Mini Cheese Ball Bites (Print-Friendly Format)

Festive mini cheese bites in three flavors—cranberry pecan, bacon ranch, and honey sesame. Ideal for snacking and gatherings.

# Ingredients You’ll Need:

→ Base Mixture

01 - 450 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
02 - 120 ml full-fat sour cream
03 - 200 g shredded cheddar cheese
04 - 100 g shredded Emmentaler or Gruyere cheese
05 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Cranberry Pecan Variation

06 - 45 g dried cranberries, chopped
07 - 35 g pecans, chopped
08 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
10 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
11 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ Bacon Ranch Variation

12 - 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
13 - 30 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
14 - 35 g bacon, cooked and chopped
15 - 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

→ Honey Sesame Variation

16 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
17 - 2 teaspoons honey
18 - 35 g feta cheese, crumbled
19 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
20 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
21 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
22 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ Coating and Serving

23 - 45 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
24 - 30 g pecans, finely chopped
25 - 50 g crumbled bacon
26 - 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
27 - 35 g everything bagel seasoning or equal mix of black and white sesame seeds
28 - 30 small pretzel sticks

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, Emmentaler or Gruyere, and lemon juice using a silicone spatula or hand mixer until smooth.
02 - Split the blended cheese base evenly into three prep bowls. Reserve one portion each for the Cranberry Pecan, Bacon Ranch, and Honey Sesame blends.
03 - To the first portion, add chopped dried cranberries, chopped pecans, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine.
04 - To the second portion, add ranch seasoning, finely grated parmesan, chopped bacon, and chopped chives. Blend until fully incorporated.
05 - To the third portion, combine Worcestershire sauce, honey, crumbled feta, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix well.
06 - Cover each bowl and refrigerate the mixtures for 2 to 3 hours or until firm enough to shape.
07 - Arrange coating ingredients in separate prep bowls: dried cranberries and pecans together in one; bacon and chives in another; everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds in the third.
08 - Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion one tablespoon of the chilled mixture, roll into balls by hand. Coat each Cranberry Pecan ball in the cranberry-pecan mixture, each Bacon Ranch ball in the bacon-chive mixture, and each Honey Sesame ball in the seed blend.
09 - Transfer cheese balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Refrigerate for an additional 2 hours or overnight. For storage beyond 2 hours, cover cheese balls with plastic wrap.
10 - Before serving, insert a pretzel stick into each cheese ball and present on a serving platter.

# Extra Tips:

01 - For ideal texture, roll cheese balls in their coatings just before serving if frozen.
02 - Cheese balls may be prepared up to one week in advance when refrigerated and wrapped tightly in plastic.
03 - For best freshness, consume prepared cheese balls within three days of assembling.

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