A classic party favorite, this cranberry pecan cheese ball is decked out in the most delicious coating of chopped chives, dried cranberries, and pecans. This is an easy make-ahead hors d’oeuvre that’s sure to please a crowd! Prep work takes only about 15 minutes.
There are many recipes out there for appetizer cheese balls, varying in flavors and ingredients, but this is my personal favorite version, and I hope you love it as much as I do!
This savory shareable cheese ball is like a magnet for snackers. I speak from experience; no one wants to leave the plate! I recommend you place it on its own pedestal serving table, and allow plenty of room for people to flock around it. Because flock they will, and pretty soon you’ll hear calls for more crackers. That’s right, this magic cheese ball has the power to turn your party guests into seagulls. LOL.
Here’s Why Everyone Loves a Cheese Ball
- Easy, low-maintenance, crowd-pleasing appetizer
- Delicious combination of flavors & textures
- Make-ahead recipe; 15-minute prep
- Simple serving presentation
- Tastes great with crackers & veggies
- Wonderful addition to a charcuterie board or appetizer spread
One reader, Angela, commented: “I got so many questions about this cheese ball and it was a major hit with my family. I used aged cheddar… and the brown sugar definitely helps to balance out the richness of the cheeses. Excellent recipe! I’ll definitely make again. ★★★★★”
One reader, Stephanie, commented: “This was delicious! It was a big hit at a Christmas party. I will be making it for a New Year’s party also. (Confession: I even licked the left overs in the bowl when making it… it was that good!) ★★★★★“
What Goes in a Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball?
- Cream Cheese: This is the base of the cheese ball, so don’t skimp here—reach for the full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, like we use for cheesecake. Give it some time to soften to room temperature before you start.
- Sharp White Cheddar: Buy the block, not the pre-shredded, cheese and grate it yourself for the best taste and texture.
- Fresh Chives & Parsley: Finely chopped fresh herbs are the flavor superstars in this cheeseball.
- Brown Sugar: Just a tiny bit, a little sweet to balance the savory. Not many recipes call for this, but I swear by it because it pairs wonderfully with the sharp cheddar and tart cranberries.
- Garlic Powder, Salt, & Pepper: Mega flavor enhancers!
- Chopped Dried Cranberries: A little chewy sweet-tartness to coat the creamy, herby cheeseball.
- Chopped Pecans: Pecans pair wonderfully with cranberries, and they add so much great texture to the coating. If you want to make a nut-free cheeseball, you can use chopped pretzels instead—see recipe Notes.
Here’s How to Make It
Start by beating the room-temperature cream cheese until it’s nice and creamy. A stand mixer works best to beat the cream cheese. You can use a handheld mixer, but be warned that the mixture becomes very heavy and thick.
Beat in the remaining ingredients, saving half of the chives, cranberries, and pecans for the coating.
Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and form the mixture into a ball. You can use your hands to help form; it’s only slightly sticky.
Roll the ball in the coating, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it, for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
That’s it, you’re done.
I take the cheese ball out of the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before serving, so it softens up a bit.
What to Serve With a Cheese Ball
I love serving this cranberry pecan cheese ball alongside a charcuterie board. But all you really need to go with it are some crackers or other edible vehicles that can transport a bite of cheese ball to your mouth.
The consistency is firmer than hummus or a dip such as garlic & bacon spinach dip or crab dip, so you want some sturdy dippers to accompany your cheese ball. Here are some suggestions:
- Artisan crackers
- Crudités, like carrots and celery
- Pita chips
- Crostini or sliced baguette
- Pretzel rods
- Toasted slices of cranberry nut no-knead bread
The cheese ball tastes best within 5 days of making it, but it can be stored for up to 10 days. (If it lasts that long!)
You can shape the cheese ball and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it, and then roll it in the coating just before serving. We also tested this recipe by rolling in the coating before refrigerating, and it was great this way, too. I find it easier to coat it, wrap it, and refrigerate it so it’s ready to serve. Refrigerate it, coated or not, for up to 5 days before serving.
The cheese ball is fine kept at room temperature for a few hours. After about 4 hours, I would refrigerate it.
Yes, absolutely! You can substitute chopped pretzels for the pecans. But if using pretzels, you’ll want to coat the cheese ball right before you plan to serve it, so that the pretzel coating doesn’t get too soft or soggy.
If you’re looking for other ways to use pecans, try my homemade candied pecans next!
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball Appetizer
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 24
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
A classic party favorite, this appetizer cheese ball is decked out in the most delicious coating of chopped dried cranberries and pecans. This is an easy make-ahead hors d’oeuvre that’s sure to please a crowd! Prep work takes only about 15 minutes, and you can put it together up to 5 days in advance.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (175g) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup (108g) finely chopped dried cranberries, divided
- 3/4 cup (100g) finely chopped pecans, divided
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. (If using a hand mixer, be warned that the mixture gets quite thick. A stand mixer is a better choice, or mix everything together with a silicone spatula by hand.)
- Add the shredded cheese, 1 Tablespoon chopped chives, chopped parsley, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, half of the chopped dried cranberries (about 6 Tbsp), and half of the chopped pecans (about 6 Tbsp), and beat/stir until combined. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and bring the mixture together, forming it into a ball as best you can. You can use your hands for this as needed; the mixture is slightly sticky.
- Make the coating: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining chopped chives, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle the coating onto a large plate, and roll the cheese ball into the mixture to evenly coat.
- Wrap the cheese ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 5 days.
- To serve, let the cheese ball sit out at room temperature for 20–30 minutes to slightly soften up. Unwrap the cheese ball and place it on a plate or platter surrounded by crackers, along with a knife to spread.
