Say hello to the most festive cheesy appetizer — Cheese Ball Bites! This bite-sized recipe is a true crowd-pleaser and oh so easy to make.
Cheese Ball Bites Everyone Will Love
Growing up in the midwest, we had our fair share of cheese balls served at family gatherings, and we have an amazing festive cheese ball recipe already here on The Cheese Knees, but today we’re excited to share the bite-size version of one of our favorite cheesy appetizers.
When we don’t have time to make our own cheese ball recipe, you’ll find us grabbing a Kaukauna cheese ball or cheese log and our favorite crackers to serve with it.
But if you’re looking for a fun and festive way to serve a cheese ball, let us recommend these cutie pie cheese ball bites. Serve them with a pretzel stick instead of a toothpick, and enjoy!
Ingredients You Need
Our cheese ball bites recipe comes together in 3 major ingredient sections. First, you’ll roast a head of garlic (that’s right, an ENTIRE head) to add amazing flavor to your cream cheese and shredded cheese, and then you’ll roll these bite-sized balls in candied pecans.
Oh, and don’t forget to serve your cheese ball bites with a pretzel stick at the end!
For the Cheese Balls
- Head of garlic
- Cream cheese
- Shredded yellow cheddar cheese
- Salt & pepper
For the Toppings
- Raw pecans
- Maple syrup
For Serving
- Pretzel sticks
Easy Ingredient Substitutions
- Shredded yellow cheddar cheese —> Any salty shredded cheese
- Pecans —> Walnuts or pecans
- Pretzel sticks —> Toothpicks, pita chips or crackers
How to Make Cheese Ball Bites
Roast Garlic
Slice off the end of a head of garlic (the opposite end of the root) so that the head stays intact, and place the garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle it with olive oil. Wrap the garlic with tin foil and roast the garlic in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Make Cheese Ball Filling
Next, add the softened cream cheese to a food processor and process until the cream cheese is smooth.
Squeeze the garlic cloves from the garlic paper into the food processor. The garlic should easily squeeze out into the food processor.
Add the shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to the food processor and process the ingredients together on low until all the ingredients are combined. That’s your filling!
Chill Cheese Ball Filling
Once the ingredients are combined, scrape the sides of the food processor and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the cream cheese mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes until it firms up.
Why? This will firm up the filling so you can easily form bite-sized cheese balls.
Make Candied Pecans
Chop the pecans up into small pieces, and place them in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Drizzle the maple syrup over the pecans and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Toast the pecans until they begin to brown.
Remove the pecans from the heat and spread them out on a plate.
Roll Cheese Ball Bites
Use a ½ tablespoon scoop to scoop out the cream cheese mixture and roll the cream cheese into a ball. Then, roll the ball in the pecan crumbs. Repeat this process until all the filling is gone.
Serve & Enjoy!
Carefully place a pretzel stick into the center of each cream cheese ball, serve and enjoy.
How to Serve Cheese Ball Bites
We love using a pretzel stick instead of a toothpick when serving these cheese ball bites — pretzels and cheese were meant for each other. Other serving ideas include:
- Ritz crackers
- Pita chips
- Stick carrots or celery
How to Store Cheese Ball Bites
If all your cheese ball bites aren’t consumed in one evening, that’s a-okay! You can simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Pro Tip: Let your cheese ball bites soften a bit at room temperature before serving so your pretzels don’t break when you’re spearing them.
Cheese Ball Bites
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 16 oz. softened cream cheese
- 2 cups yellow shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pretzel sticks for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Slice off the end of a head of garlic (the opposite end of the root) so that the head stays intact.
- Place the garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle it with olive oil. Wrap the garlic with tin foil and place the garlic in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven. Set aside.
- Next, add the softened cream cheese to a food processor and process until the cream cheese is smooth.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves from the garlic paper into the food processor. The garlic should easily squeeze out into the food processor.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and cracked pepper to the food processor and process the ingredients together on low until all the ingredients are combined.
- Once the ingredients are combined, scrape the sides of the food processor and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the cream cheese mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes until it firms up.
- Meanwhile, prepare the candied pecans. Chop the pecans up into small pieces (almost chopped into crumbs) and place them in a large skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Drizzle the maple syrup over the pecans and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Toast the pecans for 4-5 minutes or until they begin to brown.
- Remove the pecans from the heat and spread them out on a plate.
- When the cream cheese is ready, remove it from the fridge.
- Use a ½ tablespoon scoop to scoop out the cream cheese mixture and roll the cream cheese into a ball. Roll the ball in the pecan crumbs and place the cream cheese ball rolled in pecans on a plate. Repeat this process until the cream cheese mixture is gone.
- Carefully place a pretzel stick into the center of each cream cheese ball and serve.
I’m assuming these are fine to make a head and add the pretzel sticks later?