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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

4 Cheese Ball Recipes

Published: November 3, 2021 | Last Updated: December 21, 2022 | Lisa 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links.

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Last Updated December 21st, 2022 at 10:10 pm by Lisa

A white square platter with four colorful round cheese balls decorated like Christmas tree ornaments.

Make Cheese Balls for holiday appetizers this year. There are four flavors of these Christmas appetizers to serve as party food all season.

One, two, or all of these will be the talk of your party. The flavors are White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate, Pimento Cheese, Garlic Chive Goat-Cheese, and Cranberry Pecan.

These will be the star holiday party appetizer on a cheese board and don't they say Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas...

A square white platter with 4 colorful holiday cheese balls shaped like ornaments with crackers and a serving knife on the plate.

Why You Will Love Cheese Balls

  • These are made in 15 minutes, you can put one together even at the last minute.
  • They can be made a day or two ahead.
  • Pack these up with a bottle for a wine-great hostess gift!
  • They're loved by kids and adults.
  • Flexible simple inexpensive ingredients.
  • Use up ingredients from the holidays like extra candied pecans or cheeses from a charcuterie board.
  • Super cute and festive, everyone loves the ornament shape! 🎄
  • Ahhh the flavors are ridiculously good!

Four Festive Flavors

I'm going to show you how to make four flavors...you can make all four or mix and match. All four are amazing, but my personal fave is the White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate.

  • White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate
  • Cheddar Pimento Cheese
  • Garlic Chive Goat Cheese
  • Blue Cheese Cranberry Pecan

Can you blame me? I love how bright and festive it looks thanks to the pomegranate seeds.

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Speaking of which, if you're always wrestling with pomegranates and ending up with a whole lot of mess and not a whole lot of seeds, check out my kitchen tip: Juice and Seed Pomegranates Easily! It is a lifesaver...

Pomegranates: Seed, Juice, and Recipe Ideas
Get Pomegranate Seeds out the easy way. Learn the simple trick to open, seed, and juice pomegranate arils in step-by-step instructions.
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A white ceramic dish with pomegranate seeds ready to use in a recipe.

Let's Make Cheese Balls

These are easy to make, which is why I love serving them as a Christmas appetizer. Plus, you can dress them up or down with a variety of fun and festive toppings!

Step 1: Reserve the topping as noted in each recipe.

Step 2: In a medium-size bowl, mix the ingredients with a fork until well combined.

Step 3: Remove using a small rubber spatula, and roll into a round ball shape.

Step 4: Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, but overnight makes the flavors really come through!

Step 5: Roll in the topping right before your party.

TIP: Have your topping ready in zip-lock bag/s and assemble while plating with crackers and small spreader knives.

White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely minced
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds (topping)

pro tip: be sure the pomegranate seeds are dry before rolling on the cheese ball, otherwise, they won't stick!

Pimento Cheddar

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon diced jalapenos canned
  • 4 oz diced pimentos drained (one small jar)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar (topping)

Garlic Chive Goat

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 oz goat cheese
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic any jar brand
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup fresh chives finely minced (topping)

Blue Cheese Cranberry-Pecan

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 oz) blue cheese crumbles
  • ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
  • ½ cup pecans chopped small pieces (topping)
What To Dip In A Cheese Ball?

Crackers, Pita Chips, Pretzel Sticks, Bagel Chips, Sliced Baguette, and Crostini.

What Things To Roll A Cheese Ball In?


Chopped Dried Fruits, Crumbled Bacon, Fresh Chopped Herbs, Crushed Chips/Crackers, Mixed Nuts & Chopped Herbs, Nuts (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc), Grated Cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, blue cheese), Crushed Pretzels Or Potato Chips.

How Can You Decorate Them?

However, you want! For a festive holiday appetizer or Christmas appetizer, I suggest adding a cute ornament hanger and fun bright bow, so they look like Christmas ornaments on a platter! 

Serve with assorted crackers and small spreader knives on a tray...

Four bright color round cheese balls encrusted in toppings and decorated like Christmas tree ornaments to serve at a holiday with crackers.

More Christmas Appetizers

Appetizer parties for Christmas eve are relaxed with recipes like beautiful Holiday Deviled Eggs. Warm-up a cold Winter night with this Jalapeno Popper Dip people go crazy for this melty hot dip served with large corn chips.

Brie and Bacon Palmiers baked in 15 minutes with 3 ingredients; store-bought puff pastry crumbled bacon and brie. An easy last-minute appetizer. Shrimp Cocktail is a classic party food idea, be sure to make fresh Cocktail Sauce to go with it, so much better than one from a jar.

  • Christmas Deviled Eggs
  • Jalapeno Popper Dip
  • Brie and Bacon Palmiers
  • Shrimp Cocktail

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4 cheese balls shaped round and topped with curly bows and ornament hooks to serve as Christmas appetizers.
Print Pin Recipe

4 Cheese Balls

Make Cheese Balls for holiday appetizers this year. There are four flavors of these Christmas appetizers to serve for party food all season.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 40
Calories 155kcal
Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Ornament Hooks
Small Spatula

Ingredients

White Cheddar, Rosemary, and Pomegranate

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely minced
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds (topping)

Pimento Cheese

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon diced jalapenos canned
  • 4 oz diced pimientos drained
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar (topping)

Garlic Chive Goat Cheese

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 oz goat cheese
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic any jar brand
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup fresh chives (finely minced topping)

Blue Cheese Cranberry Pecan

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 oz) blue cheese crumbles
  • ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
  • ½ cup pecans (chopped small pieces topping)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Reserve the cheese ball topping as noted in each recipe.
  • In a medium-size bowl, mix all the ingredients with a fork until well combined.
  • Remove using a small rubber spatula, and roll into a round ball shape.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, but overnight makes the flavors really come through!
  • Roll in the topping right before your party. Tip: have your topping ready in zip-lock bag/s and assemble while plating with crackers.
  • Optional: add a cute ornament hanger and fun bright bow.
  • Serve with assorted crackers or baguette slices.

Notes

pomegranate seeds

Be sure the pomegranate seeds are dry before rolling on the cheese ball, otherwise, they won't stick! (I learned this the hard way) 

 

servings

The number of servings is approximately 10 people per cheese ball.

 

more topping ideas

  • Chopped Dried Fruits
  • Crumbled Bacon
  • Fresh Chopped Herbs
  • Crushed Chips/Crackers
  • Mixed Nuts & Chopped Herbs
  • Nuts (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
  • Grated Cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, blue cheese)
  • Crushed Pretzels Or Potato Chips

more dipper ideas

  • Crackers
  • Pita Chips
  • Celery Sticks
  • Carrots
  • Pretzel Sticks
  • Bagel Chips
  • Sliced Baguette
  • Crostini
 

Nutrition

Serving: 40g | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brianna says

    March 11, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    5 stars
    There is something for everyone with these. These were a huge hit at my family's Christmas gathering and were indeed festive as ornaments. So cute! I have made these a few times separately and just cannot pick which one is my favorite. I love all of these combinations and they go great with different things. I guess I never have to decide. So, so good. PS. Did I mention how easy these are to put together? It's embarrassing.

    Reply

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