Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball is the kind of holiday party starter that is tasty and fun. It blends creamy cheese, sharp cheddar, tart cranberries and crunchy pecans together for a perfect holiday appetizer. Make it ahead and chill, then set it out when you are ready for an easy and festive holiday starter.
Holiday cheese balls are a regular thing in my house, whether I am hosting or heading to someone else's place. My husband's family eats holiday meals at 2 in the afternoon, which means everyone shows up starving and piles their plates high. Then, no one is hungry for dinner, so we usually end up having dessert for dinner later that night.
So to try and prevent anyone from getting too ravenous, I'll make a cheese ball the day before and set it out late morning. It gives everyone something to snack on while we finish cooking the main meal. Then, I do not have worry about anyone getting too hungry waiting for 2 pm. And honestly, everyone loves a good cheese ball. Or is it cheeseball? I prefer cheeseball like in my everything bagel cheeseball recipe, but I recently learned that cheese ball is the standard spelling. So here we are. Cheese ball, two words.
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Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- White cheddar cheese
- Dried cranberries
- Pecans
- Green onions
- Fresh parsley
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Trader Joe's Umami seasoning blend (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Add the cream cheese and cheddar cheese to a microwave safe bowl.
Step 2: Microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stirring in between.
Step 3: Stir in the chopped green onions, half of the chopped cranberries, garlic powder, salt and umami powder (optional). For shaping, add it to cup lined with plastic wrap.
Step 4: Cinch up the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but preferably longer.
Step 5: Shape the chilled cheese ball while it's still in the plastic wrap. Then remove plastic wrap and roll in the pecan, cranberry and parsley mixture.
Substitutions
- Gluten free - cranberry pecan cheese balls are naturally gluten free. Just serve with gluten free crackers or veggies.
- Vegan - for a vegan version, substitute vegan cream cheese and your favorite vegan cheddar cheese.
- White cheddar - I love using a sharp white cheddar, but you can use a sharp orange cheddar, regular cheddar, Monterey jack or another favorite cheese.
- Cranberries - you can substitute another dried fruit for the cranberries. Tart cherries are awesome.
- Fresh parsley - fresh parsley can have a strong earthy flavor. You can omit it or substitute dried parsley which is milder. I love flat parsley, but you can also use curly parsley.
- Umami powder - if you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can leave out the Unami powder. When I make cheese balls with orange cheddar cheese, I love using a teaspoon of Worcestershire or soy sauce for a little umami kick. But, those can discolor white cheddar cheese balls though.
Storage
Store any leftover cranberry pecan cheese ball in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Next Level Tips
- Consider swapping dried tart cherries for the dried cranberries. My gluten free sausage stuffing recipe also calls for dried cranberries or cherries. So I'll often use the same fruit in both recipes. It's also just fun to swap out the dried cranberries for another dried fruit every once in a while. Try dried apricots for springtime get togethers! The options are endless!
- Serve cheese balls with your favorite sturdy crackers. Ritz crackers are historically a favorite for cheese balls, but there are so many other fun and tasty crackers available. Pita chips and veggies are also great options.
- If you are going to a large get together, this recipe can easily be doubled.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce cream cheese block
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup dried cranberries, separated chopped
- ¼ cup green onions, all parts chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Umami powder optional
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh parsley packed
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients and shred the white cheddar cheese.
- Thinly slice the green onions using the white parts, some light green parts and some green tops. Add to a small bowl. Chop the dried cranberries, divide in half, and add one half to the onions and save the rest for the coating.
- Add the garlic powder, salt and Umami powder to the bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Line the cup that you will use to shape the cheese ball (short mugs or soup cups work great) with two overlapping pieces of plastic wrap and set aside.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and the cream cheese to a medium sized, microwavable bowl. Melt and stir in 30 second increments until fully melted and combined. Approximately 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
- Stir the green onion and cranberry mixture into the melted cheese. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- With a spatula, add the cheese mixture to the plastic lined cup and cinch it closed.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
- After chilling, remove the wrapped cheese ball from the cup. While the cheese ball is still in the plastic, shape the cheese ball into a ball with a flat bottom.
- Mix the chopped pecans, the remaining cranberries and the parsley well and spread them out on a plate. Remove the cheese ball from the plastic and roll it in the coating until it's fully covered.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate. Enjoy!
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