This Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball is a quick and easy appetizer made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch, bacon, and green onions. It's perfect for holiday entertaining, game day, or any other occasion.
Crispy bacon, creamy cheese, and zesty ranch flavors come together in this delectable bacon ranch cheese ball recipe. Perfect for any occasion, this crowd-pleasing appetizer is a breeze to prepare and is sure to be a hit with everyone. Plus, it's versatile enough to pair with crackers, veggies, or your favorite dippers.
Jump to:
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Video Tutorial
Easy Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
If you are looking for a crowd pleasing appetizer for the holidays, game days, or just about any other occasion, this Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball is a total hit and super easy to make. It takes just a few minutes to make and will stay good in your fridge for up to 5 days.
This Ranch Cheese Ball recipe is made with softened cream cheese, finely shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, crispy bacon bits, and ranch seasoning mix. Feel free to add nuts if you love them - some chopped sriracha almonds would be great!
You can make it around the holidays for an easy appetizer idea or just to snack on for a regular old Sunday evening.
Ingredients in Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball
- Cream Cheese: You can use a full or part-skim version of cream cheese. You'll just need the regular, 8-ounce bricks sold in the supermarket.
- Cheddar Cheese: a finely shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese mix works great. You could even do a shredded pepper jack cheese if you'd like a little kick to your cheeseball.
- Green Onions: Thinley sliced green onions give it so much flavor. If you're able to let this cheese ball sit for a few hours or overnight before serving, it will really give the green onions a chance to flavor the cream cheese.
- Bacon: You can certainly make your own bacon bits but cutting up the raw bacon into ½" chunks and sauteing them in a pan until they are golden brown. If you choose to go that route, you'll need a pound of bacon. The pre-cooked bacon bits from Costco also work really well. They really save a lot of time and mess in the kitchen.
- Seasonings: a Tablespoon of Hidden Valley Ranch powder is all you need to season this cheese ball. Yup, it's that easy. It gives this cheeseball the perfect blend seasonings.
How To Make A Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball:
- Make the bacon bits. Take the bacon out of the packaging. With a sharp knife, cut the bacon into ⅓" strips. In a frying pan on the stove, on medium heat, Saute the bacon bits for 5-8 minutes or until the bacon is sizzling and turns crispy. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon bits to a paper plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
- Make the cheese ball mixture. Add the cream cheese, ½ cup bacon bits, sliced green onions, shredded cheddar, and hidden valley ranch mix all together in a medium-sized mixing bowl or Kitchen Aid. Mix well, using a spatula to scrape the cream cheese from the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Shape the cheese ball. Form the cream cheese mixture into a ball with a rubber spatula and place on a platter. If you can't get it smooth or into a symmetrical ball shape, you can use your hands.
- Garnish. Once the bacon bits are cool, you can grab a handful of bacon bits and cover the sides and top of the cheeseball. Add a few sliced green onions and crisp bacon bits to the top of the cheese ball for garnish.
- Chill. Cover with plastic wrap until needed and serve with your favorite buttery crackers and veggies. Enjoy!
Tips for Making this Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe:
- You can make this up to 3 days before you need it. Just keep it wrapped in plastic wrap until you're ready to serve it.
- Nuts, crumbled bacon, green onions, and parsley are all great garnishes for this easy cheese ball recipe.
- Serve on a platter with your favorite buttery crackers and a veggie tray.
- Perfect for the holiday, an appetizer, birthday parties or a potluck.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most popular way to serve this cheese ball is with some buttery crackers. I like to use Ritz crackers or Townhouse crackers, wheat thins work great too. Use whatever you like, a combination of those work great. Also, be sure to have a knife by the cheese ball so your guests can take a slice and put it on their plate.
Celery sticks, carrot sticks, and red peppers are also a great side to serve with this cheese ball. Pretty much anything that is a little stiff that can scoop up the cheeseball.
As long as you store this cheese ball wrapped lightly with plastic wrap in the fridge, it will stay good for up to 5 days.
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bacon or 1½ cups pre-cooked bacon bits
- ⅓ cup Green Onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ranch Seasoning
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese finely shredded cheese works best
- 16 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon Green Onions sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon Bacon Bits cooked
Instructions
How to Prepare the Bacon
- Take the bacon out of the packaging. With a sharp knife, cut the bacon into ⅓" strips. In a frying pan on the stove, on medium heat, Saute the bacon bits for 5-8 minutes or until the bacon is sizzling and turns crispy. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon bits to a paper plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
How to Make a Cheeseball
- Add the cream cheese, ½ cup bacon bits, sliced green onions, shredded cheddar, and hidden valley ranch mix all together in a medium-sized mixing bowl or Kitchen Aid.
- Mix well, using a spatula to scrape the cream cheese from the sides of the bowl as necessary. Use the spatula to shape the cheese ball mixture into a round ball.
- Form the cream cheese mixture into a ball with a rubber spatula and place on a platter. If you can't get it smooth or into a symmetrical ball shape, you can use your hands.
- Once the bacon bits are cool, you can grab a handful of bacon bits and cover the sides and top of the cheeseball.
- Add a few sliced green onions and crisp bacon bits to the top of the cheese ball for garnish.
- Cover with plastic wrap until needed and serve with your favorite buttery crackers and veggies. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- Loaded Baked Potato Skins
- Spicy Italian Meatballs
- Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
- Chili Lime Steak Bites
- Smashed Potatoes
- Flaming Hot Cheeto Chicken Tenders
- Mini Charcuterie Cups
- Tomato Bruschetta
- 3 Cheese Pesto Flatbread
- Mini Cheese Quiches
- Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip
- Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
- Homemade Pepper Jack Queso
- More Cheese Appetizers
- More Holiday Entertaining Recipes
This Ranch Bacon Cheese Ball is a quick and easy appetizer recipe that everyone will love. It's a 5 ingredient easy cheese ball recipe with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, hidden valley ranch seasoning, bacon bits, and green onions.
Nellie Tracy
Love this combination of flavors. Can't wait to make this for Easter!
The Carefree Kitchen
I hope your crew loves it as much as we do!
Mel
I'm totally making this for Easter. For our family. We love ANYTHING bacon. So so delicious!
The Carefree Kitchen
Hooray! Let me know how it goes!