Savory Pumpkin Cheese Ball
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I can’t get over how cute this pumpkin cheese ball is! It’s stuffed with homemade spicy ranch seasoning, sharp cheddar cheese, crunchy bacon, and a smattering of fresh chives. You can make it as-is for Thanksgiving, or add some black olives to make a jack’o lantern instead! It’s pretty, easy, and festive for sharing with friends.
I am ready to roundhouse kick my way into fall because friends, this A/C bill is getting out of hand. I mean, I’m not quite ready to let go of paddle boarding and watermelon-flavored beers and al fresco dining. But that sun can turn it way tf down.
Luckily, I haven’t had to turn on my oven yet, because this cheese ball is completely no-cook. And no-cook apps are season-less, we always love to see it! As a bonus, it’s also make-ahead and comes together in about 15 minutes. And to make it even easier, you can skip the bacon or use pre-cooked, I won’t judge.
This recipe also features my favorite ranch seasoning which I have been making ever since I was in culinary school. Like, there’s absolutely no reason to buy ranch seasoning, it’s so easy. And less salty. And you can add lots of cayenne for a little kick!
You can serve this cheese ball on its own or make it the star of the show on a Halloween charcuterie board or a stunning fall charcuterie board. It would also be amazing alongside this spooky black sangria for Halloween or my boozy bourbon apple cider for Friendsgiving.
Bacon, cheddar, & ranch
This cheese ball has sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, homemade ranch seasoning, garlic powder, chives, and cream cheese. Plus a little sour cream for creaminess and tang! Of course, you can totally make this with any cheese ball recipe as long as it has cheddar since you need it to coat the outside.
Either way, just make sure that you’re picking a very orange cheddar cheese. The oranger the better because it’ll make it look more like a pumpkin! I use the Trader Joe’s brand. Also, some recipes use crushed Doritos or Cheetos instead but taste and texture-wise, I’m not a big fan. It gets soggy!
How to shape the pumpkin
You can also use rubber bands instead of kitchen string. Whatever you have works great!
Jack o’lantern directions
To make recipe this a bit more Halloween-y, you can make a jack o’lantern cheese ball instead with black olives! I just cut them in half length-wise and then shape them into triangles that are roughly the same size. Then, press the olives to the surface of the cheese ball in a face shape. If they aren’t sticking, use cut up toothpicks to help them stick!
Serve at room temp
You can make this cheese ball up to 3 days in advance (I actually think it tastes better as the flavors meld!). Just make sure that you wrap it super well so the cheese on the surface doesn’t dry out. Also, take it out of the fridge about 1 hour before serving so it’s nice and spreadable!
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Easy Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese (454 grams)
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream (60 grams)
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly-shredded, divided (350 grams)
- 1/4 cup freshly-chopped chives (12 grams)
- 1/4 cup homemade ranch seasoning or store-bought (28 grams/1 ounce packet)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked & crumbled
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 bell pepper, stem only
- Crackers and/or veggies, for serving
- Black olives, for a jack o'lantern cheese ball
Equipment
- Kitchen twine or rubber bands
- Toothpicks, if needed
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) of the cheddar cheese, chives, ranch seasoning, and crumbled bacon in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese mixture until it's very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl 2-3 times. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Spoon the filling into the center of a big piece of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, shape the cheese into an oval shape. (You can also do this with clean hands or a rubber spatula, it'll just be sticky.)
- Unwrap the cheese ball and press the remaining shredded cheddar cheese into the bottom, sides, and top of the cheese ball. Make sure there are no gaps. Re-wrap the cheese ball in a big piece of plastic wrap and seal it very well to keep the cheese from drying out.
- Then, cut 4 long strips of kitchen twine. Tie the kitchen twine around the cheese ball in a criss-cross pattern to get the pumpkin indentations. (The tighter you tie the twine, the more pronounced the indentations.) You can also use large rubber bands for this. See the blog post for photo examples.
- Chill the cheese ball for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. When you're ready to serve the cheese ball, let it come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Snip the kitchen twine and make a small indentation at the very top of the cheese ball with a teaspoon. Place the bell pepper stem in the indentation to create the stem. Serve the cheese ball with crackers & veggies.
- To make a jack o'lantern – Slice the black olives in half length-wise. Cut each olive half into a triangle, doing your best to make them all the same size. Then, press the olives into the cheese ball in the shape of a face. If they aren't sticking, cut toothpicks into small 1/2-inch pieces and use them to secure the olives to the cheese ball.