- Cover/wrap leftover cheese ball tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. I find it’s best within the first 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cheese ball up to 5 days ahead of time, see step 4. You can freeze the cheese ball, too. Wrap in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw, still wrapped, in the refrigerator. Continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Box Grater | Stand Mixer | Silicone Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowl
- Nut-Free Version: If you’d like to make a nut-free cheese ball, replace the chopped pecans used in the coating (6 Tablespoons) with chopped/crushed salted pretzels. (Do not put any pretzel crumbs IN the cheese ball.) To prevent the pretzel crumbs from getting soggy, wait to coat the cheese ball with the cranberries/pretzels/chives until just before serving. Make the cheese ball through step 2, and then wrap the uncoated cheese ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve it, unwrap the chilled cheese ball and roll it in the coating.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made it the first time according to the recipe. But the second time I made it, I rolled it in two logs because it was easier to serve and cut.
Once again, a total hit! I love sharing your recipes here in Germany. Minds are always blown. Thanks for the enjoyable recipes, and making me look so good 🙂
I live in a very small town and fresh ingredients are hard to come by. Can I use dried chives and parsley instead of fresh?
Hi Amelia, you sure can! Enjoy.
Made this for family at a Christmas and not only did it look festive it tasted great! I divided into two so had two nice sized cheese balls.
Made this into two smaller cheeseballs…still large. And, substituted a cranberry cheddar cheese, and like the recipe, some dried cranberries also. Simply delicious! Another Sally excellent recipe!
An absolute hit! It is quite large, I think next time we will turn it into 2 cheese balls.
I got so many questions about this cheese ball and it was a major hit with my family. I used aged cheddar from Aldi for only $5 and it tasted amazing. The brown sugar definitely helps to balance out the richness of the cheeses. Excellent recipe! I’ll definitely make again.
This cheese ball was a huge hit with the family. I ended up dividing it in half and sending half home with my daughter to serve to her in-laws, and they loved it too. My only issue was user error—I couldn’t get mine to look as pretty as in your photo! Still, I’ll be making this recipe again and again. Practice makes perfect, right? Lol
We’re so glad it was a hit, Angela!
I made this for Christmas gathering and everyone raved about it
This was delicious! It was a big hit at a Christmas party. I will be making it for a New Year’s party also. (Confession: I even licked the left overs in the bowl when making it…it was that good)!
We like to eat light on Christmas Eve so I thought of this cheese balls. I don’t usually care for them but decided to give it a try and served it with baguette slices. Wow – it was just delicious!! It was very easy to make. I would suggest that after mixing, use a spatula to scrape all the ingredients together then refrigerate for about an hour. By then it will have firmed up and shaping it into a ball will be much easier (and less messy). So yummy.
I made this for Christmas and it was SO good! I made two smaller balls instead of one big one. There was just enough of the nut mixture to roll the second ball. My son-in-law just raved about it. I’ll definitely make this again! Thanks, Sally!
You never cease to amaze me! Made this for Christmas and I just need to say Thank You!
Oh my goodness, this was absolutely fabulous. Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. If you make the full recipe, it’s huge. Next time, I’ll either divide into two balls or make a half recipe. Will definitely make again.
Delicious! I halved the recipe and made it just for myself and my wife to snack on at Christmas and we ended up finishing it off pretty quickly. Will definitely make again!
We love this recipe! Made for Christmas today and it was amazing. Thank you, Sally!
I love all the ingredients in this recipe, so I made it for Christmas tomorrow. I licked the bowl and the scraper. I made this to change out my Bleu cheese ball I love, but the rest of my family hates. I hope they hate this one, too. I want it all!
Could I add bacon and would it be a good combination with the pecans and cranberries? And what about bacon and cranberries and pistachios? Would that be a good combo or no????
Hi Sherry, you can absolutely try it. Let us know if you do!
Should the pecans besalted or unsalted?
Either is fine. I usually use unsalted.
Well, I guess I’m a cheese ball gal now? I’ve always thought cheese balls were old school kind of like a jello mold, but this came from past to present for me. I made this tonight for a Christmas gathering and it got rave reviews. I thought it was just delish! I weighed all my ingredients and thought it was so flavorful and balanced. I wondered if it might be as good with pomegranate seeds but worried it would get messy. I loved the addition of garlic powder and chives. I served it with gingerbread sourdough and it was a great compliment to the flavors. I’ll be making again for sure!
Hello! What can I substitute for chives? Thank you!
Hi Sophia, you can add more parsley, or try something like fresh chives or fresh chopped rosemary (reduce the amount to 1-2 teaspoons).
Delicious! No leftovers. Will make again the next time I have company. Thanks for sharing!
Best cheese ball ever! I was planning to make my old favorite for a Christmas event and this recipe came in the email the night before. So glad I made it instead!
I don’t have plastic wrap. What can I sub? I’ve got people coming tomorrow and I’m freaking out!!!
Hi Christine, you can put it in a large covered container instead, or try parchment paper.
Awesome festive cheese ball!
I love this recipe
What is “leftover cheeseball”? Not familiar with the concept!
Tried this recipe for 6 guests as part of my appetizers, thinking I’d have plenty left for the next get together. Wrong! They almost wiped it out! Great recipe!
This looks delicious. What crackers did you use?
The pictured crackers are Back to Nature brand stoneground wheat crackers.
Hello! This looks great! I have frozen fresh cranberries. Can I use those instead? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, you don’t want to use frozen cranberries. I suppose chopped fresh would work, but the ball would be pretty sticky. Dried is ideal.
Shape into a tree or snowman to be festive.