Looking for a fun, flavorful appetizer? These Mini Bacon Ranch Cheese Balls are packed with creamy cheese, smoky bacon, and a crunchy pecan-parsley coating. With a pretzel stick handle, they’re the perfect party-ready finger food!
What makes these mini cheese balls so great? First, they’re ridiculously easy to whip up with just a handful of ingredients. Second, they’re as versatile as they are delicious - perfect for everything from game days to holiday parties.
And let’s be real, anything involving cream cheese, bacon, and cheddar is bound to be a hit.
Helpful Tips
Soften the cream cheese: Seriously. Soften the cream cheese at room temperature before you try to make the cheese balls. No, don't try to microwave it because you forgot. Trust me. Patience. 😉
Chill before serving: Letting the cheese balls chill in the fridge helps them firm up and makes them easier to handle.
Insert pretzels last: Add the pretzel sticks just before serving to keep them crunchy and fresh.
Cheat with Bacon Bits: Yep, I said it. If you don't feel like cooking bacon, you can totally cheat by using store-bought Bacon Bits.
Variations to Try
Make them spicy!: Add a pinch of cayenne or a dash of hot sauce to the cheese mixture for a little heat.
Try different nuts: Swap pecans for walnuts or almonds for a different crunch.
Add dried fruit: For a sweet-savory twist, mix in some finely chopped dried cranberries.
Use flavored pretzels: Pretzel sticks with seasoning (like garlic or ranch) can take these to the next level.
More Fun Food Ideas
If you love these cheese ball bites, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
Recipe
Mini Bacon Ranch Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 oz dry ranch dressing mix the packets work great
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¾ cup bacon pieces cooked and finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- 20 small pretzel sticks
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and ranch seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the cheddar cheese, pecans, parsley, and half of the bacon pieces. Mix to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining bacon, parsley, and pecans.
- Using your hands, shape the cream cheese mixture into approximately 1 ½ inch balls. You should get about 20 mini cheese balls.
- Then roll each ball into the dry bacon-parsley-pecan mixture.
- Set the cheese balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour, or until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, insert a pretzel stick into each cheese ball bite.
Candy Womble
Yummy. Definitely going to try this recipe. It would be a great appetizer to serve at my family summer reunion. Thanks for sharing your recipes.