Easy cheese ball recipe featuring bacon and lots of cheddar cheese. This bacon ranch cheese ball is a great make ahead appetizer or snack.
Cheese balls get a bad wrap sometimes, but there are so many good cheese ball recipes out there and they are easy to make. Don’t be afraid to give one a try. Cheese balls even come in dessert varieties such as:
Tips and Tricks
The Bacon:
Make sure you cook your bacon until it is crispy. If I’m eating bacon by itself, I much prefer limp bacon, but crispy bacon works much better in this cheese ball recipe.
With or Without Nuts:
If there is a nut allergy concern or you simply don’t like nuts, you can definitely leave out the pecans from the topping for this cheese ball. Just replace with some more bacon.
Make ahead:
If you’re making this cheese ball ahead of time, make the topping ahead of time as well and store separately in an airtight container the fridge. Then roll the cheese ball in the topping to cover before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Various kinds of crackers work well for cheese balls. My favorite are standard butter crackers. You could also use spread onto crostini. Pretzels or sturdy veggies like carrots or celery would work too.
This should keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Step by Step Instructions
Mix together the cream cheese and buttermilk.
Add in the spices and Worcestershire sauce.
Fold in cheese, bacon and onion.
Place mixture on plastic wrap, cover with additional plastic wrap and form into a ball.
Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight.
Roll the cheese ball in topping mixture.
Serve and enjoy!
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Ingredients
Cheese Ball
- 2 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried onion powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
- 4 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
Topping
- 4 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 tbsp green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
Cheese Ball
- Mix together the cream cheese and buttermilk until creamy.
- Add in the spices and Worcestershire sauce.
- Fold in cheese, bacon and onion.
- Place mixture on plastic wrap, cover with additional plastic wrap and form into a ball.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight.
Topping
- Mix together the bacon, green onions, parsley and pecans. Spread onto a plate or baking sheet.
Assemble Cheese Ball
- Roll the cheese ball in topping mixture and serve.