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Who needs a new (and impressive!) appetizer? I thought so. 🙂 My easy cheese ball recipe with cream cheese, bacon, and green onions to the rescue! This is the best cheese ball recipe because, well, bacon is involved. Read on and I’ll show you how to make cheese balls (don’t tell anyone how easy it is, it’s our little secret!), how to store this tasty bacon cheese ball, and give you a few ideas for what to scoop up this cream cheese ball with.
I share specifics below, but it’s also easy to prep ahead of time. You’re going to quickly agree – it’s the best cheese ball recipe ever!
A Simple Cheese Ball Recipe For Any Gathering
I love having a few impressive and easy appetizer recipes in my back pocket, and this one is no exception. It looks pretty, it tastes incredible, and it’s so easy to make! This cream cheese ball recipe with bacon is made with just 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have.
You can make it in advance and it’s perfectly portable, which are both huge advantages in my book. You can never have too many simple appetizer recipes that you can make ahead.
An easy cheese ball recipe is the kind of appetizer you want to keep in the back of your mind year-round. It takes all of 10 minutes to prepare. That makes it equally handy during lazy summer days, the crazy holiday rush, and literally everything in between.
How To Make Cheese Balls
The steps for how to make a cheese ball with cream cheese, bacon, and green onions are super simple:
- Whip cream cheese and cheddar cheese together. I like to use a blender, mixer, or food processor so that the cheese balls get a little fluffy.
- Roll cheese mixture into a ball. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
- Stir together bacon bits, green onions, and pecans. A.k.a. the outside of this cheddar cheese ball recipe. Tons. Of. Flavor.
- Wrap your easy cheese ball recipe with cream cheese tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Cheese Ball Ingredients
This easy cheese ball recipe with cream cheese doesn’t require any special ingredients:
- Cream cheese (wouldn’t be a cream cheese ball without it!)
- Cheddar cheese
- Bacon bits
- Green onions
- Pecans
Such easy ingredients, you might not even need to make a trip to the store!
And also? How awesome is each one of those five ingredients? Cream cheese! Cheddar! Bacon! Pecans! Green onions! So colorful, and so much deliciousness.
What To Roll Cheese Ball In Besides Nuts?
The answer to this question may be obvious…but I’ll yell it from the rooftops: BACON!
The addition of bacon makes this the best cheese ball recipe!
Can A Cream Cheese Ball Be Frozen?
For best results, do not freeze this low carb cheese ball recipe with bacon. The composition of some dairy products changes when it’s frozen, and the texture of cream cheese will change if it’s frozen and then thawed.
Can You Make A Bacon Cheese Ball Ahead?
Yes, you can make bacon cheese ball ahead of time. Simply mix together the cream cheese and cheddar cheese together. Shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, it might even last a week.
When you’re ready to serve this bacon cheese ball, remove from the refrigerator and roll in the bacon bits, green onions, and pecans.
After rolling it in toppings, you could refrigerate any leftovers as well, but it won’t keep as long (maybe a couple days), and the nuts might get soft.
What To Serve With A Cream Cheese Ball
The best part about a simple cheese ball recipe with cream cheese is that it looks super impressive. I love it when that’s the case with a recipe that’s actually incredibly simple behind the scenes. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone!
When I served it over the holidays, I listened to the ooh’s and aah’s while I giggled a little inside, thinking about how foolproof it was to prepare. Yep, that’s the beauty of cheese ball recipes and cream cheese appetizers!
- Sweet potato crackers – These are natural and gluten-free, but not low carb. (They are what’s in the picture!) Great if you have a variety of eaters.
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Crackers – When I have time, I love to serve these low carb crackers with my cheese ball appetizers! They get great feedback from people who are not low carb, too.
- Veggies – Always a great option for crunch and color. Get the list of ones good for low carb diets in the low carb keto food list.
Tools To Make Bacon Cheese Ball:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Food Processor – Using a processor ensures your bacon cheese balls will be nice and fluffy!
