Walnut Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball is made with dried cranberries, pecans, cream cheese, and toasted walnuts to make the perfect cracker spread for the fall or winter.
Here in the Midwest, a cheese ball with cranberries is a popular Thanksgiving or Christmas appetizer. We tend to serve dips and cheese balls for just about every holiday or family gathering, but during the holidays, you’ll always find a cheese ball with cranberries on the appetizer table.
That’s why this cheese ball cranberry recipe is perfect for the holidays, it can be served as a Christmas appetizer or snack. The best part about this cranberry pecan cheese ball is that it only takes about 10-15 minutes from start to finish.
Cheese Ball With Dried Cranberries and Pecans
This cheese ball with cranberries is perfect because you can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to feast then enjoy it during the festivities and holiday parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a quick and easy appetizer that only takes a few minutes to put together.
- The nutty flavors from the walnuts and pecans pair well together with the sweet cranberry flavor.
- You can make this cranberry walnut pecan cheese ball for last minute holiday gatherings.
What to serve with this Walnut Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Crackers. This is typically what we like to serve with any type of cheeseball cranberry recipe. You can choose your favorite crackers, generally, we go with Ritz crackers or Wheat Thins.
Pretzels. Some of our family members enjoy this cranberry cheese ball with pretzels. We always have pretzel sticks on hand for snacking and when we serve mini cheeseball bites.
There is just something about cream cheese, cranberries, and pecans mixed together. It is a heavenly flavor that seems to become quite the crowd-pleaser, especially during the holidays!
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature so it is easy to mix)
- 1 c shredded medium sharp cheddar
- ½ c chopped dried cranberries
- ¼ c chopped toasted pecans
- ¼ c chopped toasted walnuts
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Start by toasting your pecans and walnuts in the oven at 400 degrees. To do this, put them on a baking tray and bake them for about 5 minutes.
- Once they are toasted, take them out of the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, half of the toasted pecans, half of the toasted walnuts, half of the cranberries, chives, garlic powder, and onion powder, and mix until combined well.
- In a separate bowl or plate, add the remaining walnuts, dried cranberries, and pecans.
- Create a ball from the cheese mixture we just put together. I use gloves because it can become quite sticky.
- Roll the cheese ball into the cranberry and nut mixture. You want to make sure every inch of the cheese ball is covered so that every bite gives you a burst of flavor.
Once the cheese ball has been covered with cranberries and nuts, I like to transfer it over to a festive plate or something that will work for whatever occasion we are serving it for. I will then layer the crackers around the cheese ball to make it look presentable.
You can also serve it in a serving bowl or on a cheese board. There is no right or wrong way to serve this cheese ball cranberry appetizer.
Additional Ways to Serve This Walnut Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball:
Once you have everything mixed together, you can create tiny little balls and roll each individual ball into the nut mixture.
These will make mini cheese ball bites for guests to enjoy. You can then serve the mini balls on top of crackers or by poking a pretzel through the balls.
Walnut Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 c shredded medium sharp cheddar
- 1/2 c chopped dried cranberries
- 1/4 c chopped toasted pecans
- 1/4 c chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Start by toasting your pecans and walnuts in the oven at 400 degrees. To do this, put them on a baking tray and bake them for about 5 minutes.
- Once toasted, take them out of the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, half of the toasted pecans, half of the toasted walnuts, half of the cranberries, chives, garlic powder, and onion powder, and mix until combined well.
- In a separate bowl or plate, add the remaining walnuts, dried cranberries, and pecans.
- Create a ball from the cheese mixture we just put together. I use gloves because it can become quite sticky.
- Roll the cheese ball into the cranberry and nut mixture. You want to make sure every inch of the cheese ball is covered so that every bite gives you a burst of flavor.
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. For best results, calculate these on your own.
