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5.0 from 123 votes

Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball

A Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball is the perfect party appetizer! It's creamy with a little kick and crunch, and it's majorly delicious and super easy to make!

Prep Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 16
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For cream cheese mixture:
  • 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 packs)
  • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 2 TBS cooked bacon or bacon bits, chopped
  • 2 small jalapeños, seeded and diced finely
  • 2 talks green onions or chives, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the coating:
  • ⅓ cup chopped toasted nuts, cashews/almonds/walnuts/pine nuts will all work
  • ⅓ cup Italian Style Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • 2 TBS bacon bits or chopped cooked bacon
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced finely
  • 2 TBS shredded Pepper Jack cheese, roughly chopped

Instructions

For the cream cheese filling:
For the coating:

Notes

  • Make the cream cheese mixture, form into the ball, and place
  • it in the fridge This will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.
  • Make the outside coating right before serving the Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball, and coat the cheese ball up to a few hours before serving.
  • TIP: If you coat the cheese ball ahead of time, you risk letting the crunchy coating get soggy and that's no good!
  • Make the cream cheese filling, form into a ball using plastic wrap,
  • and cover completely, wrapping tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap.
  • Place ball into a freezer safe bag (I like the gallon size); place into freezer.
  • Will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.
  • Remove and place in fridge the day before you'd like to serve the Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball. Coat the cheese ball up to a few hours before serving.
  • Make the cream cheese mixture, form into the ball, and place it in the fridge This will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.
  • Make the outside coating right before serving the Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball, and coat the cheese ball up to a few hours before serving.
  • TIP: If you coat the cheese ball ahead of time, you risk letting the crunchy coating get soggy and that's no good!
  • Make the cream cheese filling, form into a ball using plastic wrap, and cover completely, wrapping tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap.
  • Place ball into a freezer safe bag (I like the gallon size); place into freezer.
  • Will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.
  • Remove and place in fridge the day before you'd like to serve the Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball. Coat the cheese ball up to a few hours before serving.
  • Make ahead instructions:
  • How to freeze a cheese ball:
  • Published on Dec. 2018, Updated November 2020 and November 2022.