Mini Pizza Cheese Balls

close up mini cheese balls coated in crushed nuts with a pretzel stick

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Mini Pizza Cheese Balls

Mini cheese balls with a pepperoni pizza flair! Bite-sized so they’re super easy to make and the best appetizer to eat. No double dipping, just grab a cracker and pop one in your mouth.

Prep Time20

Chill Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheese balls recipe, mini cheeseballs

Servings: min cheese balls

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese , softened to room temperature
4 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese , room temperature
6 slices pepperoni , finely diced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup smokehouse flavored almonds
1/3 cup fresh parsley , very finely chopped
8 pretzel sticks , broken in half, optional

Instructions

Place cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl; beat with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined. Cover and chill for about 15 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
Form into 16 small balls (1/2-inch round) and place on a baking sheet, then transfer back to the fridge for about 1-2 hours until firm.
Place almonds in a food processor and pulse a few times until you have crumbs. Transfer to a shallow bowl with the parsley and mix to combine.
Roll each cheese ball in the almond-parsley mixture, pressing lightly into the cheese so that it sticks.
Just before serving, insert a pretzel stick (broken side down) into each ball. Enjoy!
(If not serving immediately, loosely cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. But don’t insert the pretzel stick until right before serving or it will get mushy.)

Notes

Still prefer one giant cheese ball instead of mini ones? No problem. Just mold the cream cheese mixture into one single ball and coat with the almond crumbs. Cover and chill until ready to eat. Instead of inserting a pretzel into bite-sized portions, serve with whole pretzels or crackers on the side.

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