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This 3 ingredient pickle treat appetizer recipe is one of my family's very favorite game day treats. They're salty, tangy, creamy, and absolutely addictive!
I did a demo of this recipe in the middle of a Facebook LIVE while my Cheesy Bacon + Apple Croissants were in the oven. I’ve embedded the video, which should jump to the start of the pickle treat portion, but if not, feel free to fast forward to 24:01.
I love pickles. And one of my all-time favorite ways to enjoy them is in this pickle recipe that's barely a recipe: pickle treats.
My mom has been making these addictive bite-sized treats for as long as I can remember. They were a staple any time we'd watch a football game at home. We'd even have little appetizer plates for lunch or dinner some days that were mostly just these delicious pickle bites.
Not much has changed - just last week I had pickle treats for lunch on more than one occasion. They're just the perfect balance of smoky, creamy, tangy, and salty.
According to Eater, this combo is also known as Minnesota Sushi and it's apparently having a pop culture moment.
I've posted about this appetizer recipe many times over the years, but I'm revamping them a bit and combining all of those posts into one so you can see just how easy they are to make.
One of the things I love about pickle treats is that you can make them in advance. I've been doing that for game day parties, holiday gatherings, and potlucks for many years now.
They're also great as part of a big appetizer spread. I love adding them to cheeseboards and snack boards. People are sometimes skeptical that something so seemingly "odd" would taste good together, but belive me - it SO does!
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There are really only a few tips that you need to know when making these pickle treats. First is that you want to be sure to pat the ham dry. This will ensure that the cream cheese can adhere to it and act as the glue that holds the pickles down as you roll 'em up.
Secondly, either let your cream cheese soften so it's easily spreadable OR opt to use whipped cream cheese. The texture is a little different with whipped cream cheese, but it saves you a bit of time since you can pull it out of the refrigerator and work with it right away.
I like slicing dill pickle spears lengthwise so they aren't quite as thick when rolling them up in the ham. That means that each pickle spear will be enough for two full pickle treats. As with the ham, you'll need to dry the pickles on a towel to make sure there isn't too much moisture inside of each roll.
Lately, I've been using the sandwich slice-stye pickles and it saves the step of slicing each pickle. They don't roll up into nice little logs since they're wider than a pickle spear, but they taste just as good!
What are your favorite game day appetizers? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below! And if you make this pickle treat recipe, please let me know what you think of it. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Looking for more bite-sized favorites? Check out these 5-star recipes:
- Garlicky Goat Cheese + Herb Stuffed Peppadews
- French-Inspired Deviled Eggs
- Settino's Italian Bruschetta: A Family Favorite Appetizer
- Patatas Bravas with Chipotle Aioli
- Killer Shrimp Cocktail
- Cheesy Bacon + Apple Croissants
- Tuna Tostada with Avocado Dressing + Chipotle Sour Cream
- Marcona Almond + Dried Cherry Popcorn with Crispy Rosemary
- Veggie Cream Cheese Roll-ups
- No Mayo Deviled Eggs
- Mini Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry
- Falafel-Spiced Cucumber Bites
- Honeyed Chorizo & Fig Crostini
- Prosciutto & Brie Crostini with Dried Apricots
- General Tsao’s Chicken Egg Rolls
- Settino’s Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon Shop page for recommendations!
Recipe for Pickle Treats
If you try out this recipe, please come back and give it a star rating and comment below. I’d love to know what you think of it!
Print📖 Recipe
Pickle Treats
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 pieces 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
This 3 ingredient pickle treat appetizer recipe is one of my family’s very favorite game day treats. They’re salty, tangy, creamy, and absolutely addictive!
Ingredients
- 4 slices deli ham
- 2 dill pickle spears, sliced in half lengthwise
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Blot ham and pickles dry with paper towels. Carefully spread a few tablespoons of cream cheese over the top surface of each slice of ham. Lay 1 pickle across each piece of ham close to one edge, then roll until all of the cream cheese is covered.
- Enjoy whole, or cut in half (or smaller) for bite-sized party pieces.
Notes
Extra moisture will make the cream cheese hard to spread, so be sure to dry your ham before starting.
Spread your cream cheese carefully to ensure that the ham doesn't rip (though it's fine if it rips a bit - the cream cheese acts like glue).
Sandwich slice-style pickles work well here, too, and you won't have to slice them in half. They don't roll up quite the same since they're wider but they taste just as good!
If you opt to use whipped cream cheese, you won't need to wait for it to soften and can spread it straight from the refrigerator.
You can make as few or as many as you like! One pickle spear and 2 slices of ham will make 2 full-sized treats, or 4-6 bites.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 74
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 275.4 mg
- Fat: 6.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.5 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 22.3 mg
Keywords: game day, easy appetizer, 3 ingredient, roll-up
lorhen82
I haven't made these for so long, but now that I see them I'll have to make some soon! ~Mom
Ashley
I still have the ingredients..just swing by NY and I'll whip up a batch for ya 😉