- Cheese Spreader Set – These cheese knives scoop up best cheese ball recipe – perfect for spreading onto crackers or veggies.
- Porcelain Serving Platter – Display your gorgeous bacon cheese ball on one of these platters, surrounded by your crackers and veggies.
Easy Cheese Ball Recipe with Cream Cheese, Bacon & Green Onion:
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Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
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Easy Cheese Ball Recipe with Cream Cheese, Bacon & Green Onion (Low Carb, Gluten-free)
This easy cheese ball recipe with cream cheese, bacon, and green onions takes just 10 minutes prep! See how to make a bacon cream cheese cheese ball ahead for an effortless, impressive appetizer.
Recipe Video
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Instructions
Get RECIPE TIPS in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
- Whip the cream cheese and cheddar cheese together in a high power blender, food processor, or stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Form the cheese into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until firm.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bacon bits, green onions, and pecans. Roll the cheese ball in the mixture.
- Wrap the ball tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 heaping tablespoons
Video Showing How To Make a Cheese Ball:
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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26 Comments
Shelby
My cheese isnt firming up been in frig over 2 hrs now
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Shelby, It won’t become hard like block cream cheese again, but it should be firm enough to unwrap and hold the ball shape. If it’s softer than that, you can freeze your cream cheese ball for about 10 minutes to be able to unwrap it and roll in toppings before serving. Just don’t freeze it for too long, as the cream cheese will change texture if it freezes through.
Chris
How much of each ingredient ?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Chris, The recipe card contains all the specifics on the recipe. It’s located about halfway down the page. If you can’t find it, try scrolling to the top of the page and using the ‘Jump to recipe’ button. Please note that you won’t be able to see the recipe card if you are viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode’ or in an RSS feed. I hope this helps!
Tramia
3Words✨.. Delicious and Quick!⭐️
leanne long
So easy and, while I have not made it yet, I do have almost all of the ingredients (no onions!). I plan to make some but roll into small balls for individual servings.
Wanda
Yes, I’m making them into small fat bombs, very delicious.
Cayce
Does this make only 1 cheeseball?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Cayce, Yes, this makes one large cheeseball.
Louann Archer
Going to make this today. Looks yummy & healthy.
Jennifer Bruce
I love the idea for a festive cheese ball. I must try it for Christmas 2018.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I hope you like it, Jennifer!
Nathalie Lockhart
Ooooo, I’m totally going to make this and put it in my mashed potatoes! Not all of them just mine. My family likes all sorts of things so this could be a good fit for for us this year on our Thanksgiving table! Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I hope you like it, Nathalie!
Arlene Chernak
When I saw that cheese ball, I knew I had to have the recipe. Making it for Thanksgiving.
Looking forward to more great things on this site. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Arlene! I hope you like it!
Kathkeen
Made these Cheese Balls for Concerts in the Park; they were delicious. Well received. But I made them a little big, next time I will make them smaller. Otherwise; loved them !!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa Barber
So good!!!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lisa!
Lyla
HI! Thank you for all your recipe creativity! I have been using cheese balls with veggie chips as a go to keto snack for a while. I put in shaved pastrami or roast beef……oh yeah! It is good!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lyla! That sounds delicious.
Ashley
What kind of bacon bits did you use for the cheese ball? Ones like Bac-Os? Or did you just fry up some bacon and crumble it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ashley, Either way will work. Sometimes I make my own and sometimes purchase them. I don’t like that commercially packaged bacon bits usually contain preservatives, but occasionally the convenience is worth it. You can do whatever you prefer!
Tracy L
I would love to know what the crackers are in this photo. They look delicious along with the cheese ball.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tracy, The crackers are these sweet potato crackers. They are gluten-free, but not low carb. (I didn’t have time to make my own low carb ones for the crowd I was serving this for.) Otherwise for a low carb cracker version, I have this recipe for low carb paleo crackers.