Bacon Pecan Cheese Ball

Today we're making this Bacon pecan cheese ball! It's a quick appetizer you can have finished in 20 minutes. Plus the combination of pecan and bacon is a surprisingly tasty mixture.

A cheese ball is the perfect party food. It's easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and is always a hit with guests. Plus, there are endless flavor possibilities.

This bacon pecan cheese ball is my personal favorite. The combination of sharp cheddar cheese, smoky bacon, and crunchy pecans is absolutely delicious.

Serve it with crackers or baguette slices for an easy appetizer that is sure to please.

If you're looking for other holiday appetizers that are both easy to prepare and visually impressive, you can't go wrong with our Mini Pigs in a Blanket and the flavorful Jalapeño Cranberry Salsa. To round off your appetizer selection, consider adding the creamy and delicious Honey Garlic Baked Brie to your menu.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Things to Serve with the Cheese Ball
• Storage
• Top tip
• Recipe

Ingredients

Cream cheese: Regular or low fat cream cheese in the block form.

Shredded cheddar cheese: We used a triple combination

Bacon bits: You can make your own, but the bacon bits are a huge time savor and are tasty in this recipe

Everything Bagel Seasoning: Filled with nuts and lots of delicious flavors that pair so well with the other ingredients. You can grab our homemade everything bagel seasoning recipe here.

Chopped pecans: You'll get best results if you chop them finely

Sliced scallions

Milk: Regular or low fat

Spices: We used onion powder, garlic powder and salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

If you've never made a cheese ball before, it's surprisingly easy. You basically just mix up the ingredients and roll the whole thing into a ball. Chill it, then roll it once more in the crunchy bits.

To start out, grab a medium sized bowl and place in the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, the everything bagel seasoning, spices and the milk.

Mix the ingredients well with a spatula or hand mixer, until everything is well combined.

Next, it's time to add in half of the bacon bits, half of the pecan, and half of the scallions.

Mix together well, and for a ball of the cheese mixture inside the bowl.

Grab a piece of saran wrap and lay it out flat on the counter. Put the cheese ball inside it and carefully wrap it in the saran warp. Make sure to form the mixture into a ball shape.

Chill the cheese ball in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You'll need it to be stiff enough to work with in the next steps.

In a shallow bowl, place the remaining pecans, bacon bits and scallions and mix.

Remove your cheese ball from the fridge and place it into the center of the bowl of the bacon mixture.

Roll the cheese ball around making sure to coat the entire surface with remaining bacon mixture.

Move it to a serving dish and serve with your favorite crackers or bread.

Hint: An electric hand mixer makes mixing the cold cream cheese a lot easier. If you aren't using a hand mixer, let the cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing by hand. Then add another 10 minutes to your chill time before coating your cheese ball.

Things to Serve with the Cheese Ball

• Crackers
• Mini bagels
• Toasted baguette slices
• Pretzels

Storage

Storing: You can store the cheese ball in the refrigerator for several days depending on the ingredients. As long as everything is fresh it should be good for up to a week.

To Make-ahead: Follow all the steps above to make the cheese ball, but don't coat it. If you plan on chilling for more than a few hours, store it in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. You can coat it right before serving it. Make sure to keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

To freeze: Yes, you can freeze your cheese ball. Again do this before coating it with the bacon mixture. Place the plastic wrapped ball into a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to one month. Thaw it out the night before you plan on serving it, and coat it right before you serve it.