Mini Cheese Balls are the perfect individual appetizer idea. Whether it’s for the holidays, game day, or watching an award show on TV, these cheese balls are ideal.
If you’re looking for individual appetizer ideas, these mini cheese balls need to be on the menu.
Grab the recipe below.
Mini Cheese Balls Appetizers
Whether you are entertaining for the holidays, game day parties, or even an appetizer to serve next to the desserts you are serving up at a birthday, these cheese balls are delicious.
Whether you’re entertaining for a small crowd or just want a no-fuss idea, cheese balls are what you should put on the list.
The food is still important.
But just because we’re entertaining small groups doesn’t mean the food needs to be any less important.
Our cheese balls were created with guests in mind. They’re easy to grab, which makes any get-together better for you and your guests.
Here’s what you’ll need to make our Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers
Cream Cheese. This is the base ingredient for just about any cheese ball you’ll ever create. I love cream cheese because it’s easy to work with and is the “glue” that keeps the rest of the components playing well together.
Parmesan. Romano. Asiago. I love cheese blends, and this particular one is a favorite because the flavors are all kinds of savory. However, do you use whatever cheeses blow your hair back?
Garlic. Peppers. Green Onion. Parsley. Adding lots of fresh ingredients goes a long way toward upping the ante and turning an ordinary cheese ball into flavor town.
Seasoning. I kept the seasoning simple and added OLD BAY® 30% LESS SODIUM SEASONING and freshly cracked black peppercorns for this recipe.
Mixed Nuts & Wasabi Peas. Yes, instead of one particular kind of nut, I used a cupful of mixed nuts to switch things up. I also tossed in a half cup of Wasabi peas to give these cheese balls a barely-there pinch of heat.
Why Do You Have To Have Room Temperature Cream Cheese
When making a cheese ball, your cream cheese must be softened and at room temperature. The reason is that cream cheese is very stiff and won’t mix well unless you let it warm up beforehand.
You will also get a creamy texture when you mix it up if you use room-temperature cheese.
Can I Make These In Advance
You can make these bite-sized cheese balls a day in advance. Just roll them and store them on the platter, and cover well, or place them in an airtight container.
Now you can leave the crackers out, stick them in right before you serve, and you are set to serve up.
Expert Tips For Making Cheese Balls
- You need to make sure that you use a cookie scoop. This will allow you to make evenly shaped cheese balls.
- If you want to make one large cheeseball instead of mini ones, go right ahead.
- You can use any cracker to stick in the cheeseballs or even reach for a pretzel to add to the cheeseballs.
- Leave some jalapeno seeds in to spice up the cheeseballs if you want to amp up the flavor.
Check out this Holiday Savory Cheese Ball and this other cheese ball recipe: Easy Cheese Ball Recipe With Peppermint & White Chocolate.
Mini Cheese Balls Appetizers
18-22 mini cheese balls
Ingredients:
- Two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp everything bagel seasoning
- 1 medium jalapenos peppers with the pith and seeds removed and minced
- 1 each mini pepper, red, yellow, and green, with the pith and seeds removed and minced
- 1/2 cup parsley wash and stems removed, then chopped
- 1 cup mixed assorted nuts
- 1/2 cup Wasabi peas crushed
- freshly cracked black peppercorn and kosher salt (as needed)
- Wheat Thin Crackers
Directions:
- Into a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, parmesan, asiago, romano, garlic, everything bagel seasoning, jalapeños, mini-tri-colored peppers, and parsley, and mix well. Add the freshly cracked black peppercorn and kosher salt as needed. Cover and chill the mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Put the assorted mixed nuts and wasabi peas into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Spoon the mixture onto a plate and shake it slightly to spread it out.
- Using a 2 tbsp scoop, scoop a portion of the cream cheese mixture into your palm and work into a ball, then dredge through the chopped nut mixture, repeat the steps until the last cheese ball is complete.
- Allow the cheese balls to chill. Cover
- Place the mini cheese ball appetizers onto a serving tray or divide them onto separate plates. Place a Wheat Thin cracker on top of each mini cheese ball. Serve.
Do These Mini Cheese Balls Need To Be Refrigerated?
Keep them chilled until ready to serve since they’re made with cream cheese.
Can I Adjust The Spice Level?
For less heat, skip the jalapeño or reduce the wasabi peas.
For more heat, leave a little jalapeño pith or add a pinch of crushed red pepper.
What Kind Of Nuts Work Best For The Coating?
A mix of almonds, cashews, pistachios, or pecans works well.
Pulse until coarsely chopped.
What Crackers Should I Serve With These?
Use sturdy crackers, like water crackers, Wheat Thins, or seeded crackers, so they don’t break under the cheese balls.
You have the recipe, and before you know it, the holidays will be here!
So, if you’re all about serving up individual portions, then our Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers will be just what you need to be the hostess with the most.
Oh, by the way, these mini cheese balls are perfect for game day too, or a couple’s night-in date night.
How Long Will Cheese Balls Last
The time you will need to toss out your cheeseballs will depend on the ingredients. It would be best if you looked at what ingredients will expire first.
If it has chopped veggies or herbs, you might find it only stores for 3-4 days in the fridge. Or if there is meat, you most often don’t want to go longer than three days.
Other appetizer recipes to try:
Appetizer Ideas For New Year’s Eve
Herb Cream Cheese, Fall Fruit & Honey Crostini Recipe
Mini Cheese Balls Appetizers
Ingredients
- 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp everything bagel seasoning
- 1 medium jalapenos peppers with the pith and seeds removed and minced
- 1 each mini peppers red, yellow, and red with the pith and seeds removed and minced
- 1/2 cup parsley wash and stems removed then chopped
- 1 cup mixed assorted nuts
- 1/2 Wasabi peas crushed
- freshly cracked black peppercorn and kosher salt
- Wheat Thin Crackers
Instructions
- Into a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, parmesan, asiago, romano, garlic, everything bagel seasoning, jalapeños, mini-tri-colored peppers, and parsley, and mix well. Add the freshly cracked black peppercorn and kosher salt as needed. Cover and chill the mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Put the assorted mixed nuts and wasabi peas into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Spoon the mixture onto a plate and shake it slightly to spread it out.
- Using a 2 tbsp scoop, scoop a portion of the cream cheese mixture into your palm and work into a ball, then dredge through the chopped nut mixture, repeat the steps until the last cheese ball is complete.
- Allow the cheese balls to chill. Cover
- Place the mini cheese ball appetizers onto a serving tray or divide them onto separate plates. Place a Wheat Thin cracker on top of each mini cheese ball. Serve.
Leave a Reply