Description
Delight your Halloween party guests with these spooky and savory Spider Cheeseballs. Creamy cream cheese combined with tangy goat cheese, fresh herbs, and a hint of garlic is rolled into spooky balls, coated with black sesame seeds to resemble spider bodies, and finished with pretzel sticks as creepy legs. Perfect for a festive appetizer or party snack.
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 Decoration
- 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
- 2 cups pretzel sticks
- Additional pretzels and crackers for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Then, incorporate the goat cheese, chopped green onions, minced garlic, dried dill weed, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper thoroughly. Once all ingredients are well blended, cover the bowl and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up and allow the flavors to meld.
- Form the cheeseballs: After chilling, use your hands to roll the cheese mixture into balls sized appropriately for spiders. Form some small spiders with 1 1/2-inch diameter balls and some large spiders with 3-inch diameter balls. This size variation creates a fun visual effect on the serving platter.
- Coat with sesame seeds: Roll each formed cheese ball gently in the black sesame seeds until it is evenly coated. The sesame seeds give the balls a dark, spider-like appearance that enhances their spooky theme.
- Attach the pretzel legs: For the small spider cheeseballs, break four pretzel sticks in half to create eight legs, then stick four legs on each side of the ball. For the larger spider cheeseballs, use eight whole pretzel sticks, placing four on each side as legs. The pretzels give a crunchy texture and complete the spider look.
- Chill before serving: Wrap the finished spider cheeseballs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving. Serve them with additional pretzels and crackers for guests to enjoy alongside.
Notes
- Be sure to use softened cream cheese for easier mixing.
- Black sesame seeds can sometimes be substituted with finely chopped black olives for a different texture and flavor.
- These cheeseballs can be made up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated until needed.
- The pretzel stick legs can be gently inserted or arranged just before serving to keep them crisp.
- For a vegan version, substitute cream cheese and goat cheese with plant-based alternatives.
- Adjust the amount of garlic and herbs according to your taste preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 small spider cheeseball (about 2 oz)
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
