Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball

This easy-to-make Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball is the perfect make-ahead no-bake appetizer recipe for holidays, game days, or any gathering.

Cheese Ball

We usually start getting into the holiday spirit the day after Thanksgiving. Our Christmas tree usually goes up sometime during Thanksgiving weekend, and we put up a few other decorations. The Christmas music comes out, and baking goes into full force, with cookies, cakes, and candy being made almost as fast as we can turn them out. We sip egg nog and hone our gingerbread house decorating skills. For some of us (me), it’s a lack of talent. 😂 We have a dinner that is all out, albeit often not traditional. We also welcome Christmas morning with a special breakfast too. It’s usually something simple but memorable. Do you have any Christmas traditions?

As a mom of five, a grandma, and a food blogger, I can’t help but to already be thinking of the holiday season. Maybe it’s just me, but holidays take a lot of planning when you’re the one who does most of the planning!! I do most of the shopping, decorating, baking, and planning, single-handedly. I’m sure many of you reading this are in the same boat. 👀

Holiday Appetizer

Of course, no celebration is complete without some pre-dinner food! One of my favorite Christmas appetizers is any finger food. Of course, cheese balls are always a hit at holiday parties!

Whether you serve this Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball for Christmas in July or Christmas in December (or anytime you need a quick and easy appetizer), it’ll be a hit with all of your guests! It’s so popular at our house that I have to make two cheese balls so that I can make sure there is enough for everyone!! It’s sure to be love at first bite!

How to make Cheese Ball Dip

Ingredients

• cream cheese – Full fat or reduced fat both work fine in this recipe. Be sure to use the actual block of cream cheese – not the whipped stuff.
• dry parsley
• ground garlic powder
• shredded mozzarella – you can substitute another cheese you enjoy
• red bell pepper – you can also use green bell pepper – or omit it completely. I like the color contrast and crunch.
• red onion – sweet onion, green onion, or white onion works perfectly as well
• pine nuts
• crumbled cooked bacon – you can use real bacon bits in a pinch.
• prepared pesto – homemade or store-bought is fine.
• fresh parsley, optional for coating the cheese ball

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, parsley, and garlic powder with a hand mixer. Mix until all ingredients are combined, and the cream cheese is nice and fluffy.
• Add in the remaining ingredients: mozzarella, pepper, red onion, pine nuts, bacon, and prepared pesto. Mix well with the hand mixer until the ingredients are all combined.
• Pour in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
• Serve in your favorite bowl or shape into a ball.
• Enjoy with your favorite crackers or baguette slices.

Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball FAQs

Recipe Tips

• The cheese ball can be refrigerated in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to a week to make preparing for holiday or dinner parties even easier!
• I added red onion for a touch of color, but a sweet onion, green onion, white onion works perfectly as well.
• Be sure to refrigerate the spread before serving so the flavors have a chance to come together.
• Keep the spread refrigerated until 5-10 minutes before serving. The spread will harden somewhat in the fridge. Removing the spread from the refrigerator will allow it to soften and be easier to spread.
• This spread/dip is excellent with crackers, over bagel chips, pretzel chips, thinly sliced baguettes, or bagel pieces.
• For low-carb dieters, skip the crackers and choose bell peppers, celery, broccoli florets, or other veggies as dippers.
• The parsley for topping is optional. Using fresh parsley brings freshness and combines perfectly with the spread. I would not recommend using dry parsley for toppings. You can use basil leaves as well.
• If freezing your cheese ball, be sure to plan ahead and allow enough time for it to thaw completely.

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Low Carb Sausage Balls
• Pesto Eggs
• Chocolate Cherry Cake Balls
• Creamy Chicken and Pesto Pasta
• Peanut Butter Balls

4.42 from 12 votes

Servings: 10 servings

Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball

By Jamie Sherman

This easy-to-make Bacon Pesto Cheese Ball is the perfect make-ahead no-bake appetizer recipe for holidays, game days, or any gathering.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

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Equipment

• ClingWrap Plastic Food Wrap – 300 Square Foot Roll – 4 Pack (Package May Vary)
• cutting board
• knife
• measuring cups and spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• hand mixer
• mixing bowl

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 package cream cheese, softened, 8 oz.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dry parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground garlic powder
• ▢ ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped red pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• ▢ ¼ cup crumbled cooked bacon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional for coating the cheese ball
• ▢ Crackers or baguette slices, for serving

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Instructions 

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, parsley, and garlic powder with a hand mixer. Mix until all ingredients are combined, and the cream cheese is nice and fluffy.
• Add in the remaining ingredients: mozzarella, pepper, red onion, pine nuts, bacon, and prepared pesto. Mix well with the hand mixer until the ingredients are all combined.
• Pour in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
• Serve in your favorite bowl or shape into a ball.
• Enjoy with your favorite crackers or baguette slices!

Notes

• The cheese ball can be refrigerated in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to a week to make preparing for holiday or dinner parties even easier!
• I added red onion for a touch of color, but a sweet onion, green onion, white onion works perfectly as well.
• Be sure to refrigerate the spread before serving so the flavors have a chance to come together.
• Keep the spread refrigerated until 5-10 minutes before serving. The spread will harden somewhat in the fridge. Removing the spread from the refrigerator will allow it to soften and be easier to spread.
• This spread/dip is excellent with crackers, over bagel chips, pretzel chips, thinly sliced baguettes, or bagel pieces.
• For low-carb dieters, skip the crackers and choose bell peppers, celery, broccoli florets, or other veggies as dippers.
• The parsley for topping is optional. Using fresh parsley brings freshness and combines perfectly with the spread. I would not recommend using dry parsley for toppings. You can use basil leaves as well.

• If freezing your cheese ball, be sure to plan ahead and allow enough time for it to thaw completely.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 183mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 591IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on July 9, 2014. Updated on November 2, 2021.