Mini Cheeseballs Recipe (Cheese Truffles)
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyThese Mini Cheeseballs / aka Cheese Truffles are an easy, cute, and delicious appetizer recipe everyone will love!
Cute, right? Basically, these are single-serving cheese balls.
I love a cheese ball. But the downside is that while it’s beautiful at the start, after a couple people dig into it, it often looks messy and less appealing.
With this mini cheeseball recipe, however, each guest can gets his / her own mini-cheeseball. The truffle has the same wonderful taste as a regular cheeseball, and the presentation looks great all evening. Genius!
Sidenote: If you’re looking for my Cranberry Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts recipe, You can find that HERE.
Each truffle contains enough cheese for three crackers. (Or if you’re a cheese lover like me, it’s one truffle per cracker. Ha!)
Since variety is the spice of life, I have two cheese truffle recipes for you: Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Cheese Truffles and Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Cheese Truffles. Here, I’m using Applewood Smoked Bacon which pairs so nicely with cheese. The bacon is used both in the cheese mixture as well as a garnish to coat each truffle.
How to Make
While the ingredients differ in each recipe, the directions are the same.
Begin by mixing all of the ingredients, except for the garnish. You can do this by hand, but I find using a hand mixer works best to get everything well combined.
Once you have your truffle mixture, you’ll want to roll it into 1 1/2-inch balls. Then, roll each ball in chopped nuts or bacon. Pop the truffles in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before serving, and you’re ready to go.
While these require a little more preparation than your standard cheese ball, the presentation is well worth the effort.
Aren’t they great?
If you liked this mini cheeseball recipe, you’ll love these too:
- Everything Bagel Cheeseball
- Cranberry Bacon Walnut Cheeseball
- Sun-Dried Tomato Cheeseball
- Apple-Shaped Cheeseballs for Fall
- Christmas Tree Cheeseball
They are so unexpected, but a classic party appetizer your family will love!
I hope you enjoyed both of these recipes and ideas. Now, just in case I need a few more appetizer ideas, I want to know what’s you favorite bacon-inspired holiday recipe.
Mini Cheese Balls (Cheese Truffles)
Ingredients
Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Cheese Truffles
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup applewood bacon cooked and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix
Garnish
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon chopped
Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Cheese Truffles
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 cup applewood bacon cooked and finely chopped
- 2/3 cup pistachios chopped
Garnish
- 1/2 cup pistachios chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon chopped
Instructions
Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Cheese Truffles
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch seasoning, and green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended.
- Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Roll each ball in the pecans or chopped bacon to coat. Refrigerator for one hour before serving.
Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Cheese Truffles
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, blue cheese, bacon, and pistachios.
- Mix with a hand mixer until well blended. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Roll each ball in the pistachios or chopped bacon to coat. Refrigerator for one hour before serving.
Making these as individual servings was a game changer for me! Everyone was so impressed!
Hi Michael, I’m always so happy to get your newsletters. I love everything you do! All of your recipes are awesome, craft ideas. I’m a pumpkin freak, can’t get enough of it, In fact I make my own pumpkin puree from sugar pumpkins to freeze every year to last all year (I sous vide the pumpkin) so I can make all of your delicious pumpkin recipes. I’m loving all of your appetizer recipes. I want to have a Christmas Eve appetizer party, I will be making all if your delicious recipes. Thank you for putting all the work in so we can enjoy these amazing things you share.
Thank you Michael for these recipes. I’m out of town the past three weeks, won’t get home until late Friday, and have a party on Sunday. These are perfect.
You’ll love them! I’m sure your guests will too!
xo Michael
Michael, the recipe for the Bacon Wrapped Cranberry Water Chestnuts has become my “go to” appetizer. I made them for Christmas and they were a huge hit! Now that the holiday is over, I have omitted the cranberries and they are still delicious! I am trying them for an event tonight using orange slices instead. Will go back to cranberries for Valentine’s! Thank you!!
Where’s the Ranch in the recipe for Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheese Truffles? I can’t wait to try this one. Maybe you add a packet of dry Ranch mix to the cheese mixture, but not sure. Please advise, thanks.
Going over to friends for New Years and I am going to try these. Thanks I have another easy appetizer for you: Take pie crust or puff pastry and roll it out. Cut 1 1/2″ circles and put on a sheetpan into the refrigerator or freezer. When stiff spread a layer of Boursin cheese on each slice and top with 1-2 slices of zucchini. Then sprinkle with reggiano parmesan and bake until pastry is cooked and parmesan is golden brown, about 12-15 min at 350 F. You can also add slivered sundried tomato on top of the boursin but under the zuchhini, I have also topped with pine nuts. Recipe 2: Puff pastry circles top with pesto and 1 large shrimp (cooked) and cut in half lengthwise. Top with gruyere cheese and bake. Both are easy, can be made ahead of time and always come out great. Let me know if you make them and what you think.
Those are just darn cute! I am with you, people ruin a large cheese ball and then it is all funked up and less appetizing. Will definitely do this. Still love IBC, Michael!
I love Applewood Smoked bacon and had never heard of the Wright brand. I thought maybe it was only available on the East coast. Looked up on their website and apparently Walmart carries it. Just thought I’d let people know where to find it out here on the West coast. P.S. I’m going to pin the bacon-wrapped chestnuts recipe as well.
Wow the cheese truffles look amazing! I’m going to have to try them and start a treeing tradition in our neighborhood! Love it!
I am pinning the bacon-wrapped chestnuts recipe, Michael. Not only does it look so pretty and seasonal, but I am sure it is yummy too! I am giving you a link to a bacon-themed recipe that I made this last weekend for our annual Christmas party – Bacon-wrapped Potato Bites. I doubled the recipe but if I had made 400 of them there still wouldn’t have been enough for our friends! 🙂
http://www.thekitchn.com/appetizer-recipe-baconwrapped-80658
The spicy sauce is amazing too, and I also offered ranch for dipping for the non-spicy people.
Love the idea of the personal-sized cheese balls too!
Merry Christmas! Lori