Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball

4.72 from 7 votes

Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball is the quintessential appetizer for parties, whether it be small or large gatherings. An easy-to-make cheese ball with simple ingredients, this one will have your guests coming back for more!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword holiday cheese ball, jalapeno popper cheese ball, party appetizer

Prep Time 20

chilling time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings servings

Calories 183kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

16 oz. cream cheese light - softened
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt - or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
8 slices crispy bacon - crumbled
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese - freshly grated
1/2 cup jalapeños - diced
1/2 cup green onion - diced
crackers or veggies - to serve

Instructions

Prep ingredients. Cook the bacon and crumble. Chop the jalapeños and green onion.
Reserve ingredients. Reserve about 1/4 cup of each of the following – bacon, cheese, green onion, and jalapeños.
Combine ingredients for cheese ball. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Make sure you let the cream cheese sit out to soften. Then use a hand mixer to combine everything together.
16 oz. cream cheese light, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 8 slices crispy bacon, 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup jalapeños, 1/2 cup green onion
Form cheese ball. Use your hands to form the cheese ball. Wrap up tightly with Saran Wrap, and place in the refrigerator for several hours to cool.
Add reserved ingredients to cheese ball. After the cheese ball has been chilled for several hours, press the reserved ingredients all over the outside of the cheese ball. Place back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve. Serve the cheese ball with crackers, chips, or veggies of your choice.
crackers or veggies

Notes

Some things to consider when using jalapeños:

Some jalapeños are hotter than others. Boy, do I know this fact. I’ve used jalapeños SO much in my cooking since moving to Texas, and while I sincerely love them, they can betray even a spice lover like me. I love this explanation by Elise Bauer, “The older the pepper, and the more stress the plant has been under, the more white lines you’ll see, and the hotter the pepper will be. The smoother the pepper, the younger, less stressed, and milder it is.“
Always use gloves when handling the insides of jalapeños. Guys, I know this, because I’ve literally used my bare hands to deseed them. BIG mistake!
Never touch your eyes after handling jalapeños. Lesson learned after burning my eyes while putting my contacts in. OUCH!

Nutrition