To get started, Holiday appetizers could not get any easier than cheese balls. For one, they look AMAZING, you can customize them to your liken, AND they’re ready in under 20 minutes from start to finish. There’s nothing better than a garlic and herb cheese ball loaded with chives, garlic, and your favorite herbs. For the Holidays, we like to make this festive version which includes dried cranberries and chopped pecans (or walnuts). The cranberries compliment the nuts and herbs perfectly and present beautifully.
HOW TO MAKE A CHEESE BALL
It all starts with an 8 oz bar of cream cheese (can substitute goat cheese if desired), 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (this isn’t written in stone so any kind of your favorite melting cheese should work), chives (or parsley or green onions or dried herbs), chopped dried cranberries, chopped pecans or walnuts, and a pinch of garlic powder.
Simply combine all these ingredients in a large bowl and shape into a ball or log with your hands or with plastic wrap. Roll into a mixture of chopped pecans, cranberries, and chives and serve with crackers and YOUR DONE! simple place on the table and let your guest do the work from here. 
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
What better way to impress your family and guests this holiday season than with this festive cranberry pecan chive and garlic loaded cheese ball. This tasty crowd-pleasing cheese ball comes together in under 20 minutes, is self-serve, and doesn’t require anything fancy. Serve it with a box of crackers and your done!
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Rate
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 192kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup white sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped and divided
- 1 cup Fisher’s Nuts pecans chopped and toasted *optional
- 1/4 cup chives or green onions chopped
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- To Toast Pecans: Pre-heat oven to 375F. Place chopped pecans on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ½ toasted pecans, ½ cup dried cranberries, chive or green onion, and garlic powder until well combined.
- Place mixture in the center of a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and cover completely with wrap while forming it into a ball shape. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, combine remaining ½ cup pecans, ½ dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoon chives on a flat surface or cutting board. Unwrap the ball and roll in cranberry-pecan mixture.
- Serve with crackers, pita chips, pretzels, carrots or celery.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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I haven’t made this in a while and I need clarification. For the nuts, cranberries and chives half gets mixed in and the rest go on the outside correct?
I took this to a party and I was complimented by at least four women, one of which said this was the best cheese ball she had ever eaten! I made it as written but used walnuts. I will certainly make this again.
First, let me say this was easy, pretty, and delicious! The hit of my cocktail party, even with tons of other yummy hors d’oeuvres. My question is how long can it be kept in the fridge before serving? I made this on Saturday and would like to serve the extra ball for Thursday still. Your thoughts?
Thank you again for a clearly written, beautifully photographed recipe!
Do you use sweetened dried cranberries?
“YOUR DONE” should be “you’re”.
Hall monitor?
Could almonds be used instead ?
If using almonds, I would only use them on the outside!
I’m making this for the 2nd time and so is my cousin. So delicious, easy and looks stunning too. Will make this every Christmas!
This sounds amazing! How long does this keep for please?
It will last up to 4 days in the fridge.
Looks amazing!
I will make it this week!
OMG I cannot wait to make this next week while Christmasing with my daughter and her family!!! 😊
Can this be frozen for future use. I would like to use the recipe and make smaller size and save one for later???
I made this many times. Definitely can be frozen and I always split it into 2 balls. Even 3 would be good.
I haven’t tried freezing it!
I’m surprised that people can follow you l on Pinterest yet there is no link in the past to save the recipe to Pinterest. When I try to save it through Google, the picture doesn’t come up.
Send it to yourself as an email or just write the 3-4 ingredients down.
Get the Pinterest extension for your browser. I see a link in the left hand margin on the post though.
Haven’t made this yet but there’s nothing not to like in it so I will make it after my next grocery shopping trip. It looks awesome and so pretty.
I make appetizer dinners, a few sweet and a few savory with assorted crackers, served with a wine, maybe a light and a red. Awesome meals.
Just made a simple new one. Sliced French bread painted with olive oil, topped with bacon crumbs, thin sliced yellow onion sauteed in the bacon grease, heated until warm, serve. So simple, so good.
This Cranberry Cheeseball would be excellent with the bacon toast and a cream cheese pineapple dip.
Not a fan of chives and/or green onions, but I like the red and green colors – what if I substitute parsely for that ingredient?
You can sub it with any fresh herb.
Simply and so yummy! A define hit at my party!!
Sure, make it your own. Just use it for the concept.
Love love your creative idea thanks for sharing
Beautiful photo ! I wish you have healthy and prosperous year to come !