Grain-Free Baked Cheddar + Olive Balls
Our Favorite Grain-Free savory appetizer, so delicious and a hit with any of our cocktail recipes!
Grain-Free Baked Cheddar + Olive Balls 💚
Happy Weekend, Friends!
I can’t even express to you how delicious these baked cheddar + olive balls are! All I can say is that there is a lot of salty-cheesy-goodness going on here. But even that doesn’t do them justice! They are difficult to categorize—because at first they seem like a sophisticated appetizer to be savored with a martini, and yet at the same time they have that guilty-pleasure quality, of say- a plate of gooey cheese fries.
It’s perfect really, because they can suit any occasion, you can totally dress them up or down. Cocktail party or Super Bowl! (And yes, sadly we are already thinking of the super bowl, I am married to the world’s greatest football fan—but I wouldn’t have it any other way).💘
And great news, you can make these ahead of time—-we love to make two batches + pop them in the freezer. That way you’re all set for company and you can serve them fresh out of the oven.
Tips For Today:
-As always, reading the recipe + instructions once through before baking will allow you to fully enjoy the process without the stress.
-Be sure to drain your olives well, you’ll want them mostly dry before covering them with dough.
-One batch yields 26, you’ll need less dough than you might think for each olive, I was surprised how far a little dough can go! 🙂
-Do make sure to chill your dough covered olives after they are formed prior to baking, as this will help their shape and texture.
-Love savory appetizers? Check out our grain-free Gruyere Crackers!
Happy Baking + Enjoy The Recipe!😊 We’d love to hear your feedback, leave any questions or comments in the comment section below.
Baked Cheddar + Olive Balls
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 26 1x
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup + 1 tbsp almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg white (no yolk)
- 26 small olives with pimento
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca starch, paprika + salt. Add shredded cheese and stir until evenly incorporated into the flour mix.
- Add melted butter and egg white. Combine until dough forms. Dough will be sticky. Shape dough into a ball and set aside.
- Drain your olives well in a small colander. Spread olives onto a paper towel and pat dry. Then place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
- Take a pinch of dough and place an olive towards the center, using your fingers to shape the dough around it, covering the olive completely. Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Place ball onto parchment paper. Repeat until you have all 26 completed. Then chill your formed olive balls for 5 minutes in the freezer (or 10 minutes in the fridge) prior to baking.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Balls will be firm to touch and golden. Let them cool 5 minutes before plating and serving. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
What a fun treat these cheddar and olive balls are! I can see how they would be dangerously addictive 🙂 With the holidays around the corner, they are the perfect thing to keep in mind for entertaining.
Thank you so much Noelle! 😀 They really are addictive! And that’s a great idea, these would make for a delicious appetizer during the holidays.
These sound so amazing and I adore olives! I might even eat the whole batch! 🙂 Such a great appetizer and thanks for the tips! Pinning!!
Thanks so very much, Kim!! And haha, it’s just way too easy to go through a batch, that’s why we always make two! 😀
Thanks for the recipe, Catherine. They sure do sound & LOOK too good to eat, but I will be trying them, soon
Oh thank you so much Connie! 😀 I hope you love the recipe, let us know how you like them!
Do you think these can be frozen?
Absolutely! 😀 My husband is crazy for these and makes 2 batches at a time, 1 to freeze and one to eat immediately. It also works out well for unexpected guests, you can let them sit out to defrost a bit and them pop them in the oven. They keep well in the freezer about 6-8 weeks.
Easy to make and delicious! I forgot the salt, but because the olives I used were pretty salty, it was just as well. Looking forward to taking them to a wine-in-the-garden event this afternoon.
Thank you so much for your kind review, I’m delighted you’re enjoying the recipe, I hope they’re a hit at the party! 😀 And you’re so right, the olives really do provide a good amount of saltiness, so it works either way!
Thank you for this recipe! I made up the dough following the recipe exactly, then did some experimenting and found out:
1. You can freeze the uncooked balls and just pop the frozen balls in the oven or air fryer.
2. The air fryer works well. If set on “bake”, cut the temp down to 350 and bake for 15-17 minutes.
3. The original recipe is wonderful baked in the oven following the baking instructions, but my best batch was using the air fryer on “air crisp”, set to 375 for 10 minutes. Crispy on the outside but more tender, overall.
I will be making this again trying alternate seasonings and different cheeses. Smoked paprika? Italian seasonings and parmesan?
You are so kind, thank you for your wonderful comment! 😀 I’m super excited to hear they work in the air fryer, I appreciate you adding the settings for that. I can’t wait to try that myself, I have an air fryer on my Christmas list! And absolutely, spice and alternate cheese options are a must. Happy Holidays!