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Home » Appetizers » Cheese Ball Bites

Published: December 4, 2017 Last Modified: March 27, 2019 By Sara 31 Comments

Cheese Ball Bites

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Cheese Ball Bites Recipe | Holiday Cheese Ball Recipe | Pecan Cheese Ball | Cranberry Cheese Ball | Mini Cheese Balls

These easy make ahead cheese ball bites are the perfect elegant appetizer for any gathering!

These ultra creamy cheese ball bites practically melt in your mouth, they’re such a fun and unique snack for a special event.

Cheese Ball Bites Recipe | Holiday Cheese Ball Recipe | Pecan Cheese Ball | Cranberry Cheese Ball | Mini Cheese Balls #cheeseball #cheese #appetizer #dinneratthezoo

Cheese ball bites rolled in assorted toppings and served with fruit and nuts.

These cheese balls are as fun to look at as they are to eat, it’s a super colorful way to celebrate!

I am a sucker for a good cheese ball, they’re on every appetizer table for a reason! These cute little cheese ball bites have the same great flavor as a regular sized cheese ball, but they’re more elegant looking and can be rolled in a variety of toppings. Once you’ve tried these mini cheese balls, you won’t want to go back to the full sized ones!

A cranberry crusted cheese ball bite on a cracker.

How to make cheese ball bites

These cheese ball bites are made with a combination of cream cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese and mascarpone cheese.

Mascarpone cheese is an Italian cheese similar to cream cheese, except that it’s a little sweeter and a lot creamier. You can find mascarpone cheese in tubs in your deli section or sometimes near the cream cheese.

The mascarpone cheese gives these cheese ball bites a melt in your mouth texture, it’s definitely worth using! If you can’t find mascarpone or don’t want to use it, you can substitute more cream cheese or a soft goat cheese. I like to use a high quality, extra sharp white cheddar and I grate it finely so that it’s easier to fully incorporate it into the soft cheeses.

Cheese ball bites with a hand reaching for one.

Flavoring your cheese ball bites

I like to roll my cheese ball bites in holiday colored ingredients to flavor them, they come out so pretty and festive!

Here I’ve got chopped candied pecans, cranberries and herbs. Other great choices would be cooked crumbled bacon, walnuts, pistachios, dried apricots, pomegranate seeds, smoked paprika, almonds, there are so many different options. You just want to make sure that the toppings are finely chopped so that they easily adhere to the little cheese balls.

Serving your cheese ball bites

Traditionally, cheese balls are served with crackers. You can serve these cheese ball bites on top of crackers, or simply serve them on a platter with some toothpicks so people can grab their favorite flavor.

I like to serve my cheese balls almost as you would a cheese board with grapes, nuts, and other accompaniments that pair well with cheese. You could even serve toasted baguette slices on the side for a little different twist.

These mini cheese balls can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve them. Simply follow the recipe, cover the cheese balls with plastic wrap, and remove them from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them. They’ll be the first snack to go at your party, and everyone will ask for the recipe!

More great party appetizers

  • Cranberry Meatballs
  • Bacon Ranch Dip
  • Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
  • Homemade Chex Mix
  • Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels
These cheese ball bites are the perfect appetizer for any gathering.
Print Pin
5 from 6 votes

Cheese Ball Bites

These easy make ahead cheese ball bites are the perfect elegant appetizer for any gathering!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 234kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
  • 4 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
  • 6 ounces finely grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans regular or candied pecans
  • 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced chives
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Place the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a bowl; using a mixer or a large spoon, mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Add the cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste, mix until well combined.
  • Roll the mixture into bite sized cheese balls.
  • Place the cranberries and pecans on two plates. Mix together the chives and parsley and put the herbs on a third plate.
  • Roll 1/3 of the cheese balls in the pecans, 1/3 in the cranberries and 1/3 in the herbs.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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    Comments

    1. Susan says

      November 3, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      How many balls does the recipe make and how many per serving it says serves 12 does that mean I ball per person

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 3, 2020 at 8:27 pm

        It makes 24 balls!

        Reply
    2. Sabo says

      January 12, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      They look amazing. Can they be frozen?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 12, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        I’d freeze them, then thaw and roll in toppings right before serving.

        Reply
    3. Jojo says

      December 15, 2019 at 12:44 pm

      I love these. I can’t wait to try them this Christmas eve. I was wondering what your thoughts were about POSSIBLY making them ahead of time. Maybe make the balls without toppings and store in fridge til the 24th. I’m not sure. What do you think?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 15, 2019 at 12:51 pm

        They should be fine for 2-3 days in the fridge, the nuts will soften a bit but that’s not a big deal usually.

        Reply
        • JOJO says

          December 15, 2019 at 12:57 pm

          I was thinking the same thing. It’s worth a shot. Thank you 😁

          Reply
    4. Carol says

      December 12, 2019 at 10:21 am

      Hi, I usually make a Cheese Christmas tree for Christmas Eve and was looking for a new recipe. Can I use this recipe to shape into a tree? Sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 12, 2019 at 11:40 am

        Yes that should work fine!

        Reply
    5. Dawn Rae says

      December 21, 2017 at 5:12 pm

      I love these! I used to make cheeseballs years ago – then stopped. I’m going to have to start again and try these!

      Reply
    6. Kiwi says

      December 6, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Wow these are so pretty and festive. I bet they taste good too!

      Reply
    7. kristin says

      December 5, 2017 at 10:20 pm

      Nothing says Christmas like a cheese ball. I live for them!!

      Reply
    8. Marissa Zurfluh says

      December 5, 2017 at 10:19 pm

      I love these! They are even themed for Christmas. I can’t wait to try these out!

      Reply
    9. Angela Milnes says

      December 5, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      Oh this is a really nice recipe! My husband is a cheese ball fanatic.

      Reply
    10. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

      December 5, 2017 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      I love cheese balls! These are perfect for holiday parties and gatherings!

      Reply
    11. Denise C says

      December 5, 2017 at 7:49 pm

      They look festive and they sound delicious. If there’s one thing I can’t go wrong with serving in my house, it’s cheese.

      Reply
    12. Brianne says

      December 5, 2017 at 7:15 pm

      These look super delicious and so festive! I’ll have to make these!

      Reply
    13. Travel Blogger says

      December 5, 2017 at 6:33 pm

      These sound so amazing! I love mascarpone! I will definitely be making these for our holiday gathering!

      Reply
    14. Claudia K says

      December 5, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Cheese balls are one of my favourite things to serve at a dinner party. I love the idea of cheese ball bites for a dinner party. A fun and tasty way for the guests to sample the different cheese ball options.

      Reply
    15. Pam says

      December 5, 2017 at 5:26 pm

      These cheese balls look so good. I love cheese balls around the holidays!

      Reply
    16. AnnMarie John says

      December 5, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      Cheese ball appetizers are awesome and they’re always a hit with the people in the party. After all, who doesn’t like cheese, right? I think this is such a lovely idea!

      Reply
    17. Christie says

      December 5, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      These cheese balls are so colorful! I’ve never seen cheese balls with that much color before!

      Reply
    18. Liz Mays says

      December 5, 2017 at 1:26 pm

      Oh, these are pretty clever. Offering a few varieties at a party would definitely be a good idea. So many toppings would be good with them.

      Reply
    19. Stacie says

      December 5, 2017 at 8:06 am

      5 stars
      Those are fantastic! I love that you made them look like little ornaments! That’s so cute.

      Reply
    20. robin rue says

      December 5, 2017 at 7:22 am

      Great idea. I am famous in my family for my cheeseball, but never thought to make them into bites. Love this.

      Reply
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