Mini Cranberry Orange Cheese Balls
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These cranberry orange cheese balls are a simple, quick, and delicious appetizer for holiday parties! With thyme, pecans, and a bit of maple syrup, they’re savory, sweet, and a huge crowd pleaser. And, they come together in less than 30 minutes!
Hi, it’s me, I haven’t worn anything fancier than sweatpants in 4 days and I can’t remember what day it is. Actually, I shouldn’t even be here because I promised myself I wouldn’t work at all in-between Christmas and New Year’s but then I needed an appetizer, and I’m a work-aholic, oh well!
Since I’m here anyways, let me introduce you to these cheese balls. They’re the kind of thing you make when you absolutely can’t handle cooking one more dish during the holidays. Or when you just remembered that you’re supposed to bring an appetizer to a Christmas or New Year’s party and have like, half an hour to make one. Not that I’ve ever been there before, neverrrr. 👀
P.S. If you love a no-cook cheese appetizer, I got you! Give my whipped ricotta dip or marinated mozzarella balls a try.
A classic party app, but mini!
Oh, the cheese ball. I could wax poetic about a cheese ball. They’re the kind of recipe that your midwestern grandma has handwritten on a recipe card.
This recipe in particular is based on this delicious cranberry orange butter I used to make in culinary school. It also also has pecans, thyme, and a touch of maple syrup for that sweet-savory combo. They’re basically an elevated version of the typical cheese ball you’ve seen at every party.
And while you could make one big ball, I like making individuals for optimal cheese-to-coating ratio. Everyone can grab their own servings and you won’t end up with a weird glob of cream cheese by the end of the night. Oh, and in case you missed it, this recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make. Hooray!
Everything you’ll need
- Cream cheese – you’ll want full-fat for this recipe. It’s much more creamy and flavorful.
- White cheddar – shred your own for the best flavor and texture! I like Tillamook.
- Maple syrup – for just a touch of sweetness. Use 100% pure maple syrup.
- Orange zest – just a touch for that citrus-y flavor.
- Dried cranberries – you can find these with the other dried fruits at the grocery store. I do not recommend fresh cranberries – they are way too tart.
- Pecans – for crunch and a nuttiness. We’re also going to be toasting them!
- Herbs – thyme and parsley. I recommend fresh but dried will work in a pinch.
- Salt & pepper – Morton’s Kosher salt and white pepper (black will also work).
Recipe directions
- To make these bites, add the cream cheese, white cheddar, maple syrup, orange zest, half of the dried cranberries, half of the toasted pecans, thyme, salt, and white pepper to a bowl.
- Then, use a rubber spatula or hand mixer to mix everything until it’s smooth.
- Scoop the cheese balls with a #40 cookie scoop. Use clean hands to roll them until they’re smooth.
Use room temperature cream cheese. Trust me, it’s so much easier to mix!
- Place the cheese balls on a sheet pan. Then, refrigerate the cheese balls until you’re ready to serve them.
- About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, combine the remaining cranberries, pecans, and parsley in a shallow dish.
- Roll the cheese balls in the mixture to coat. Serve and enjoy!
Chill the cheese balls to help keep their shape before coating. This is optional but helps them stay round! If they are too firm, let them warm up for about 15 minutes before coating the outside with the cranberry-pecan mixture.
One big cheese ball
You can totally make one big cheese ball instead of minis! Just wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap to help keep its shape and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until it’s firm. Then, 15 before you want to serve this app, roll it in cranberries, pecans, and herbs. The end!
How to serve
You have quite a few options when it comes to serving the cheese balls! Here are just a few of my go-tos.
- Crackers – water crackers are my favorite but homemade fruit and nut crisps, butter crackers, or any others are great too.
- Pretzels or breadsticks – poke small pretzel or breadsticks through the top to make it easy for your friends to grab and snack.
- Vegetables – carrots, celery, radishes, snap peas, cucumbers, or other crudité.
- Fruit – for a sweet-savory pairing, I love sliced apples, pears, or grapes.
- Cheese board – add these to a charcuterie or cheese board for a fun snack!
This recipe makes about 28 cheese balls. For extra servings, double the recipe. You could even triple or quadruple the recipe if you’re serving to a huge crowd!
Flavor variations
This recipe is super versatile. You can totally switch up this recipe depending on what you like or already have on hand!
- Cheese – switch the sharp white cheddar with blue cheese, goat cheese, gouda, or gruyere.
- Citrus – lemon zest would be so lovely in place of orange.
- Nuts – try walnuts, almonds or pistachios.
- Herbs – use fresh chives or rosemary instead.
- Spicy – add a couple of tablespoons of fresh, chopped jalapeños or a few pinches of cayenne if you want to add a spicy element.
- Nut-free – to make this recipe nut-free, use pepitas or sunflower seeds. Or just, replace the nuts with extra cranberries & herbs.
Refrigerating leftovers
If you have leftover cheese balls, yay! More for you. Just place any leftovers in an airtight container and store for up to 5 days. After a while, the nuts will start to soften.
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
Cranberry Orange Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 16 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 2 tbs pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp orange zest (about 1 large orange)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper), to taste
- 2 c toasted pecans, finely chopped, divided
- 1 1/2 c dried cranberries, finely chopped, divided
- 1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Crackers, veggies, etc., for serving
Equipment
- #40 cookie scoop (1 ounce, 2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, maple syrup, orange zest, thyme, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Then, tip in half of the pecans and half of the dried cranberries. (Reserve the remaining pecans and cranberries for later). Use a rubber spatula or hand mixer to mix the ingredients together until it is smooth and combined.
- Portion the cranberry orange cheese using a #40 (1 ounce, 2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop. Roll each portion of cheese between your palms to create smooth balls. Place the cheese balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
- About 15 minutes before serving, remove the cheese balls from the fridge and let them warm up just a bit. Combine the remaining pecans, cranberries, and parsley in a shallow dish or pie plate. Gently roll each cheese ball until the outside is well-coated. If the mixture doesn't stick, use your fingers to gently press the coating on the outside of the cheese balls.
- Place the prepared cheese balls on a platter. Serve with crackers, pretzels, fruit, vegetables, or other snacks. Enjoy!
Amazing! I’ll have a steady supply of these on hand throughout the holidays!!
Thanks so much, Heather! These little cheese balls are one of my favorites during the holidays. 🙂 So glad you love them too!