Description
Halloween Mini Bat Taco Cheeseballs are a festive and delicious appetizer perfect for Halloween parties. These bite-sized cheeseballs blend cream cheese with taco cheese and seasoning, rolled in crushed blue corn tortilla chips for a crunchy exterior. Decorated with tortilla chip wings and black olive eyes, they are both fun and flavorful, making them an ideal spooky snack for guests of all ages.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeseball Mixture
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded taco cheese blend
- 3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- Pinch of salt
Decorations
- Blue corn tortilla chips
- Black olives, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the Cheeseball Mixture: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the shredded taco cheese, taco seasoning, and a pinch of salt, mixing until well combined.
- Scoop and Shape Balls: Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to portion the mixture. With your hands, roll each portion into about the size of a ping pong ball, continuing until all the mixture is used.
- Chill the Balls: Place the cheeseballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. This resting period enhances the flavor and helps the balls firm up.
- Crush the Tortilla Chips: Right before serving, place a few handfuls of blue corn tortilla chips into a thick plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag while removing as much air as possible, then use a rolling pin to crush the chips finely. Transfer the crushed chips to a small bowl, aiming for about 1 cup.
- Coat the Cheeseballs: Roll each chilled cheeseball in the crushed tortilla chips, pressing lightly to ensure they are fully coated. Arrange them on a serving platter.
- Add Bat Wings and Eyes: Insert a whole tortilla chip into each side of the cheeseball (long side first) to mimic bat wings. Gently press two olive slices onto each ball for eyes, ensuring they adhere well.
- Serve: Present immediately with extra blue corn tortilla chips and small spreading knives for easy serving.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, chill cheeseballs overnight.
- Use blue corn tortilla chips for the signature bat wing color and crunchy texture.
- Slicing olives thinly ensures they adhere better as eyes.
- These cheeseballs are perfect for Halloween parties and can be prepared a day ahead.
- Adjust taco seasoning according to your preferred spice level.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheeseball
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
