I can admit it now, I was never a fan of cheese balls. Growing up in south, almost every function had one…sitting alone on a plate, covered in dried mystery meat. No thank you. After I started experimenting with my own cheese ball recipes I have come to enjoy them, and this Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball is definitely enjoyable.
The cranberries and walnuts in this cheese ball make this a great addition to your holiday appetizer spread, but it’s yummy enough to served year round! This post contains affiliate links. That means I receive a small commission from purchases made through links on my page. This helps me to continue providing you with great content, at no additional cost to you.
Start with all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl, except for the walnuts. This Texas ware bowl is one of my favorites. It belonged to my grandma, but I found some similar ones, and the colors are so fun!
Use a hand mixer to incorporate your ingredients together – the softer your cream cheese is, the easier this process will be!
Chill your cheese ball for about 10 minutes in the fridge, and then place it on top of chopped walnuts, on a piece of plastic wrap. Then press the nuts into the outside of the cheese ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve.
I’m not sure what’s going on with the color tones on this photo – I promise it wasn’t green!
I like to make these the night before I’m going to need it, so that the flavors have plenty of time to meld together.
Although there is no rosemary in this cheese ball, I love the appearance of rosemary as a garnish (and I have 4 very large rosemary bushes in my backyard.) The cranberries also create a pop of color and a beautiful garnish for Thanksgiving or a December holiday. Serve on a platter or on a nice cutting board or cheese board. I chose to serve it with pumpkin-flavored woven wheat crackers.
What’s your favorite cheese ball combination? Tell me in the comments below! And as always, if you decide to give this recipe a try, I would love to see your finished result! Tag me on Instagram @thesundayfundayblog. Thanks for reading!
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Ingredients
- 8 oz brick of softened cream cheese, original or 1/3 less fat
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup shredded cheese - white cheddar or drunken cow's milk cheese suggested
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar
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