Low Carb Bacon Cheddar Mini Cheese Balls
Three-ingredient cheddar and cream cheese bites rolled in crisp bacon. A short chill helps them hold their shape for serving.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl and spatula
- 1 Small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 Shallow dish
- 1 Tray and parchment paper
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 ounces block cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese finely shredded; about 2 cups
- 2 cups fully cooked bacon crumbles finely chopped, crisp, and cooled
Instructions
Instructions
- Finely chop the fully cooked bacon and spread it in a shallow dish. If you cook bacon from raw, drain and cool it completely before measuring the 2 cups needed here.
- Stir the softened cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Fold in the shredded cheddar, scraping the bottom and sides, until evenly mixed.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture per ball and gently round each portion. Place on a parchment-lined tray. You should have about 30 mini cheese balls. If the mixture is too sticky to shape, refrigerate it for 10–15 minutes and try again.
- Roll each cheese ball in the bacon crumbles, pressing gently to help them stick. Transfer to a lined plate or tray. A little cheese showing between the bacon pieces is fine.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until the cheese balls feel firm enough to pick up easily.
- Arrange on a platter and add small cocktail picks if you like. Serve cold, keeping the remaining batch refrigerated until needed.
Notes
Yield is about 30 mini cheese balls. Prep time assumes the cream cheese is already softened and the bacon is fully cooked and cooled. Extra chilling may be needed if the mixture is very soft. No baking is required.
For the freshest coating, shape the cheese mixture a day ahead, refrigerate covered, and add the bacon closer to serving. Keep finished bites refrigerated and use within 3–4 days. Limit time out of refrigeration to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Adapted from Taryn Scarfone’s mini cheese balls at Joy Filled Eats, with a short chill before serving.