Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls are easy to make and party perfect. Add some interesting texture, taste and nutrition to your holiday appetizers.
This post is sponsored by Canadian Lentils #LoveLentils campaign.
They have graciously compensated me, however all opinions, recipes and photos are my own.
The cold weather has finally made an appearance. The holiday season is here. Shopping, parties, entertaining, all the crazy holiday madness is HERE!! Are you ready? Easy lentil recipes are great for entertaining. Budget-friendly and great for gluten-free and vegan diets too. Have you tried my Meatless Tourtiere? Such a great twist on the French Canadian classic.
OMG for some reason this year, Christmas is coming too quickly. The holiday music and decorations have been in the stores for months. Toy commercials are driving parents crazy. Santa is in the mall!!
The weather has been unusually warm, and I will admit I have been loving it. Yesterday the snow started to fly. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. Mayhem and the holiday spirit has sprung.
How many parties, open houses and family gatherings do you have to attend this year? I can’t believe that some of these have already begun. Our USA friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. It’s all a whirlwind from now to Christmas.
Do you have a special holiday event you like to attend or host?
These Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls are easy to make and delicious. They are sure to add interest to your appetizer tray with their unique texture, while at the same time adding some nutrition to the party.
Do you cook with lentils? If not you should be. These little gems are heart healthy, low in fat, and a great source of fiber, protein and minerals. Such an easy way to add nutrition to your diet. For more information visit Canadian Lentils.
My motto is “Food doesn’t have to be complicated, but it has to taste good”. Lentils are the perfect match. Easy to prepare and versatile, they make it simple to add nutrition in many delicious ways.
For these cheese balls I used green lentils. You can use canned lentils if you prefer. Lentils are so easy to cook. It only takes a few minutes to make a pot full. I love having them in the fridge to add to salads, egg dishes, casseroles and even smoothies.
If you want to venture out in cooking other varieties of lentils, have you tried French lentils? This Puy Lentil Recipe is a great “meatless” and “tomato free” pasta sauce.
Holidays always mean spending lots of time in the kitchen making delicious meals, cookies, drinks and party foods. Most of us will agree that we love having a few quick and easy recipes up our sleeve during this hectic time of year.
Appetizers get the party rolling and the guests mingling. Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls are little bites of green lentils surrounded by sun-dried tomatoes and seasoned cream cheese. Perfect by themselves or on crackers. A great addition to a charcuterie board.
If you are lucky enough to have any of these leftover, be sure to use them in other ways. Add them to your next omelette or frittata. Your eggs will sing with flavour.
Don’t stress in the kitchen this holiday season. Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls can be made in advance. With a few simple ingredients, you can make a party platter full in no time.
Be sure to sign up for my WEEKLY NEWSLETTER so you never miss a recipe. You will also get a copy of my ebook entitled ENJOY.
Want more great lentil recipes? Spicy Beluga Pasta Sauce with Mushrooms and Wine or Poached Eggs & Lentil Hash are great to try.
Green Lentil Mini Cream Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cooked green lentils (can also use canned lentils)
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (chopped)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 tsp seasoned black pepper
- 2 tsp sun-dried tomato oil (from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
To prepare the Green Lentils:
- Rinse 1 cup of lentils in a strainer under running water to remove dust and debris.
- In a sauce pan add 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dried lentils.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes).
- Let cool completely. They can also be made a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge.
- **NOTE** be sure to add salt AFTER cooking to prevent the lentils from being tough.**If you are using canned lentils, be sure to rinse them well before adding to the recipe**
For the Cream Cheese Balls:
- Place softened cream cheese in a bowl.
- Using a hand held mixer, whip until smooth and fluffy.
- Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, oil, pepper and seasonings.
- Mix well.
- Add cold lentils, and mix well.
- Place in fridge to chill. If you are in a hurry, place bowl into freezer for about 10 minutes (don't forget about it in there...or it will freeze).
- Using a 2 inch scoop, scoop out the balls and place them on a serving tray.
- They can be used as is, or placed on top of a cracker.
- ENJOY!!
Marisa Franca
What wonderful looking appetizers. We really like our finger foods, they are perfect for get-togethers and can be prepared ahead of time. I like the addition of lentils. It’s a great way to get lentils into the diet instead of just waiting for a lentil soup. I’m looking forward to making those cute cream cheese balls. The family will go nuts over them.
