This ranch cheese ball is a tasty party dip perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, or any other party or get-together. It's loaded with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, chives, and lots of ranch seasoning. Once you try it, this ranch cheese ball will be your new go-to party appetizer.
Serve with crackers, my charcuterie board, cheese platter, deviled eggs, and bacon-wrapped asparagus. For dessert include my s'mores board!
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Ranch Cheese Ball Party Dip
This bacon ranch cheese ball is one of my most requested appetizers for every party. I'm fine with it because it's delicious and takes no time at all.
There's no cooking or baking required. Just combine all the ingredients and shape them into a ball. Voila!
🥘 Ingredients
These are all simple ingredients you can quickly grab at the store. I recommend sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor, but you could swap out the mozzarella for white cheddar or Monterey Jack if desired.
- Cream Cheese - 16 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature (2 8-ounce bricks, softened).
- Sour Cream - 3 tablespoons of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix packet - 1 1-ounce packet. I used Hidden Valley buttermilk flavor, but any brand and any flavor would work just fine.
- Garlic Powder - ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Cheddar Cheese - 2 cups of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.
- Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup of freshly shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Freeze-Dried Chives - 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried chives (plus 1 teaspoon more for pecan coating, if desired). If you only have fresh on hand, that's okay too - just reduce the amount to around 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped chives.
- Bacon - 6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled. Reserve some to mix with the optional pecan coating if desired.
- Pecans (optional) - ¼ cup chopped pecans for the optional but highly recommended coating. Note that I'm not a huge fan of adding nuts to food, but in the case of this buttermilk bacon cheddar ranch cheese ball, I wouldn't skip the extra ingredient.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make A Ranch Cheese Ball
This recipe almost couldn't be easier because there is no actual cooking.
You will need a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, a cheese grater, and some plastic wrap.
One cheese ball will serve about 10-12 people. You could make a second cheese ball for backup if needed.
- Prep and combine. Measure out all of the ingredients except the optional pecans, reserved bacon crumbles, and extra chives for the coating in a large mixing bowl (16 ounces of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of sour cream, a 1-ounce package of dry ranch mix, ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of dried chives, and up to 6 strips of crumbled bacon if not using any for the coating).
- Mix the ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to mix until thoroughly combined, then pop it in the fridge to chill for 5-10 minutes before shaping if needed. Typically, my cheese ball is firm enough to hold its shape without refrigeration time.
- Shape. Remove the cheese mixture from the mixing bowl and place it in a mound on top of a sheet of plastic wrap. Pull up two opposing sides of the plastic wrap and place them over the cheese mixture. Place your cupped hands over the plastic wrap and use them to form a round shape.
- Crush the pecans. (optional). Place ¼ cup of chopped pecans, reserved bacon bits, and additional freeze-dried chives (I used 1 teaspoon) into a Ziploc storage bag (heavy-duty freezer bags work best). Cover it with a kitchen towel and crush it with a meat tenderizer mallet.
- Coat the cheese ball (optional). Pour the bag's contents into a shallow-rimmed dish and roll your ranch cheese ball in it to coat the outside with the crushed pecan mixture.
- Serve. Transfer your cheese ball to a serving tray or platter with pita chips, crackers, vegetables, or bread.
You can't go wrong serving a this cheese ball at your next party or holiday get-together. Make an epic spread with some other easy appetizers and get to celebrating. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- 16 ounces of cream cheese is the equivalent of 2 8-ounce blocks, and a 1-ounce package of ranch seasoning (any brand) is about 3 tablespoons. 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella) is about 4 ounces.
- Shredding your own cheese will yield the best flavor and is preferable to bagged shredded cheese.
- I had no problem forming and serving my cheese ball right away. If you'd like to, you may chill it and let the flavors meld for 20-30 minutes before serving. Just lift the sides of the saran wrap up and over the cheese mixture so that they all meet in the middle above the mound, then twist them together so that the cheese is tightly bundled like a sack or pouch and place it in the fridge.
- To make this cheese ball into finger food, roll it into bite-sized balls and stick a toothpick or pretzel rod in them!
- I used buttermilk-flavored Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix, though any of the different flavors or varieties of dry ranch seasoning would be delicious.
- You may make your cheese ball up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you need it.
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🥡 Storing
To keep your cheese ball fresh, always wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container before refrigerating it. It is best when enjoyed within a week.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Though a cheese ball will keep in the fridge for up to a week, I recommend preparing yours a maximum of 2 days in advance for the tastiest (and freshest) results.
Pretzels are a great choice, as are crackers and chips. You can also serve them with vegetables like celery or carrot sticks.
Cheese balls are usually a blend of a few different kinds of cheese with cream cheese as its base. In this instance, I used cheddar and mozzarella. You could swap the mozzarella for a white cheddar or opt for Monterey Jack. It's pretty flexible!
😋 More Tasty Dips
- Buffalo Chicken Dip - A creamy buffalo ranch chicken dip that tastes like your favorite hot wings.
- Pumpkin fluff dip - A sweet and fluffy pumpkin dip that can be served as an appetizer or dessert.
- Sausage Cream Cheese Dip - This savory sausage dip only requires 3 ingredients!
- Cajun Dipping Sauce - This creamy Cajun dipping sauce is perfect for chicken, french fries, chips, and more.
- Cheese Dip For Pretzels - A gooey melted cheese dip for dunking hard or soft pretzels.
- French Onion Dip - This classic appetizer is a great choice no matter the occasion.
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📖 Recipe Card
Ranch Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoon sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 1 oz Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix packet (*see note)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup mozzarella (shredded)
- 2 tablespoon freeze dried chives (plus more for pecan coating, if desired)
- 6 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled, reserve some for the optional pecan coating if desired)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional, finely crushed)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except the optional pecans, reserved bacon crumbles, and extra chives for the coating) in a large mixing bowl. Use a silicone spatula to mix until thoroughly combined, then pop it in the fridge to chill for 5-10 minutes before shaping.
- Remove the cheese mixture from the mixing bowl and place it in a mound on top of a sheet of plastic wrap. Pull up two opposing sides of the plastic wrap and place them over the cheese mixture. Place your cupped hands over the plastic wrap and use them to form a round shape.
- (optional) Place pecans, reserved bacon bits, and additional freeze-dried chives (I used 1 teaspoon) into a Ziploc storage bag (a heavy-duty freezer bags work best). Cover it with a kitchen towel and crush with a meat tenderizer mallet.
- (optional) Pour the contents of the bag into a shallow rimmed dish and roll your ranch cheese ball in it to coat the outside with the crushed pecan mixture.
- Transfer your cheese ball to a serving tray or platter with pita chips, crackers, vegetables, or bread.
Notes
- 16 ounces of cream cheese is the equivalent of 2 8-ounce blocks and a 1-ounce package of ranch seasoning (any brand) is about 3 tablespoons. 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella) is about 4 ounces.
- Shredding your own cheese will yield the best flavor and is preferable to bagged shredded cheese.
- I had no problem forming and serving my cheese ball right away. If you'd like to, you may chill it and let the flavors meld for 20-30 minutes before serving. Just lift the sides of the saran wrap up and over the cheese mixture so that they all meet in the middle above the mound, then twist them together so that the cheese is tightly bundled like a sack or pouch and place it in the fridge.
- To make this cheese ball into finger food, roll it into bite-sized balls and stick a toothpick or pretzel rod in them!
- I used buttermilk-flavored Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix, though any of the different flavors or varieties of dry ranch seasoning would be delicious.
- You may make your cheese ball up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you need it.
- To store: To keep your cheese ball fresh, always wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container before refrigerating it. It is best when enjoyed within a week.
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