Mini Cheese Ball Bites are studded with dried cranberries and blue cheese, rolled in pecans, and skewered with pretzel sticks for fun, easy party appetizers!
'Tis the season for holiday get-togethers, potlucks, and parties! That means that this time of year, from Thanksgiving right on through New Year's Eve, there are ample opportunities for delicious and creative appetizers. And today I'm sharing one that's not only quick and easy, but also fun and just a little bit different...Cheese Ball Bites!
What is a Cheese Ball Bite?
Everyone enjoys a good cheese ball, and this recipe simply miniaturizes that concept. After all, who doesn't love cute, bite-sized party food?
Skewering each Mini Cheese Ball Bite with a pretzel makes these little gems easy to serve and eat.
Furthermore, you can always customize the flavors to your liking.
Ingredients
As written, this recipe is simply softened cream cheese flavored with blue cheese crumbles and sweetened dried cranberries.
After forming the mixture into bite-sized portions, each ball is then rolled in toasted pecans and skewered with a pretzel stick.
The cream cheese neutralizes the blue cheese so that it's a bit less overpowering, and the cranberries provide a nice sweet contrast while the pecans lend some toasty crunch.
Cheese Ball Bite Variations
If you're not a fan of blue cheese, feel free to swap it our for a less pungent variety of cheese, like feta or even grated sharp cheddar.
For that matter, you can substitute different dried fruit and nuts as well. Dried cherries with pistachios would be tasty, as would dried apricots with almonds.
Another yummy alternative would be to scatter these mini cheese balls (sans pretzel sticks) over a salad. I think that doing so would elevate a simple salad to something really special for a fancy holiday meal or dinner party.
So the next time you're asked to bring a munchie to a potluck or party -- or you're hosting a soirée yourself -- do yourself (and the other party guests) a favor and make these Mini Cheese Ball Bites!
They require just a few ingredients and minimal effort for an impressive presentation and maximum flavor.
Now tell me...what more can you ask of an appetizer than that?
More Festive Recipes for the Holidays
- Christmas Ornament Cheese Balls
- Holiday Honeycrisp Salad
- Crockpot Brown Sugar Ham
- Cranberry Pomegranate Bellinis with Lime
Mini Cheese Ball Bites
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (about 3 ounces) blue cheese crumbles
- ¾ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- Pretzel sticks
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, blue cheese, and dried cranberries until smooth. Dampen hands to prevent sticking and form cream cheese mixture into approximately 24 tablespoon-sized balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm.
- In the meantime, toast the pecans by spreading out on a sheet pan and baking in a preheated 350°F oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, for 7 to 10 minutes. Allow pecans to cool and finely chop them.
- Roll chilled cheese balls in chopped pecans, pressing nuts so that they adhere. Keep cheese balls refrigerated until ready to serve. Just before serving, skewer each cheese ball with a pretzel stick.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Family Fun magazine, December/January 2014.
Post originally shared on November 24, 2013. Video added in December of 2017.
Maw
Yum, yum, yummy! Saving this link for later. Will be bringing this dish out for the next get-together. Love your photography too. Will be back!
Maw ~
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks so much for the kind words, Maw! Hope this recipe is a hit if you have a chance to try it. 🙂
Debra
Lovely concept, I can see making the base, and then making a variety of cheese balls for different tastes. Really like the use of pretzel sticks.
Carolyn Crouchet
These are even better than I could have imagined-- and I have thought about making them for the last year, since you posted them. I bought stuff to make these last year, then time got away from me, and I used the ingredients for something else. But, I made them today for a gathering, and they are such a remarkable combination of ingredients and got huge "Wows!!!!" from my foody guests. It won't be another year before I do them again, and I promise to give you full credit. Thank you Samantha!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Oh good, Carolyn...I'm so glad you finally got to try these and that they were a hit! I've been toying with the idea of another variation of this recipe, although I don't know if I could top the original. 😉 Hope you had a wonderful Christmas break and a great start to 2015...good luck getting back into the groove this week!
sara
love them! i add hint of cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic salt to the cream cheese! adds a lil color and spice
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Oooo, thanks so much for sharing that, Sara! Those sound like delicious additions! 🙂
Toni
These look so yummy! I pinned them and also just whipped up a batch for our NYE pre-party! I did a batch with blue cheese and a second batch with goat cheese! Pecans are in the oven now! So fun!!! Thank you for this easy, yummy recipe! I am sure everybody will love them!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so happy to hear that, Toni! Your goat cheese variation sounds delicious as well. I hope these were a hit at your party last night! Happy New Year!
Inga
These are wonderful! Just whipped up a batch for Christmas Eve and had to of course sneak a bit. I used Gorgonzola instead (was on sale!) and man are they delish! I know my family will love these, thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I am very happy to hear that, Inga! Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know, and I hope you have a very merry Christmas! 🙂
Brianna
I love this idea! Do you think that these would freeze well (without the pretzel stick)?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Brianna! Many sources say that cream cheese can get watery if you freeze it and then thaw it. I do know someone who froze these and she said they turned out fine, but I'm pretty sure that she only froze them for a short period of time. So while I haven't tried freezing them myself, I'm cautiously optimistic that it would work. But you're right...leave out the pretzel stick until just before serving (it will get really soggy otherwise).
If you end up freezing these, I hope you'll come back and let us know how it worked out! Good luck...have a wonderful week! 🙂
Julia
This recipe will definitely not go unnoticed at any event. These cheese ball bites look insanely good!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks so much, Julia! I love this recipe because it's tasty and impressive-looking yet easy to throw together...my favorite kind of recipe. 😉 Hope you enjoy it!
Nibbles By Nic
Samntha these look like FANTASTIC nibbles!!! Thanks for sharing. I cannot wait to try them for the holidays. Warmest, Nic
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thank you, Nic...I hope you enjoy them!