Description
These Spider Cheeseballs are a fun and spooky Halloween appetizer perfect for parties. Made with a creamy blend of cream cheese, goat cheese, herbs, and spices, they’re rolled into balls and coated with black sesame seeds for a striking spider-like appearance. Pretzel sticks are used to create the spider legs, making these cheeseballs both delicious and visually festive.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Coating and Legs
- 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
- 2 cups pretzel sticks
- Additional pretzels and crackers for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and extra virgin olive oil until smooth and creamy. Then, incorporate goat cheese, chopped green onions, minced garlic, dried dill weed, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine all the flavors evenly. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to help it firm up for shaping.
- Form the cheeseballs: Using your hands, roll the chilled cheese mixture into balls. Make smaller balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter for small spiders, and larger balls approximately 3 inches for big spiders. Once shaped, gently roll each ball in the black sesame seeds until fully coated, giving them an attractive, textured, spider-like shell.
- Create the spider legs: For the small spiders, break four pretzel sticks in half to create eight leg pieces. Arrange these with four legs on each side of the small cheeseballs by gently pressing them into the ball. For the large spiders, use eight full pretzel sticks to create eight legs, positioning four on each side of each large cheeseball.
- Chill and serve: Wrap the completed Spider Cheeseballs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the legs to set. Serve chilled with additional pretzels and crackers on the side for an inviting holiday appetizer.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing to ensure a smooth texture.
- Chilling the cheese mixture before forming balls helps prevent sticking and makes shaping easier.
- You can customize the herbs based on personal preference; fresh herbs can be used instead of dried.
- The black sesame seeds not only add texture but also contribute to the spider appearance, so don’t skip coating the balls thoroughly.
- These cheeseballs can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated, making them great for party preparation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheeseball
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
