Mini Cheese Balls
These bite-size mini cheese balls are the perfect finger food for your party. Creamy, with hot pepper jelly in the center, and easy to eat with a pretzel stick
handle!
The holiday season is right around the corner and that means tons of finger foods, which are my favorite! When I plan a party I always make sure I have a few different ones to choose from.
But one thing I always make sure to have is a cheese ball of come kind. Everyone loves a cheese ball! At least everyone I know 😉
Apart from cheese slices and cheese boards, cheese balls are the perfect cheesey appetizer to make. I have made plenty of cheese balls, both sweet and savory, but my favorite ones are mini cheeseballs.
With the chopped almonds on the outside, they remind me of my hedgehog cheese ball. Just smaller and easier to pop in your mouth. They are the perfect appetizer for New Year’s Eve!
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Pepper jelly – I use a homemade pepper jelly but substitute your favorite jam or jelly.
- Nuts – Chopped, sliced almonds or chopped 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.
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How To Make Mini Cheese Balls
- In a large bowl, bring the cream cheese to room temperature and mix in the herbs.
- Put the cream cheese mixture in the refrigerator to chill for about 5-10 minutes.
- Warm the jelly slightly to loosen it up but not too hot. Scoop the cheese mixture in to a ball. I like to use an cookie scoop so they are all the same size. Using a small spoon handle or your finger, form a well or hole in the cheese ball. Pipe the hot pepper jelly into the well. Gently pinch the opening together to seal in the jelly.
- Roll balls in chopped almonds and serve. Add little pretzel handles if preferred.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Prep
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep them in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
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.
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.
Roll the balls and separate layers with parchment paper when storing.
Because of the jelly in the middle I would not recommend this. Plus the cream cheese will turn grainy.
The best way to keep the size the same is to use an ice cream scoop.
Variations
- Spices – I like to use fresh herbs but you can use dried. Also, mix it up based on the season. You can go simple with onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Bagel seasoning is great too!
- Cheese – Add some cheddar cheese, blue cheese, or goat cheese to the mixture to change the flavor a bit.
- Center – Add your favorite jam or jelly or leave it out all together.
- Toppings – I use almonds for this one but you can use other chopped nuts, green onions, sesame seeds, bacon bits, poppy seeds, crushed cookies, etc.
Tapas Tips & Tricks
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Softened cream cheese is easier to mix.
- A hand mixer is great for making sure the cream cheese softened enough before shaping.
- Use your favorite herbs and spices.
- Use different flavors and spices to match the time of year.
- Use an ice cream scoop to keep the cheeseballs the same size.
- Chill after sealing to firm back up.
- Try different coatings to mix up the flavors.
- Don’t want to make them small. Combine everything into one large cheese ball.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
This mini cheese ball recipe is an easy appetizer to any occasion. Great for a holiday party, game day, or a fun after school snack. I serve them at my book club all the time!
Mini Cheese Balls
Ingredients
For the Cheese Balls
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Ball Coating
- 1/2 cup almonds toasted, sliced
- 1 teaspoon rosemary fresh, chopped
- 4 ounces hot pepper jelly store-bought or homemade
- 18 pretzel sticks
Instructions
Prepare the cheese ball mixture
- Combine the cream cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Scoop or spoon the mixture into balls (roughly 2 teaspoons).
- Roll to smooth out.
- Using a finger or a small spoon, make a well or depression in the middle of the cheese balls.
Chill while you prepare the pepper jelly.
- If your jelly is thick, add a tablespoon of water and heat to combine until thin enough to spread.
- Pipe or spoon the jelly into the cheese balls.
- Gently pinch and seal the opening closed and smooth back into a ball shape.
Coat the pepper jelly bombs.
- Roll the cheese balls in chopped almonds combined with a little rosemary until covered.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve (up to 3 days).
- When ready to serve, insert a pretzel stick and place on a platter, or serve with crackers.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Softened cream cheese is easier to mix.
- Use your favorite herbs and spices.
- Use different flavors and spices to match the time of year.
- Use an ice cream scoop to keep the cheeseballs the same size.
- Chill after sealing to firm back up.
- Try different coatings to mix up the flavors.
- Don’t want to make them small. Combine everything into one large cheese ball.