Homemade & Yummy
These did not last long on the appetizer table during the holiday season.
Shelley
Love this little perfect serving of cheesy lentil yumminess on each cracker!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks…they are delicious.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
These sound so good…I love lentils and cream cheese so I know this has to be a winner. Can’t wait to try. Pinning.
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give them a try…thanks!!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
This is perfect for the upcoming holidays.
Homemade & Yummy
Yes they are great for parties.
Julie
What a delicious appetizer! I love lentils.
Homemade & Yummy
Lentils work great in this recipe.
Veena
I’ve never thought of Lentils with Cream Cheese – Must try. Thanks Gloria
Homemade & Yummy
It totally works.
Aggie
I am totally craving this !!! What a creative appetizer idea.
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much…hope you give them a try.
Arlene Mobley
What a great way to turn a holiday recipe into a healthier recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes….it really is great!! Thanks for stopping by.
Julia (@imagelicious)
Such a cool way to add some fibre into an appetizer. Also lentils will make these little cream cheese balls more filling, so it’s perfect for the holidays!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes they really are unique that is for sure.
Sarah @ The Fit Cookie
Great idea! I’ve never thought to mix in lentils with cream cheese before. Such a great way to add a healthier ingredient to holiday food!
Homemade & Yummy
We need all the help we can get to eat healthier during the holidays.
chanel
these look delicious! what a perfect holiday appetizer!
Homemade & Yummy
They certainly are tasty…hope you give them a try.
Emily
Yum! This is a new recipe idea for me to try! Sometimes I feel like I get stuck in a rut when I need to bring a dish to a party, but this is something new for me to make. Thanks!
Chef G
Yup it is a little interesting for sure.
Mary
I love me some lentils; they are filling, versatile and packed with protein. I bet they are a perfect addition to these creamy cheese balls.
Chef G
We happen to think so….and so does Canadian Lentils!!
Kerri
I always love trying appetizers like these at other people’s parties. Now, with your recipe, I can try to make my own!
Chef G
They are really easy to make. Hope you give them a try.
Camilla
What a fabulous and original recipe, I would love to serve these as appetisers at a party:-)
Chef G
Hope you give them a try.
Laura | Wandercooks
I absolutely love cooking with lentils, they always make me feel healthy and satisfied! But I’ve never thought to use them in an appetizer before – what a great idea! I can just imagine all the flavours now. Definitely can’t wait to try this one. 🙂
Chef G
It was a fun little recipe to create for Canadian Lentils.
Titan Tyler
love lentils as well. I cook them in chicken broth with bacon and onions in the slow cooker, and my whole family loves them. Can’t wait to try this
Chef G
Hope you give these a try. The leftovers (if you are lucky to have some) are great in so many things.
Heather Lawrence
Oh those look yummy!
I have never tried lentils before but those look delicious and really simple to make.
Perfect for the holidays!
Chef G
Lentils are so good…and easy to work with.
Tina
I really want to try making these. I love the idea to add them to eggs for an extra kick. What a super easy appetizer. Yum!
Chef G
YES…the leftovers are awesome in eggs.
The Food Hunter
what an excellent appetizer for the holidays
Chef G
Thanks…it is tasty and fun to make too.
Lisa @ garlicandzest.com
What a fun appetizer idea for the holidays. I never thought of using lentils like this.
Chef G
A unique little twist on lentils for sure.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
Lentils are so good for you.These Canadian lentil bites look really yummy and make a great topping.
Chef G
We happen to agree with you on that!!
Cricket Plunkett
What a fun holiday app! I bet the lentils add a great texture!
Chef G
Yes they do for sure.
Mandy Carter
I love how well they are presented. Perfect for a party with pass around hors d’ourves.
Chef G
Thanks so much. It is a fun little party food.
Mark, Compass & Fork
I love green lentils but I have never used them to make a cheese ball. Nice idea, I bet it tastes great.
Chef G
Thanks so much. They are easy to make and fun to eat.
Ludmilla
Such a perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving!! Easy to make and looks delicious!!
Chef G
They are a fun little app for sure.