This Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball is the perfect appetizer at any party or cookout. It is a rich and savory cream cheese spread that is loaded with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and flavored with green onions and low carb Ranch Seasoning. It is a party appetizer that will go fast and be requested for years to come! 

How Do You Make A Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball?

A cheese ball is one of the easiest appetizers you could possibly make. I personally make them all the time for church events, parties, and even summer cookouts because they are so easy to throw together.

I love make them a head and keep them in the freezer when I need one fast! Still not sure it is as easy as I say? Well, let me show you just how easy this Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball is to make and serve!

To get started with this recipe you will need six basic ingredients that can be found at any local grocery store. It is not complicated nor is it time-consuming. The longest step in this process will be letting the cheese ball chill the fridge which is basically put it in there and forget it for a few hours.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

16 oz Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Cooked Bacon, Chopped

2 Tbsps. Chopped Green Onions

2 Tbsps. of Low Carb Ranch Mix

2/3 cup of Chopped Pecans

As with any dip or cheese ball, the cream cheese will whip up better if you start with softened cream cheese. I try to make sure I set mine out on the counter overnight the day before I plan on making this cheeseball, but if I forget, I’ve been know to stick it in warmer place near my oven to set it for a little while so it come to room temperature quicker.  Just don’t melt it completely! 

When you start with the softened cream cheese it makes this whole recipe go very quickly and all the ingredients will combine easier as well as you mix them. All that is required is adding all the ingredients, except the chopped pecans, into a mixing bowl and combining them well.

Then you simply roll the Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball mixture up into plastic wrap and chill until ready to roll into the chopped nut until it is covered on all sides. You are then ready to serve it. It is as easy as it sounds, truly. I’d say the hardest part is frying the bacon

Let’s Talk About The Bacon and Possible Alternatives

One of the most flavorful parts of this Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball is the the star of the show of course, bacon. But I’m sure that’s no surprise to anyone reading this post. Bacon is just delicious and can take even the dullest of recipes to the next level.

I could add bacon to just about anything honestly and be happy. How about you and your family? Are you a big bacon fan, or could you live without it if needed?

Living without bacon is a horrible thought, but I know there are some of my readers that might avoid it for religious or dietary reasons so I wanted to share some of my tips and times savers in this portion of the post for those that will be using  some alternatives for the pork bacon. 

Pork Bacon Alternatives

• Beef Bacon: For this bacon simply fry it until crispy and chopped into small pieces.  Beef Bacon can be harder to find, but lately I have seen it more and more at my local local grocery stores. Beef Bacon is tasty and would work well in this recipe but it is even more expensive than pork or turkey bacon so keep that in mind if you are on a budget. 
• Turkey Bacon: For those that want to keep it lighter or want to avoid the pork or beef options then turkey bacon is the way to go. Again, fry it up and chop it into small pieces just as you would the other varieties
• Real Turkey Bacon Bits: These can be found on the salad dressing aisle of most stores near the crotons and other salad toppings. They are a great bacon alternative and a huge time savor in this recipe if you don’t want to cook the bacon first. 
• Dried Chipped Beef: another great alternative that would give the cheese ball great flavor would be dry beef. This type of beef is a dried and preserved beef that is very thinly sliced and sold in little cute glass jars. There are two brands that I know of and they are Armour and Hormel. They are usually found near the canned chicken and tuna sections of my local WalMart. If you use this beef, just chop up the beef into very small pieces and add just as you would the bacon. 

Is It Better To Fry The Bacon Fresh or Use Real Bacon Bits?

Whether you are using turkey bacon or pork bacon, you will have a couple of choices on how to prepare the bacon for the Keto Bacon  Cheddar Cheese Ball.

There is always the traditional pan frying method that is tried and true, but some times messy and time consuming. So if you are looking for an easier and cleaner alternative to pan frying you can opt for the oven method which I usually go for.

It is so simple and I find that it saves me time because I can work on other things while the oven does all the work on the bacon. The clean up is easier as well as there is no splatter!

Now, if you don’t have time to pan fry or use the oven for your bacon, than of course you can go with the store bought options, like the precooked bacon strips or even quicker the Real Bacon bits that are already chopped up for you. Both of these to store bought options come in pork and turkey options.

I’ve used the real bacon bits before in this cheese ball and it is just as delicious.  I’ve never had anyone complain that it wasn’t as good as the times when took the time to fry my bacon fresh before making the cheese ball.

So freshly fried bacon or store bought real bacon bits both will work fine. Either way this cheese ball is going to be the star of the table!

Pro Tips for Making A Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball

• When deciding on using freshly fried bacon you cook yourself or real bacon bits from the salad topping aisle, avoid those yucky red hard little fake bacon bits. Those little artificial flavored bits will not give you the same yummy flavor as the real bacon options. Plus who even knows what those little fake bits are even made of anyway. One thing I can promise about the ingredients is that it certainly is not bacon.
• If you pan or oven fry your bacon, please consider saving the bacon drippings cooking.  Trust me, you’ll thank me later if you do. This tip may be a strange or an uncommon one to some of you, but I promise that you are missing out on a mighty fine flavoring agent. I store my bacon drippings in a mason jar with a lid in the refrigerator. Use a tablespoon or two of the bacon dripping instead of butter or oils when cooking veggies like cabbage, green beans, or loaded cauliflower. Yum, you will never toss out bacon drippings again!
• When you serve this cheese ball be sure to offer a variety of fresh crunchy veggies, breads, and crackers with the cheese ball. You can do low carb options and some that are not low carb. Depending on your guest list. This will ensure you have some type of dipper for everyone at your party or cookout. I love using these low carb crackers or low carb bread with mine. 
• Make your own Ranch Seasoning in large batches so you have it on hand for this cheese ball or homemade salad dressings. Here’s a great Low Carb Ranch Seasoning from Low Carb Maven or try this Ranch Mix from Nana’s Little Kitchen. 

Tips for Freezing the Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball

• When making this cheese ball for a party or cookout double the recipe and make a one cheese ball for now and one to go into your freezer for later. The cheese ball freezer so beautifully and will keep for a few months if you wrap it tightly and store it in a freezer bag. 
• Don’t roll the cheese ball in the pecan until the day your are serving it. The nuts loose some of their texture the longer they are in the fridge or freezer after rolling the cheeseball. 

Yield: 12-14 Servings

Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball, (THM S)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

A great Keto and THM "S" cheese ball that is loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, and ranch flavors. This cheeseball with be the star of any table.

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Ingredients

Cheese Ball Ingredients

• 16 ounces of Softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup of Chopped Crispy Bacon
• 1/2 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Green Onions or Chives
• 2 Tablespoons of Low Carb Ranch Mix of Choice

Cheese Ball Toppings

• 2/3 cup of Chopped Pecans

Instructions

1. Add all of the cheese ball ingredients, except the pecans, into a mixing bowl and mix until all is combined.
2. Once the cheese ball mixture if mixed thoroughly scoop it all out into the center or a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and wrap it tightly.
3. After wrapping the cheese ball use your clean hands to try and softly form the cheese ball mix into a ball, or as close as you can.
4. Place the cheese ball into the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 3 to 4 hours. Over night is best if you have the extra time.
5. Once the cheese ball has chilled and firmed up take the pecan and place them on a cutting board and gently roll the firm cheese ball into the chopped pecans until all the sides of the ball are covered. You can use any nut you prefer if you have a pecan allergy or leave them out all together if you need to avoid nuts. See the tips in the blog above for more topping suggestions.
6. Keep the Keto Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. See blog post for serving suggestions and freezer instructions.

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!