Mini Pepper Jelly Cheese Balls

These bite-size pepper jelly mini cheese balls are the perfect finger food for your party! Creamy, with a burst of sweet and spicy jelly in the middle, they are a portable snack with an edible handle.

Mini Cheese Balls

The holiday season is right around the corner and that means party foods! When planning a party I want to make sure that my menu includes lots of finger foods.

Unless it’s an actual dinner party, having a variety of dishes to choose from that are easy to eat keeps all your guests happy.

Just about everybody loves cheese. At least everyone I know loves cheese, but that’s probably because I can be friends with people who don’t like cheese. Which is why I always serve cheese at a party.

Aside from cheese slices and cheese boards, cheese balls are the perfect cheese appetizer to make. I have made plenty of cheese balls, both sweet and savory, but my favorite ones are mini cheeseballs.

I mean, who doesn’t love a bite-size treat you can just pop in your mouth? You can even call these cheese truffles if you are so inclined, but someone might think they are sweet and for dessert.

These mini cheese balls remind me of my Hedgehog Cheese Ball! Just smaller and bite-sized!

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Best Mini Cheese Balls

Not that there is anything wrong with a sweet cheese ball, I just prefer a savory one. The best cheeseballs are the ones that pack a punch in a small bite.

If you use cream cheese or goat cheese as a base, you really need strong flavors with it to cut through the richness. Much like my Wasabi Ginger Cheese Ball, a sweet and spicy cheese ball does just this!

A great way to get sweet and spicy flavors is with a pepper jelly. In the south, lots of people make their own jams and jellies. Much like canning or pickling, making homemade jelly allows you to save all the fresh summer fruits and enjoy their flavors all year long.

But jellies are not just limited to fruits. The best ones combine fruits along with a hot pepper or spice, which is perfect for these Hot Pepper Jelly Cheese Ball Bombs!

You can always make your own. In doing that, you can control the level of heat and the level of sweet. I make a 4 pepper jelly sauce that is pretty tasty and perfect for these.

Ingredients Needed

Cream Cheese – Use full fat, low fat, or fat free cream cheese. Be sure to soften it before mixing.

Herbs – I like fresh rosemary but feel free to use your favorite herbs.

Pepper Jelly – I use a homemade pepper jelly but substitute your favorite jam or jelly!

Nuts – Chopped, sliced almonds or pecans. Toast the nuts beforehand for more flavor.

Pretzels – These are optional if you want to use them as handles. Or you can serve them on twists.

How to make Mini Cheese Balls

First: Bring the cream cheese to room temperature and mix in the herbs. Form into bite-size balls. I use these ice cream scoops to make them uniform in size (about 2 teaspoons) and roll them into balls. Chill them for 5 mins while you are warming up the hot pepper jelly.

Second: Warm the jelly slightly to loosen it up but not too hot. After that, use a small spoon handle or your finger and form a well or hole in the cheese ball. Using a zip-top bag or frosting piping bag and tip, pipe the hot pepper jelly into the well.

Third: Gently use your fingers to pinch the opening together or rub the sides of the cheese ball to seal up the opening.

Fourth: Roll them in sliced almonds and serve. Add a pretzel stick handle if preferred.

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How long do they last?

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep them in an airtight container!

Wait to insert the pretzel stick handles just prior to serving so they don’t get soggy in the jelly and break off during the party.

How far in advance can I make these?

You can make most cheese balls a day ahead but more than that and the hot pepper jelly will start to ooze out of the cheese balls.

Can you freeze them?

Because of the jelly in the middle I would not recommend this. Plus the cream cheese will turn grainy.

How do you get the cheese balls all the same size?

The best way to keep the size consistent is to use an ice cream scooper.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve different flavored and textured crackers, pretzels, and pieces of bread for smearing on the cheese ball. If you are serving a sweet one like this one you can even use cookies!

Now you can leave the Hot Pepper Jelly Cheese Ball Bombs as they are and serve them with some crackers and small forks or you can make them portable with a handle of sorts.

The best handle for a mini cheese ball bites is an edible one, so I reach for pretzel sticks! Be careful when inserting the pretzel stick as the pepper jelly might leak out of the top, or the other side if you insert the pretzel stick too far.

Tapas Tips & Tricks

• Bring the cream cheese to room temperature for easier mixing.
• Use your favorite herbs to mix in.
• Use an ice cream scoop to keep the cheeseballs the same size.
• Chill after sealing to firm back up.
• Sliced almonds as they are smaller and less jagged when you chop them. They are also easier to chop when they are sliced.

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Looking for a cheese ball to take to a party you’ve been invited to? How about a quick appetizer you can make ahead of time for a get-together that you are hosting and are already stressed to the max? Check out all my cheese ball recipes, both sweet and savory, to fit your special occasion!

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