinch punch and Jolly Rancher drink, to wow your guests with your amazing culinary and bartending skills.

We love making finger foods for parties. Check out our favorite appetizers, including pull apart pigs in a blanket and stuffed mushrooms.

MORE APPETIZER RECIPES

Cold Appetizers

Cheese Ball Recipe

Side Dishes

Roasted Vegetables

Storing This Mini Appetizer

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of these fun appetizers in an airtight container for up to four days.

Remove the pretzel sticks from the top of each cheese ball before storing them. The pretzel sticks will get soggy if left in the cheeseball.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this appetizer as the texture of the cream cheese will change.

These creamy, bite-sized mini cheeseball bites are a must the next time you host a party. These are so creamy and flavorful that you will find it hard to stop snacking. There are infinite possibilities for what you can use for toppings depending on your preference.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Roast Beef Sliders
• Cowboy Caviar
• Stuffed Peppers
• Chicken Hand Pies
• Pretzel Bites (with Cheddar Sauce)
• Ritz Cracker Chicken
• Cheese Sticks
• Pigs in a Blanket
• Sheet Pan Fajitas
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
• Disney Churro Bites
• Easy Baked Brie with Jam

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Mini Cheeseball Bites

5 from 2 votes

These mini cheeseball bites with pretzel sticks are a great idea for holiday parties and other special occasions any time of year. Creamy, cheesy and flavorful, you will love all the possibilities for these little appetizers.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cheeseballs

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Ingredients

  

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Cheeseballs

• 16 ounces cream cheese softened (two 8-ounce packages)
• 1 cup white sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
• 2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter softened
• 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Toppings

• ½ cup green onion finely chopped
• ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
• ½ cup almonds chopped sliced
• ½ cup pecans finely chopped
• 5 slices cooked bacon finely chopped
• 30 pretzel sticks

Instructions

 

• Using a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute.
• Add the cheddar cheese, horseradish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue mixing on medium speed until well combined.
• Tightly cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
• Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cheese mixture. Roll it into a ball and set it on the prepared baking sheet.
• Once all of the cheese mixture has been scooped and balled, roll the cheese balls in the different toppings until the cheeseballs are completely coated. Return the coated cheeseballs to the baking sheet.
• Just before serving, stick the pretzel sticks into the center of the cheeseball.

Video

Notes

• Do not use thick-sliced bacon for these mini cream cheese ball bites. Center cut works best because it is less fatty and not too thick to mix with the cream cheese. I like to pre-chop my raw bacon into thin slices before cooking it. I find it cooks a little faster and also yields more evenly sized bacon crumbles.
• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature or you will end up with lumps in your cheeseball mixture.
• Don’t skip the chilling step as you need to have the mixture slightly firm to be able to roll it into a ball.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

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