Cheese ball bites are the perfect holiday appetizer

A traditional cheese ball is a classic holiday appetizer. But if you’d like to switch it up this year, try out these delicious cheese ball bites. They’re everything you already know and love about your standard cheese ball — but in bite-size form!

This recipe for the totally addictive snack from Dinner At The Zoo suggests rolling the cheese balls in holiday-colored ingredients for an appetizer that’s both tasty and festive. Some options include pomegranate seeds and smoked paprika (red) and pistachios and herbs (green), but you can feel free to experiment to your heart’s content.

This recipe calls for mascarpone cheese, which gives the cheese balls an extra creamy texture. If you can’t find mascarpone or would rather not use it, however, food blogger Sara notes that you can substitute in additional cream cheese or a soft goat cheese.

Then, serve up the cheese balls with toasted baguette or crackers — or even just all on their own with toothpicks for instant gratification.

Want a meatier cheese ball? Bacon is a great way to elevate any appetizer, and the bacon ranch cheese ball bites from I Am Baker are no exception. Their bites are topped with chopped pecans and chopped fresh chives for a flavorful and satisfying crunch.

The blogger behind this recipe recommends using a pair of gloves to mix up the individual bites in order to contain the inevitable mess. Serve them with Ritz crackers, pretzels, pretzel crackers or toasted crostini.

Or you can just eliminate the need for crackers or any other serving vehicle with mini cheese balls on a stick from Flavour & Savour. This fun finger food uses pretzel sticks in lieu of a toothpick, making the entire snack is edible. The recipe calls for blue cheese but notes that if you’re not a fan of the famously divisive cheese, another strong variety — like aged cheddar or smoked cheese — would work just as well.

Will you try out one of these cheese ball bite recipes for your next holiday party?