Description
Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls are delightful, creamy cheese bites shaped and decorated to look like pumpkins, perfect for festive gatherings or party snacks. These bite-sized treats combine cream cheese, cheddar, roasted red peppers, and spices, rolled in flavorful coatings like crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos, paprika, and black sesame seeds, then finished with pretzel stick stems and parsley leaves.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 packages)
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Coatings
- Crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos
- Paprika
- Black sesame seeds
Garnish
- 20 pretzel sticks
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Assorted crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Mix Cheese Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese, finely chopped roasted red peppers, chopped green onions, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix again.
- Chill Mixture: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cheese mixture for about 1 hour to firm up, making it easier to roll into balls.
- Prepare Coatings: Spread your chosen coatings—crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos, paprika, and black sesame seeds—on separate small plates. Use a tablespoon scoop to portion the cheese mixture.
- Form Cheese Balls: Scoop a portion of the chilled mixture with the tablespoon and roll it between your palms into a neat ball. Place each ball on a plate and continue until all mixture is used.
- Coat Cheese Balls: Roll each cheese ball in one of the prepared coatings to cover evenly. Set aside after coating.
- Create Pumpkin Design: Use a wooden skewer to gently score vertical lines around each ball and horizontal lines on the top to mimic the ridges of a pumpkin.
- Add Pumpkin Stem and Garnish: Insert half of a pretzel stick into the top center of each ball as the pumpkin stem. Garnish with a small parsley leaf to resemble pumpkin leaves.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the cheese balls until ready to serve. Arrange them on a platter with assorted crackers for guests.
Notes
- The coatings can be customized to your preference; using multiple coatings adds visual texture and flavor variety.
- Crushing Doritos can be done by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a rolling pin or your hands for fine crumbs.
- If you prefer a milder spice, you can reduce or omit the cayenne pepper.
- Use fresh parsley leaves to enhance the pumpkin look and add a fresh herbal note.
- These cheese balls are best served within one day and kept well chilled until serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese ball (approx. 28 grams)
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
