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I love making these 3 ingredient low carb holiday ham bites. They’re super easy to throw together and they always disappear off the plate. Just some deli ham, cream cheese and dill pickles. Roll them up and chill in the fridge. Then you can slice them up and they taste amazing. They’re creamy and salty and have a little crunch to them.

I like to have these on hand when I’m cooking a bunch of meals for the holidays. I can always use one dish that doesn’t require the oven. These are so simple and the ingredients can be found in any grocery store. It’s also a great option for anyone that wants something lower in carbs.

Why You’ll Love These

I think these are delicious because they have a little bit of everything. You have the salty ham, creamy cream cheese and the slight tang from the dill pickle. Simple ingredients that just taste really good together. Even if you don’t love pickles you may still like these.

Not only are they great tasting they’re easy to make. No cooking required and they come together on your cutting board. You can roll these up the night before a get together and just slice them up when everyone arrives. Which is a plus when you have a lot going on in the kitchen.

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Ingredients

Since we only have 3 ingredients I would use your favorite brand of ham and dill pickles.

Deli Ham

I like to use rectangular slices of deli ham. They roll up nice and tight around the pickle. I like to get the slightly thicker slices of ham. Some can be very thin and will rip when spreading the cream cheese.

Any regular cooked ham will work. Smoked ham is also good. Sliced turkey breast can be used as well just make sure they are wide enough to roll around the pickle.

Cream Cheese

I use plain full fat cream cheese. You could use any cream cheese you want but I like to keep it plain. Just make sure your cream cheese is softened before using. If its cold from the fridge it will be hard to spread and could tear your ham.

Let your cream cheese come to room temp or you can place it in the microwave for a few seconds. Chive and onion cream cheese would also be good for this recipe.

Dill Pickles

I use whole dill pickles for this recipe. Any pickle that has some crunch to it will work. I like to pat my pickles dry with a paper towel before assembling the ham bites. This will keep the cream cheese from becoming too wet.

If you like spicy you could use spicy dill pickles or even pickled jalapenos.

How To Make

Making these ham and cream cheese pickle roll ups is pretty simple. Just let them chill in the fridge before slicing.

Ham

Lay out your slices of deli ham on a cutting board or parchment paper. Unfold any slices that are stuck together.

Use a paper towel and pat any excess moisture off the top of the ham. This will help the cream cheese stick better when spreading.

Spread Cream Cheese

Using a butter knife or small spatula spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice of ham. You want to make sure the cream cheese reaches all the way to the edges of the ham.

Place a Dill Pickle

Pat your dill pickles dry with a paper towel and place on the end of the cream cheese covered ham. Try to line the pickle up with the ends of the ham.

You can use 2 small pickles if they are shorter than your ham slices. Just make sure they line up on the end.

Roll Up

Starting at the end with the pickle roll the ham around it. You want to roll it tight but not too tight. You don’t want the cream cheese oozing out of the sides.

Place your rolls on a plate seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Slice and Serve

After your rolls have chilled remove them from the fridge and place on a cutting board. Slice the rolls into 1/2 inch pinwheels.

You can save the ends for yourself: ) Line up your ham bites on a platter and serve cold.

Tips

Always chill your rolls before slicing. I have tried cutting them when they are not fully chilled and the pinwheels end up looking kind of squished. Letting them chill for at least an hour helps.
If your cream cheese is still cold after coming out of the fridge you can place it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Make sure to check before microwaving again. You don’t want it too soft or you will have trouble spreading it on the ham.
Wipe your knife clean when cutting. After a couple slices you will notice the cream cheese building up on your knife. This can make the pinwheels look a little messy. Wiping it down with a damp paper towel will help. If any cream cheese oozes out when rolling just spread it back on the roll.

Storage and Reheating

Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Line with parchment paper if you’re stacking the ham bites.
Freezing: I don’t suggest freezing these. Cream cheese does not freeze well.
Reheat: There is no reason to reheat these. Serve cold.

Serve With

These little pinwheel style ham bites go great with many holiday foods.

Line them up with other appetizers such as olives, cheddar cheese and cherry tomatoes.
Have a small bowl of mustard or ranch for dipping.
Line up some of these on a holiday charcuterie board.
Great snack for a road trip or picnic!

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