Description
This Cranberry Cheeseball is a festive and flavorful appetizer combining creamy cheeses with sweet dried cranberries, fresh chives, and crunchy walnuts. Perfectly chilled and coated in a colorful cranberry-walnut mixture, it’s an easy yet impressive treat to serve with crackers and vegetables at any gathering or holiday party.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- 8 ounces White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Chopped Dried Cranberries
- 2 tablespoons Finely Chopped Chives
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
Coating
- ¾ cup Chopped Dried Cranberries
- 2 tablespoons Finely Chopped Chives
- ¾ cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mix the Cheese and Ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded white cheddar cheese, ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, garlic powder, and ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated into a smooth, cohesive mixture.
- Form the Cheeseball: Scrape the combined mixture from the bowl and shape it into a compact, round ball using your hands or a spatula.
- Prepare the Coating: In a small bowl, mix together the remaining chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and finely chopped chives until evenly combined.
- Coat the Cheeseball: Roll the formed cheeseball in the walnut-cranberry-chive mixture, pressing gently as needed so the coating sticks evenly and fully covers the outside of the ball.
- Chill the Cheeseball: Wrap the coated cheeseball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight to allow flavors to meld and the ball to firm up.
- Serve: Remove from the refrigerator, unwrap, and serve the cranberry cheeseball with an assortment of fresh vegetables and a variety of crackers for dipping and spreading.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature to ease mixing and achieve a smooth texture.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of dried cranberries and walnuts in the coating to your preference for sweetness and crunch.
- This cheeseball can be made a day in advance and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
- Use fresh chives for a mild onion flavor; green onions can be a substitute if chives are unavailable.
- Leftover cheeseball can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
