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. Like my whipped goat cheese or these lemony marinated mozzarella 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. 👀
Anyways, 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.
Block cream cheese
For the best flavor and texture, full-fat cream cheese is key! And you want the blocks, not the stuff you put on bagels. For the filling, we’re using sharp white cheddar, pure maple syrup, orange zest, dried cranberries, pecans, thyme, parsley, Morton’s Kosher salt, and black or white pepper.
Recipe directions
Use room temperature cream cheese. Trust me, it’s so much easier to mix!
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! Water crackers are my favorite but homemade fruit and nut crisps, butter crackers, or any others are great too. I also like to poke small pretzel or breadsticks through the top to make it easy to grab and 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!
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!
Mini Cranberry Orange Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly-shredded
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 large orange)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
- 2 cups toasted pecans, finely chopped, divided
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, finely chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup 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. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- 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!