Pumpkin Mini Cheese Balls

Turn your cheese ball into a festive pumpkin with these adorable mini bites!

20 min Serves 10 Medium

Our own summary of the original by Maggie — the full post and photos live at thelovenerds.com.

These pumpkin mini cheese balls are a fun Halloween appetizer made with cream cheese, ranch mix, bacon, and cheddar. Roll them into small spheres, chill briefly, then score lines with a knife to mimic pumpkin wedges. Finish with a pretzel stem and parsley leaf for a cute, savory treat.

Ingredients

8 ounces Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

1 ounce Dry Ranch Mix

3 Bacon Strips, (cooked and chopped)

1 cup Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese

1-2 Green Onions, chopped, (optional)

Pretzel Sticks, halved, (garnish)

Fresh Parsley Leaves, (garnish)

Directions

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, dry ranch mix, chopped bacon, shredded cheddar, and green onions (if using). Stir until everything is evenly mixed.

Form the mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter (or any size you like).

If the balls feel sticky, roll them in a little extra shredded cheese to create a light outer coating. Then roll them between your palms again so the cheese sticks and lies flat.

Place the cheese balls in the refrigerator and chill for roughly 10 minutes.

Take them out and use a butter knife or icing knife to gently score pumpkin-like lines. Aim for about 8 wedges per ball, being careful not to cut too deep or the ball may fall apart.

Stick half a pretzel stick into the top of each cheese ball, then tuck a small parsley leaf next to it as a leaf. Lightly press the parsley stem into the cheese to secure it.