If you’re hosting a Halloween party or getting a head start on planning your Thanksgiving menu, here’s a fun appetizer recipe that everyone will love. My mini cheese ball pumpkins are loaded with savory flavors and are almost too cute to eat. These individual appetizers are great for a crowd and can even be made a day or two ahead.

For this recipe, I’ve partnered with Harvest Snaps again (you might remember my herb dip or black bean shrimp tacos) to create a festive party food recipe. The cheese balls get their ranch flavor from various herbs and spices and the extra crunch and orange color comes from the Lentil Bean Onion Thyme Harvest Snaps. When crushed up the make the perfect gluten free crumbs for coating the cheese balls. The icing on the cake—or rather the stem on the pumpkin—is a Lightly Salted Snapea Crisp!

Watch the video below to see how to make them and get a sneak peek of a new product I’m launching very soon!

Mini Cheese Ball Pumpkins

makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 bag of Lentil Bean Onion Thyme Harvest Snaps
1 bag of Snapea Crisp Lightly Salted Harvest Snaps

Directions

1. Place the cream cheese out on the counter until softened, about an hour. Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, dried parsley, dill weed, onion powder and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients together.
2. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cheese mixture into 6 evenly sized rounds. Place the cheese scoops on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Put the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the cheese to firm up.
3. Meanwhile, place one bag of Lentil Bean Onion Thyme Harvest Snaps in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times or until the crisps are fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in a small bowl.
4. Remove the cheese scoops from the refrigerator and use your hands to shape them into round pumpkin shapes. Roll each cheese ball in the Harvest Snap crumbs and place back on the baking sheet.
5. Carefully break a few Snapea Crisp Lightly Salted Harvest Snaps in half and place one half in the center of each cheese ball. These will be the pumpkin stems. Place the finished cheese balls back in the refrigerator until ready to be served. Serve with more snaps, crackers, or your favorite crudités. Enjoy!

When it comes to the holidays, I prefer to stick to a bright color palette. Because when color is a option I always say you should go for it! That’s why I created these colorful scalloped appetizer plates that are oh so perfect for fall and Christmas too. Just pick up some small white porcelain plates and customize them in just a couple minutes.

DIY Scalloped Plates

Supplies

porcelain appetizer plates
foam pouncer
opaque glass paint*
paper tray for paint

*I used Camelia Pink, Geranium, Pollen, and Beach Glass

Directions

1. Wash and dry the porcelain plates. Add a little glass paint to a paper tray or paint palette and dip the bottom end of a foam pouncer in the paint. Working one scallop at a time, press the foam pouncer onto the rim of the plate. Continue stamping all the way around until the border is complete.
2. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours then bake in an oven to make them washable (if you’re using the same paint I am, after baking they will be top-rack dishwasher safe). Place the dry painted plates in a cold oven. Turn it on and set it to 350*. Immediately set a time for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes has passed, turn off the oven and leave the plates inside. Allow the oven to cool completely and then remove the plates.

But wait, there’s more!

Here’s a first look at my new product—a non-stick silicone baking mat. I’ll be launching it very soon but I was just too excited to wait until then to share it. And it’s not just for baking cookies, it’s the perfect pan liner when making these mini cheese ball pumpkins and so much more.

If you want to be among the first to buy it, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!

Shop for supplies