Cracked Out Cheese Ball – easy cheese ball recipe loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. I am addicted to this cheese ball. I took this to a party and everyone raved about it! Super easy to make with only 5 ingredients. Can make ahead of time and refrigerate up to 2 weeks! Great for parties, potlucks, baby showers, tailgates, and holiday snacking!

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Easy Cheese Ball with Bacon & Ranch

Stop what you are doing and make this cheese ball! It is AMAZING! I might have eaten the whole thing by myself. Well, almost by myself. I shared a little with Chicken Legs and he LOVED it too! This is super easy to make and even easier to eat. I always make one of these cheese balls at the holidays to snack on while I’m wrapping presents and baking cookies.

What does CRACK mean?

If a recipe has “crack” in the title it means that the recipe has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the ingredients. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck.

According to the dictionary, the definition of crack is “of superior excellence or ability”. We think the flavor combination of cheddar, bacon, and ranch fits this definition! This recipe is most definitely of superior excellence!

How to Make Cracked Out Cheese Ball

This appetizer is super easy to make. In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, and ranch dressing mix. Shape the mixture into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Cover the cheese ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

This can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. If making ahead, I suggest coating the cheese ball in nuts right before serving.
Feel free to adjust the amount of ranch dressing to your personal preference.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
Can use low-fat cream cheese and turkey bacon to cut down on the calories.
Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball low-carb? Yes! All of the ingredients in the cheese ball are low-carb.
Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball gluten-free? Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free.
Store the cheese ball in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap and in an air-tight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze the cheese ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap without the nuts. Place the cheese ball in a freezer bag and freeze up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw and roll in nuts before serving.

What to Serve with Cracked Out Cheese Ball

This is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. I always have the ingredients on hand to make one at a moments notice. This is great for parties, potlucks, tailgating, and holiday snacking. We usually serve this with some crackers or celery sticks. It is also great with some pita chips, mini bagels, or pretzels.

No party is complete with only one appetizer. Here are a few more of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this bacon & ranch cheese ball:

Appetizer