A cute Italian cheese ball makes the perfect appetizer. These keto antipasto cheese balls are easy to make ahead and serve at parties.
Keto Christmas Cheese Balls
I love creating fun designs with my food. I already made a Keto Wreath Salad, so I decided to make some really tasty cheese balls that you can arrange to look like a Christmas tree, next.
Can you see it? The green lettuce leaves look just like evergreen branches but these tasty cheese balls are perfect for Big Game parties, birthday parties, or anytime you have a bunch of people hanging out together.
These antipasto cheese balls are made with both prosciutto and salami, olives, three types of cheese, and a bunch of other ingredients – but there are only 3 grams net carbs in each serving!
They are incredibly delicious, with a fun dance of different textures – from cream cheese to crunchy walnuts and pistachios.
Italian Cheese Ball
I’ve made other cheese balls before and this is nothing like them. My Low-Carb Cranberry and Walnut Goat Cheese Balls are filled with walnuts and goat cheese.
And my Keto Mini Pumpkin Cheese Ball is basically cheddar and cream cheese shaped to look like a pumpkin. This time, I added Italian meats, different types of cheese, and a few types of nuts.
These Italian cheese balls are an explosion of different flavors and textures. But the really good news is that the only ingredients you need for a cheese balls is cream cheese and mozzarella cheese.
All the other ingredients are optional or changeable. If you don’t like olives, leave them out.
Not a fan of sour cream? Replace it with Greek yogurt, or add more cream cheese in its place.
Antipasto Cheese Balls
I love antipasto recipes, which is why I decided to create an antipasto cheese ball. Fun fact, antipasto is Italian and it stands for Italian hors d’oeuvres, which usually include some kind of cured meats, cheese, and nuts (kind of like our charcuterie boards).
I used this info when I made Low-Carb Antipasto bites, and these cheese balls. You can make these antipasto cheese balls up to two days before your party or event.
Keep them in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator.
Don’t freeze cheese balls. They don’t taste the same when they thaw.
Keto Christmas Recipe
Is this only a Christmas recipe? Nope!
You could serve it any time of year. But I used red bell peppers and green pistachios to give them a little red and green coloring.
If you want to make them for a holiday party, use these pictures as your inspiration. Set out some lettuce wraps that are shaped like a tree and you could even add a cherry on top as the star.
If you’re going to serve them at a party, I have a few more tasty appetizers you can make with them.
Put some Keto Sweet and Sour Meatball Kebabs on toothpicks as appetizers. Or make some Keto Cottage Cheese Flatbread. but watch your carbs because the patty melts are higher in carbs than the meatball kabobs.
For dessert, low-carb pecan upside down cake is perfect, especially during the holidays.
Best Cheese For Cheese Balls
When it comes to making cheese balls, you need a combination of soft and hard cheese. That’s why I mixed softened cream cheese with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
The sour cream makes it just soft enough so it’s easy to eat and nuts add shape and texture to the outside of the cheeseballs.
You can use any type of nuts that you want. So, if you don’t like either walnuts or pistachios (or both) then use almonds or pecans.
Just make sure that they are chopped up finely.
Keto Antipasto Cheese Balls Recipe
Here’s the list of ingredients (and step by step pictures) that you’ll need to make these keto antipasto cheese balls. The exact measurements and instructions are in the printable recipe card, just a little below.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 12
Net Carbs: 3 net carbs per serving
Ingredients
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Green or Kalamata Olives
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Dried Dill
- Thyme
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
Instructions:
Saute the prosciutto in a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Drain and let cool.
Blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan, mozzarella, dill, thyme, onion powder and garlic power in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the prosciutto, salami, olives and roasted red peppers until well combined.
Wet your hands slightly, and form the mixture into small mini cheeseballs.
Combine the nuts in a bowl or shallow plate, and roll the cheeseballs in the nut mixture.
Chill the cheeseballs for 1 hour before serving.
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Low Carb Antipasto Cheese Balls
Equipment
- blender
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Prosciutto chopped
- 4 ounces Salami chopped finely
- 1/3 cup Chopped Roasted Red Peppers
- 1/3 cup Green Or Kalamata Olives chopped
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp Dried Dill
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 cup Walnuts Chopped
- 1/3 cup Pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Saute the prosciutto in a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Drain and let cool.
- Blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan, mozzarella, dill, thyme, onion powder and garlic power in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the prosciutto, salami, olives and roasted red peppers until well combined.
- Wet your hands slightly, and form the mixture into small mini cheeseballs.
- Combine the nuts in a bowl or shallow plate, and roll the cheeseballs in the nut mixture.
- Chill the cheeseballs for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Keto Holiday Recipes
If you enjoyed these keto antipasto cheese balls – and you need more holiday-themed recipes – check out these keto Christmas recipes next!
