Soft, creamy cheese is formed into balls then rolled in a mixture of chopped cranberry, nuts, and fresh herbs. This Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball recipe will be a holiday showstopper!
Ingredients
- 2 blocks (16 oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar or crumbled blue cheese
- 2 cup dried cranberries, chopped (divided)
- 2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped green onions
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped chives (or flat-leaf parsley)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, cheddar or blue cheese, half of the cranberries, half of the chopped pecans, chopped green onions, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until it’s well-combined and very smooth.
- Scoop out a small amount of the cheese mixture (about 2-4 tbsp, depending on what size you’re going for) and roll it into a small ball, then place it on a sheet pan. Continue rolling into balls until all of the mixture has been used. Cover the sheet pan with saran wrap, then place the cheese balls into the refrigerator to firm up, about 2 hours or until you’re ready to serve.
- Combine the remaining pecans, cranberries, and the chopped chives in a small dish. Gently roll each ball in the mixture and place on a serving platter. Either serve them as-is (with small tongs) or add a small pretzel stick to each ball to allow for easy pickup.
- Serve the balls with crackers, crostini, crunchy vegetables, or all three.
Nutrition Information:
YIELD:ย 16ย SERVING SIZE:ย 1
Amount Per Serving:ย CALORIES:ย 234TOTAL FAT:ย 16gSATURATED FAT:ย 5gTRANS FAT:ย 0gUNSATURATED FAT:ย 10gCHOLESTEROL:ย 20mgSODIUM:ย 278mgCARBOHYDRATES:ย 19gFIBER:ย 2gSUGAR:ย 15gPROTEIN:ย 5g
