Get tangled in the deliciously eerie flavors of our Spooky Spider Cheese Ball Recipe for Halloween. It's perfect for adding a touch of frightful fun to your Halloween party table. It's easily made with creamy cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and pretzels for legs!
This Blue Cheese Cheeseball recipe is our go-to through the holiday season for party guests.
This creepy yet irresistible cheesy spider appetizer is just what my Halloween party needed! I seriously didn't know what cheesy snack I was going to make, and this cheese ball recipe popped into my head.
How spooky would this giant spider be on your party table next to Spider Brownies and Apple Monster Mouths?
This Halloween recipe is one fun way to celebrate the holiday!
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Why You’ll Love This Cheese Ball
- EASY RECIPE - No cooking skill required! After you chill your cheeseball, you can shape it into a spider and add pretzel legs in 10 minutes.
- MAKE-AHEAD—This is the perfect make-ahead appetizer for your Halloween celebration. The flavors meld together even better when you make it ahead!
- FUN HALLOWEEN FOOD - No one can resist a spider-shaped cheese ball during this spooky holiday!
Spider Cheese Ball Ingredients
With a few simple ingredients, you can make this spider appetizer, which is gluten-free.
- Cream Cheese - This creamy, tangy cheese is the base of the recipe. We use two packages of regular, but you can also use reduced-fat cream cheese.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese - This gives the cheese ball good flavor. Grate the cheese yourself and avoid pre-shredded cheese, which has anti-caking agents that alter its texture.
- Green Onions - Chopped green onions give this recipe a nice mild onion flavor and a little bit of texture.
- Worcestershire Sauce - This versatile sauce perks up any recipes it’s added to, kind of like a secret ingredient.
- Hot Pepper Sauce - Depending on who you’re serving the cheese ball, you can add as much or as little as you'd like.
- Herbs - dried parsley, garlic powder, and oregano add to the flavor profile of the appetizer.
- Poppy Seeds - create the black coating on the spider’s body. You can also use black sesame seeds.
For the Spider Decoration
- Pitted Olives - to make the eyes on your spider.
- Red Bell Pepper - cut into pieces to make the eyeballs and feelers.
- Pretzel Sticks - pretzel rods form the legs of the spider. Use gluten-free pretzels if needed.
What to Serve It With
- Crackers - Almost any cracker works, and you can even include some gluten-free options if needed.
- Assorted Cut Vegetables
- Tortilla Chips or Pita Chips
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth. Combine cream cheese with shredded sharp cheddar, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper, and mix until well combined (IMAGE 1).
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons cheese mixture to attach the legs. Shape ½ cup of cheese mixture into a ball for the spider head. Shape the remaining mixture into a round spider body.
- Place poppy seeds in a shallow bowl or plate (IMAGE 2). Then, roll cheese balls in poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds) to create the textured appearance of the spider's head and body. Make sure to coat it evenly. Gently press the coating onto the cheese ball. Place on a serving platter or large plate to form a spider (IMAGE 3).
- Place two sliced olives on the head to form eyes. You can insert a red pepper piece or candy eyeballs inside the olives to form eyeballs before placing them on the head. Place two small pieces of bell pepper under the eyes to create feelers (IMAGE 4).
- Just before serving, attach four legs on each side by breaking four pretzel sticks in half. Insert half of the pretzel stick into the side of the body at a slight upward angle. Use the reserved cheese mixture to attach the other piece of pretzel stick to form bent legs. Repeat for each leg (IMAGE 5).
Surround the Spider Cheese Ball with your favorite crackers, sliced vegetables, or other dippable items of your choice, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- PREP. Make sure to take your cream cheese out of the fridge to soften at least 30 minutes before you plan on making the spider cheeseball. You can grate your cheese and measure your ingredients while you wait.
- CUSTOMIZATION. You can customize this recipe by adding your favorite herbs, spices, or mix-ins like cayenne pepper to the cheese ball mixture.
- SERVING. To avoid broken crackers, serve the cheese ball with a spreading knife.
- EQUIPMENT: You can use a hand mixer or food processor or mix the cream cheese mixture by hand.
Storing
MAKE-AHEAD: You can make your Halloween Cheese Ball recipe up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container. Get it out about an hour before you're ready to serve, roll it in poppy seeds, and attach the face and legs.
REFRIGERATOR: Store any leftover cheese ball in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, depending on the ingredients' freshness.
FREEZER: To freeze, wrap just the cheeseball in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and get it out about an hour before you're ready to serve; roll it in poppy seeds and attach the face and legs.
Recipe FAQs
Other options besides poppy seeds to make your cheeseball look like a spider are black sesame seeds or chia seeds.
If your ingredients are fresh, your cheeseball can last up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
Because cheese balls contain dairy, don’t leave them unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
More Halloween Recipes
Love this Spider Cheese Ball recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Spider Cheese Ball Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- hand mixer
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese (softened. 2 blocks)
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (avoid pre-shredded cheese)
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- dash black pepper
Spider Decorations
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 black olive (sliced)
- 1 piece red bell pepper (cut into small pieces)
- 4 pretzel sticks (broken in half)
Instructions
- Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth. Combine cream cheese with shredded sharp cheddar, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper, and mix until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons cheese mixture to attach the legs. Shape roughly ½ cup of cheese mixture into a ball for the spider head. Shape the remaining mixture into a round spider body.
- Place poppy seeds in a shallow bowl or plate. Then, roll cheese balls in poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds) to create the textured appearance of the spider's head and body. Make sure to coat it evenly. Gently press the coating onto the cheese ball.
- Place the two cheese balls on a serving platter or large plate to form a spider. Place two sliced olives on the head to form eyes. You can insert a red pepper piece or candy eyeballs inside the olives to create eyeballs before placing them on the head. Place two small pieces of bell pepper under the eyes to create feelers.
- Just before serving, attach four legs on each side by breaking four pretzel sticks in half. Insert half of the pretzel stick into the side of the body at a slight upward angle. Use the reserved cheese mixture to attach the other piece of pretzel stick to form bent legs. Repeat for each leg. Surround the Spider Cheese Ball with your favorite crackers, sliced vegetables, or other dippable items, and enjoy!
Notes
-
- PREP. Make sure to take your cream cheese out of the fridge to soften at least 30 minutes before you plan on making the spider cheeseball. You can grate your cheese and measure your ingredients while you wait.
-
- CUSTOMIZATION. You can customize this recipe by adding your favorite herbs, spices, or mix-ins like cayenne pepper to the cheese ball mixture.
-
- SERVING. To avoid broken crackers, serve the cheese ball with a spreading knife.
-
- EQUIPMENT: You can use a hand mixer or food processor or mix the cream cheese mixture by hand.
- REFRIGERATOR: Store any leftover cheese ball in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, depending on the ingredients' freshness.
Kristyn says
So fun & festive!! This is always a hit at Halloween parties! And, it tastes so good & it's so addicting!
Erin Henry says
Yes, this Halloween cheese ball is the best for parties! We think it's addicting too!
jess says
How cute is this cheese ball! and its perfect for my harry potter themed party coming up really soon! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Jessica says
Oh my gosh this was so fun to make and it was a HIT with the kids! Thank you for sharing the easy to follow directions!