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By Joy Shull
4.47 from 239 votes
on Nov 11, 2023, