This smoked cranberry cheese ball is packed with tangy cranberries, smoky shredded cheddar cheese, lots of green onions, and rolled in crunchy toasted pecans. The easiest holiday appetizer you’ll ever make!
Rolling in with one last Christmas recipe before signing off for the holiday! It’s a good one and well worth the mere TEN MINUTES it takes to throw together.
We’ve got cranberries, we’ve got cheese on cheese on cheese hanging out in one giant ball and it’s about to be your crackers new best friend.
Cancel all other app plans, it’s all eyes on this giant ball of goodness.
I’m not even kidding either about the whole 10 minute deal either. Everything gets dumped in one bowl, formed into a ball, rolled in nuts, and placed on your prettiest serving tray with an array of crackers for dipping.
Congrats, your app game is about to win Christmas this year.
This Cheese Ball features…
- Tangy dried cranberries, smoked cheddar, and Parmesan cheese
- A coating of toasted pecans
- A great appetizer accompaniment with crackers or vegetables
Making the Cheese Ball
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cream cheese
- Smoked cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Green onions
- Honey
- Worcestershire sauce
- Nutmeg
- Dried cranberries
- Pecans
Choosing Your Cheese
The base to this cheese ball is cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese depending on your preference. Cream cheese will definitely give you a richer flavor, while Neufchatel cheese isn’t quite as indulgent but still delicious and lower on the calories.
For the other cheeses I use a mix of shredded smoked cheddar cheese and grated Parmesan. See ‘recipe variations’ further below for other cheese suggestions!
Tips for a Perfect Cheese Ball
- Soften cream cheese – allow the cream cheese to soften to room temperature so it blends into the other ingredients easier.
- Shred cheese manually – don’t be tempted to use pre-shredded cheese in this cheese ball – the flavor and texture won’t be the same.
- Toast pecans – this adds a pleasant crunch to the pecans. Toss pecans around in a nonstick pan over medium heat 3-4 minutes until fragrant and they’re good to go.
- Use a spatula to form cheese ball – this eliminates less shaping by hand – the cheese ball is a bit sticky and can be quite messy to shape otherwise.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this cheese ball.
- Use a different cheese – try regular mild or sharp cheddar, gouda, goat cheese, mozzarella, or asiago.
- Try a different dried fruit – dried blueberries or cherries work great in place of the cranberries.
- Swap out nuts or skip them – try walnuts or almonds in place of the pecans or skip them entirely.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend pairing this cheese ball with a variety of crackers for schmearing, pita chips, crostini, or fresh carrot slices, celery, or red peppers for dipping.
Pro tip: leftovers are also INCREDIBLE used as a bagel spread!
This is just one of those appetizers that’s gonna disappear if you turn your back on it for even 5 minutes. The sweetness from the dried cranberries paired with the smoky cheddar flavors is an absolute king combo and pretty much heaven on a cracker.
Get ready to eat entirely way too much of this goodness.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other easy appetizers next!
Smoked Cranberry Cheese Ball
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Ingredients
- 12 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened
- 1-1/2 cups freshly-shredded smoked cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup finely-chopped pecans, toasted
- Crackers for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar, Parmesan, green onion, honey, Worcestershire, nutmeg, and cranberries until evenly blended. Season cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a spatula to scrape cheese mixture into one pile in the bowl. Lightly grease your hands and form cheese into a ball. Gently roll in pecans and place on a serving tray. Cover with cheese ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately with crackers. Enjoy!
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