Healthy Cheese Ball Recipe
Making a healthy cheese ball recipe is easy and fun. You will really enjoy sharing this tasty treat that everyone can enjoy! A lightened up classic.
For those of you trying to stick to a healthy eating plan you will be thrilled to learn that you can enjoy this treat without any guilt. It’s a lighter version of a classic recipe that everyone loves at parties and family gatherings.
Instead of making one large cheeseball these smaller ones are great for setting out and serving up more easily. It’s also a great option if you are on Weight Watchers or keto!
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The great thing about cheese ball recipes is that you can serve them up for the holidays, at parties, for family dinner nights, and more. They are a great side or appetizer for the grazing table!
This version has a little kick of spice which makes it even better! You can control the level of heat by adjusting the jalapeños in the recipe which is excellent if you have sensitive eaters in the mix. For a more intense flavor, you could substitute smoked cream cheese in the recipe, too.
What do I need to make a jalapeno healthy cheese ball recipe?
This recipe uses sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, jalapenos, pimentos, bacon, pecans, pretzel sticks, and salt/pepper to taste.
We will be using the low fat version of the cream cheese and the mayonnaise. It’s an easy way to lighten up this recipe for cheese balls!
You can also serve this recipe up with some fresh crunchy veggies for spreading. You don’t have to put it on chips or crackers, veggies are a great alternative when seeking out healthy alternatives.
Here are some kitchen essentials that I like to have on hand when making recipes like this tasty appetizer:
Making healthy meals is a breeze with these kitchen essentials. Keeping things like this on hand makes my life so much easier in the kitchen.
Some things that are great to have on hand when prepping meals like this is a cutting board, sharp knives, and storage containers.
You can also benefit from a good non-stick skillet, a kitchen scale, measuring cups, and this awesome strainer tool!
How to make an easy healthy cheese ball recipe:
This is a really easy way to make a cheeseball and you don’t have to worry about shaping it because the smaller ones can just be rolled up by hand and it’s much simpler!
These are kind of just individual cheese balls which is super nice because who hasn’t at one time or another been tempted to eat the entire cheese ball by themselves?!
In a large bowl mix cheese, cream cheese, mayo, all seasonings, jalapeno, and pimentos until well combined
Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour
In a shallow dish combine bacon and pecans and mix well
Roll cheese mixture into ball and roll in bacon pecan mixture until well coated
Insert a pretzel stick in the center just before serving
Can I have this recipe on Weight Watchers?
Weight Watchers newest program, Personal Points, caters a plan to each individual. Their plan is still relatively the same in that you can eat anything you like you just need to track it and stay within your points ranges for the day / week.
Now that the plan is different for each and every individual there’s not really a way for us to provide the points for you. We recommend that you use the recipe creator on the app or the website to create the recipe based on the ingredients / brands you use and then you’ll know for sure how to track this recipe for your Personal Points plan!
Looking for more healthy recipes to try?
If you are looking for some other healthier recipes to enjoy you can’t go wrong with our selection of Weight Watchers friendly recipes. There is a lot to choose from and I’m sure you’ll love some of these other appetizer friendly options.
- Weight Watchers Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Healthy Salsa Recipe
- Bacon and Egg Cucumber Bites
- Savory Sweet Potato Bites
- Sausage Pineapple Bites
Printable Healthy Cheese Ball Recipe:
Healthy Cheese Ball Recipe
Making a healthy cheese ball recipe is easy and fun. You will really enjoy sharing this tasty treat that everyone can enjoy! A lightened up classic.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, fresh grated
- 8 oz low fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup light mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1-2 jalapenos, seeded & minced
- 4 oz pimentos, diced and drained
- 6 slices bacon, cooked & chopped small
- 1 cup pecans, chopped small
- Pretzel sticks
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix cheese, cream cheese, mayo, all seasonings, jalapeno, and pimentos until well combined
- Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour
- In a shallow dish combine bacon and pecans and mix well
- Roll cheese mixture into ball and roll in bacon pecan mixture until well coated
- Insert a pretzel stick in the center just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 308Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 54mgSodium 518mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 14g
As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts, WW points and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
LOVE this recipe Michele! We will be featuring you starting Wednesday at the Creative Crafts Linky Party! Pinned and shared
Creatively, Beth
Thanks!
I like the idea of the portion control. I’d like to try this and make it ahead so I’m wondering how it would freeze…?
Good question! I think the texture may change a bit but should be good. I don’t think I would freeze the pretzel sticks. Thanks! Let me know how it goes.