Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

This Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball has a delicious creamy ranch base with plenty of crisp smoked bacon bits, sharp cheddar, fresh green onions, and sweet pecans. Serve it with pretzel twists, assorted crackers, or crostini. This make-ahead appetizer is a cinch to put together and a real crowd-pleaser. 

Nothing goes better or faster at any party than a delicious classic creamy cheese ball. They are always a hit and should be formed at least 24 hours in advance. The cheese needs time to chill and mold into a nice round ball so it is sturdy when you roll it through all the ingredients that make up its coating. I love to serve them at my parties with crab rangoon dip, sausage stuffed mushrooms, and ham and cheese pinwheels.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Cream cheese: for the best flavor, use full-fat cream cheese.
• Cheese: sharp, white, or smoked cheddar
• Sour cream: again, for the best flavor, use full-fat sour cream
• Ranch dressing mix: found in the dressing aisle at most grocery stores
• Bacon: smoked bacon preferably, crispy cooked and coarsely chopped

How To Make a Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

Using a stand or hand mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Add the cheddar cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire Sauce, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Turn the mixer to stir, and add half of the bacon and half of the green onion.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a ball shape and bring up the sides of the plastic wrap to cover the cheese ball. For best results, refrigerate the ball overnight or for up to 4 days. Place it in the coldest part of the fridge to firm it up, and roll it in the toppings.

When you are 20 minutes away from serving, spread your toppings on a shallow plate. Remove the ball from the refrigerator and carefully unwrap it. Gently roll the cheeseball through the chopped pecans, bacon, and green onions. 

What To Serve With It

• Assorted crackers
• Pretzels, including sticks and crisps
• Crostini
• Pita Chips
• Apple and pear slices
• Carrot and celery sticks
• Bagel chips

Preparation Tips

• Take the chopped ingredients for the topping and sort them individually in separate sandwich bags. Pecans are best stored at room temperature and the bacon and green onions in the refrigerator.
• Don’t get too hung up on molding this into the perfect ball. It always works out, and there will be several opportunities to shape it more.
• I have always found it best to refrigerate this bacon ranch cheese ball recipe for at least 24 hours. However, I have done it in a few hours by not softening the cream cheese quite as much, not working it as much with the mixer, and by cutting the sour cream in half.
• Do not roll the cheeseball in the toppings until 20 minutes before serving.  If you know it will be several days, hold up on cooking and chopping the bacon and the green onions and pecans.

Storage

Store the cheese ball well-wrapped and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Although the crunchy topping will have lost its crunch, it will still be delicious.

To freeze, double-wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer zipper bag. It can be frozen for up to one month, but keep in mind that green onions do not freeze well, so you will want to roll them in green onions right before serving.

More Appetizer Recipe

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Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe

This party popular cheese ball brings all your favorite flavors together like ranch, sweet garlic, smoky bacon, fresh green onions, and buttery pecans.

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) boxes cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese finely grated
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1 ounce package ranch seasoning or ranch dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 slices crispy cooked bacon coarsely chopped reserve half
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions reserve half
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Using a stand with the paddle attachment or hand mixer on a medium speed work up the cream cheese until is smooth and creamy with no lumps.  Add cheddar cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire Sauce, ranch seasoning, dried parsley, and garlic powder. Turn the mixer to stir and add half of the chopped bacon and half of the chopped green onions.
• Spoon the cheese into a ball shape on a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring up the sides of the plastic wrap to cover the cheese ball.  Use the wrapping process to help shape the cheese into a ball.  Refrigerate the ball for at least several hours up to overnight.
• Place reserved bacon, reserved green onions, and pecans on a shallow plate. Remove the ball from the refrigerator and carefully unwrap it.  Gently roll the cheese ball through the toppings on the plate. Place it on a serving platter with assorted pretzels, crackers, or crostini.

Notes

• Take the chopped ingredients for the topping and sort them individually in separate sandwich bags. Pecans are best stored at room temperature and the bacon and green onions in the refrigerator.
• Don’t get too hung up on molding this into the perfect ball. It always works out, and there will be several opportunities to shape it a little more.
• I have always found it best to refrigerate this bacon ranch cheese ball recipe for at least 24 hours. However, I have done it in a few hours by not softening the cream cheese quite as much, not working it as much with the mixer, and by cutting the sour cream in half.
• Do not roll the cheeseball in the toppings until 20 minutes before serving.  If you know it will be several days, hold up on cooking and chopping the bacon and the green onions and pecans.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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