Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Serve this Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball at your next holiday party or as a Christmas dinner appetizer! The most incredibly smooth and tangy cheese is made flavorful with sweet dried cranberries, crunchy chopped pecans, fresh green onions and more. Every bite is pretty addictive and pairs well with crunchy crackers of any kind!
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Let’s face it… There’s nothing better to serve than a cheese ball. As simple as it may seem when compared to other appetizers, I can always trust a cheese ball to fully disappear at any party or potluck I serve it at! This one is specifically great for Christmas parties, as it’s flavored with sweet dried cranberries that always provide the best festive Christmas feelings and it makes a great centerpiece for your holiday charcuterie board.
So, what kind of cheeses actually go into this cheese ball? It consists simply of sour cream, cream cheese, and my favorite ingredient – white stilton (or goat cheese)! When these ingredients are combined, you get a mixture that’s tangy and smooth. It’s flavorful, but still neutral enough to really benefit from all of the other ingredients at play that really create the best medley of flavors and textures.
How to Make a Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
- Mix together the cheese ball ingredients. Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, white stilton, 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the pecans, 1/2 the cranberries, and seasonings together. Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until smooth.
- Roll the cheese ball. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on your countertop and turn the cheese mixture onto the center. Use the plastic wrap to form a ball. Wrap the ball tightly and transfer to the fridge, where it’ll need to chill for half an hour.
- Roll the ball in garnishes. Finely chop the remaining green onions, pecans, and cranberries. Stir in the parsley. Roll the unwrapped cheese ball in the toppings to fully coat on all sides. Shape the ball as needed while rolling.
- Serve! Transfer your cheese ball to a serving platter and arrange with crackers. You can either serve it immediately or store it in the fridge for later. Enjoy!
Storage
If you have any leftovers or plan to make this cheese ball ahead of time, you’ll need to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh. When properly stored in the fridge, your cheese ball will stay fresh for about 2 days. Keep in mind that the garnishes on top are at their freshest when served within 24 hours of rolling.
I don’t recommend freezing this cheese ball as it will not thaw well.
What is white stilton cheese?
It’s a crumbly and creamy cheese that goes SO WELL with the other ingredients in this recipe! Can’t find any white stilton at your local grocery store? No worries! You can replace it with goat cheese since it’s quite similar and it’ll be just as tasty.
Can I use low-fat ingredients?
So, here’s the deal. You can use a low-fat sour cream and cream cheese if you’d like, but your end results won’t be as creamy. Use full fat ingredients for the best final result if you can!
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Get the Recipe: Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 ounces white stilton or goat cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the sour cream, cream cheese, white stilton, 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the pecans, 1/2 the cranberries, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- With a hand mixer, beat the cheese ball ingredients together until smooth.
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface and turn the cheese mixture onto the center.
- Wrap up two sides of the plastic wrap around the cheese and form a ball out of the cheese mixture. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Finely chop the remaining onions, pecans and cranberries. Transfer to a pie plate or flat surface and stir in the parsley.
- Unwrap the cheese ball and roll in the toppings to fully coat on all sides shaping the cheese into a ball while rolling.
- Transfer to a serving platter and arrange with crackers for serving.
- Serve immediately or refrigerator until ready to serve.
2 Comments on “Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball”
I always make individual, 2-bite, cheese balls, then roll in the nuts. I insert a pretzel stick in each. It’s more work, but totally worth it. The whole thing is edible, and guests really enjoy!
What a great idea!