Mini Cheese Ball Bites - KNEP - Kentucky Nutrition Education Program

Recipes

Mini Cheese Ball Bites

Servings:3 mini cheese ballsServing Size:36 mini cheese balls

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 36 pretzel sticks

Directions:

  1. Wash hands with warm soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds.  
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, add cream cheese and mix with a spatula until smooth. 
  3. Fold in shredded cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce, if using.
  4. Scoop 1/2 teaspoon of mixture and roll into a small ball and place a pretzel stick in the middle, continue until the mixture is gone. If mixture is too soft, refrigerate for 10-20 minutes before rolling.
  5. Enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.  
Source: Jean Najor, Program Coordinator II, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

Tips

This recipe can be used as a base to make other flavors of mini cheese ball bites. See below for some inspiration.

  • Other add-ins: finely chopped bell peppers, pimentos, pickle relish, fresh herbs such as parsley or dill, finely chopped lunchmeat
  • Other roll-ins: finely chopped nuts or chives, dried fruit, paprika, crushed pretzels, crushed crackers, low-fat shredded cheese
  • Pumpkin Cheese Ball: instead of making mini cheese ball bites, make one large ball and roll in shredded cheese. Use a straw to make indents around the entire ball so it looks like a pumpkin. Use a top of a bell pepper or anything you would like to make a stem. Add jack-o-lantern eyes with olives.  

Nutrition Facts Per Servings: 60 calories; 4g total fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 0g trans fat; 15mg cholesterol; 115mg sodium; 2g total carbohydrate; 0g dietary fiber; 1g total sugars; 0g added sugars; 3g protein; 0% Daily Value of vitamin D; 4% Daily Value of calcium; 0% Daily Value of iron; 0% Daily Value of potassium.