Nutrition
{Originally published 08/10/2018 – photos and recipe notes updated 09/24/24}
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This recipe for mini cheese balls sounds delicious and easy enough for even an all-thumbs “cook” like me to make. I’m going to a Christmas party with guests with nut allergies and would like some ideas for substitutes to roll the cheese balls in. Thank you.
If you have a nut allergy I like to roll them in fresh herbs that have been chopped fine, toasted panko breadcrumbs, crushed corn flakes, or even some chopped crispy bacon:) Hope these options work for you and happy holidays!
Love your cheeseballs and ideas. Thank you
I’m so glad! Thank you!
Can you just mix the cream cheese and jelly together? It seems like it would be the same flavor but less work?
You certainly can! You might need to add a little less pepper jelly so it’s not too loose to stay in a ball form.
This us an awesome recipe. I’m going yo shorten the time it takes by making the cheesecakes empty & put hot jelly, honey, fig, NY jelly so they cam dunk them in the one they like. One dunk per cheesecake, no double dunks.
I love this idea!!!
1
Making for a outside party tomorrow ..can’t wait to taste them
My family and friends love these. Made them several times over the holidays last year. I did have some difficulty filling and closing the balls though but I’m not as skilled as I once was. So I indented each ball with my thumb and piped the jelly into the indentation. This left the jelly exposed but very colorful especially since I used red and green pepper jelly. Thank you!
It can get tricky sometimes, but I’m glad that you left the jelly exposed:) It adds even more color and flair to them!
@Sandy, Thank you. I, too, am not as skilled as I once was. This sounds like the perfect solution!
Going to make these for a buffet party tonight. I know two of my friends do not like spice (boo). So I will try with a fig jam that I made with my home grown figs – rosemary will pair perfectly with this. Thanks so much.
That sounds amazing! I would love to hear about how they turn out!
I know your website will be my first stop when I need something fabulous over the holiday season!! Dare I say that you are the queen of the cheese ball? These little bite sized beauties are going to be so popular with my family!! Thanks!
These would definitely be a hit at any party! They look so delicious and creamy, YUM!
What a nice little surprise to bite into pepper jelly. Using pretzel sticks is so smart too! No toothpicks to pick up. These are totally the BOMB!
I love everything about these, and they are so festive and fun!
What an awesome appetizer! I need to make these for my next party!
These are so cute and perfect! I love the little spicy center. I will make these for my next girl night in! I am sure they are going to be gone in no time!!
Thanks for sharing! This is perfect for the holidays! Pepper jelly is so festive!
Thank you for reading! Ever since I tried pepper jelly the first time, I was hooked!!
Sorry you had so much trouble. I am sure that just mixing them together was just as good!!
Tried to make these yesterday. They were sooo much work. I gave up and just used the kicked-up cream cheese on a plate and poured the pepper jelly over it. It was a notch better than my usual plain cream cheese with pepper jelly, so it was worth it to add the rosemary. I just sprinkled the almond topping around the base of the cheese ball. Thanks for the recipe. I will check out your other ideas.
Have not tried these yet but they’ll great I have made something similar but without the pepper jelly. That seems like a great pop to the cheese balls.
Only negative comment.Took forever to scroll through all the ads & finally get to the recipe. Very frustrating!
Nope! They are a no bake appetizer! Enjoy!
Question you don’t have to bake or cook them ???
I love the idea of these little cheese bombs, but, rosemary isn’t a flavour I like. Can you suggest an option?
Thank you
If you like something smoother, I would say thyme which is a little on the sweeter side or oregano. If you want to make these even more mellow, a fresh mint goes great with it! Thanks for reading! I feel the same way about basil 🙂
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
Great idea. Love the simple and tasty recipe
What an awesome appetizer! I need to make these for my next party!
Oh my gosh, this is the perfect party appetizer!! I love pepper jelly
What a nice little surprise to bite into pepper jelly. Using pretzel sticks is so smart too! No toothpicks to pick up. These are totally the BOMB!
These are so cute and perfect! I love the little spicy center. I will make these for my next girl night in! I am sure they are going to be gone in no time!!
I know your website will be my first stop when I need something fabulous over the holiday season!! Dare I say that you are the queen of the cheese ball? These little bite sized beauties are going to be so popular with my family!! Thanks!
These would definitely be a hit at any party! They look so delicious and creamy, YUM!
I love everything about these, and they are so festive and fun!
Anytime!!
Yum girl! These cheese ball bombs look bommmmb…pinning now! And thanks for mentioning my recipe in your post 🙂