Name: Homemade Party Cheese Ball
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces cream cheese (room temperature); 2 tablespoons butter (room temperature); 2 teaspoons dried dill; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup minced chives (divided); 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 8 slices , divided); Crackers for serving

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This Homemade Party Cheese Ball doesn’t require any special equipment and takes only 20 minutes or less to make! It is an absolute must for every large gathering, and everyone will want this recipe! Two additional flavor variations are included for fans of both savory and sweet!

Close up view of a cheeseball with crackers.

A homemade cheeseball is a must for any large gathering. This is one of those appetizers that we dream about and drool over. It simply does not make sense that mixing such common fridge and pantry items could create something this delicious, yet here we are. It is the ultimate savory snack, yet can be made irresistibly sweet with our favorite flavor variation. We love that it doesn’t require any special equipment, and can be made with just a bowl and a spoon, but you can go ahead and let everyone think you are a master in the kitchen. We won’t tell.

Chive Substitute:

Chives can be difficult to find, and somehow always unusually expensive. You can always substitute with green onions.

Bacon:

We always cook bacon in the oven, and seriously cannot go back to the stovetop method. If you are going to cook bacon fresh for this recipe, we highly recommend the oven method! If you are looking for a short cut, you could buy pre-cooked bacon already crumbled!

Nuts in a Homemade Party Cheeseball:

Are you a nut fan? Toasted pecans are fantastic when added to the coating of bacon and chives. Give it a try!

Flavor Variations:

Stick with the original bacon ranch, or try Pina colada and cranberry orange white chocolate cheeseballs. They are all delicious! You can’t go wrong!

Serving Suggestions:

We love nothing more than butter crackers on the side of a cheeseball. Savory or sweet, it doesn’t matter. They pair with everything! If you’d like to mix things up, try graham crackers or Nilla wafers with a sweet cheeseball.

Storage Instructions:

Store any leftover cheeseball in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in the same plastic wrap. It should last for up to 4 days.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious dip-based appetizer recipes:

Watch the video below where Caytlin will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.

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Homemade Party Cheese Ball

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This Homemade Party Cheeseball doesn’t require any special equipment and takes only 20 minutes or less to make! It is an absolute must for every large gathering, and everyone will want this recipe! 2 flavor variations included for fans of savory and sweet!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
2 tablespoons butter room temperature
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup minced chives divided
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon about 8 slices , divided
Crackers for serving

Instructions

Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

In a medium to large size bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter until softened.
Add in dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and half of the chives. Stir until well combined.
Fold in cheddar cheese and half of the crumbled bacon, and gently stir until all is evenly incorporated and well combined.
Lay a large piece of plastic wrap onto a clean surface and spoon cream cheese mixture onto it. Fold the plastic around it to form a ball.
On another clean sheet of plastic wrap, spread out the remaining chives and bacon crumbles. Unwrap the cheeseball and roll it into the bacon and chive mixture to top.
Wrap it back up in clean plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Flavor Variations:

Pina Colada Cheeseball

16 ounces softened cream cheese

1 cup toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (divided)

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup toasted, sweetened coconut (divided)

In a medium to large size bowl, add 16 ounces of softened cream cheese, crushed pineapple, half the macadamia nuts, and half the coconut. Mix all together and form into a ball on plastic wrap. Unwrap and roll ball into remaining macadamia nuts and coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cheeseball

16 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup chopped dried cranberries (divided)
1 orange, zested
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped or grated

In a medium to large size bowl, add 16 ounces of softened cream cheese, orange zest, sugar, vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup cranberries. Mix all together and form into a ball on plastic wrap. Unwrap and roll ball into white chocolate and remaining cranberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheeseball Recipe

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Chive Substitute:

Bacon:

Nuts in a Homemade Party Cheeseball:

Flavor Variations:

Serving Suggestions:

Storage Instructions:

Homemade Party Cheese Ball

Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

Flavor Variations:

Nutrition

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