Description
Halloween Mini Bat Taco Cheeseballs are a fun and festive appetizer perfect for spooky celebrations. These bite-sized cheeseballs combine creamy cream cheese with flavorful taco cheese and seasoning, then are rolled in crushed blue corn tortilla chips and decorated with black olive slices to create adorable bat shapes. They offer a crowd-pleasing blend of creamy, cheesy, and crunchy textures that make a perfect Halloween party treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeseball Mixture
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded taco cheese blend
- 3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- Pinch of salt
Toppings & Decoration
- Blue corn tortilla chips
- Black olives, sliced
Instructions
- Mix Cream Cheese: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until it becomes light and fluffy to create a smooth base.
- Add Cheese and Seasoning: Mix in the shredded taco cheese blend, taco seasoning, and a small pinch of salt thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Form Cheeseballs: Using a tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the mixture and roll each scoop with your hands into a ball roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Continue until all mixture is used.
- Chill Cheeseballs: Place the formed cheeseballs on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld and the balls to firm up.
- Prepare Crushed Chips: Just before serving, place a couple handfuls of blue corn tortilla chips in a thick plastic freezer bag, seal it removing most air, and crush with a rolling pin until the chips are finely ground. Pour the crushed chips into a small bowl.
- Coat Cheeseballs: Roll each chilled cheeseball in the crushed tortilla chips, pressing gently to ensure they are evenly coated for extra texture and flavor.
- Assemble Bat Wings: Arrange the coated cheeseballs on a serving platter. Push one whole corn tortilla chip into each side of the cheeseball lengthwise to resemble bat wings.
- Add Eyes: Place two black olive slices on each cheeseball, gently pressing to secure, to complete the bat’s eyes.
- Serve: Serve immediately with extra blue corn tortilla chips and small spreading knives for easy eating.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, refrigerate the cheeseballs overnight.
- Use thick plastic bags for crushing chips to prevent ripping.
- Adjust taco seasoning amount to taste if you prefer less spice.
- These cheeseballs are perfect for Halloween parties and can be made ahead of time.
- Serve with extra tortilla chips for dipping and spreading.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheeseball
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
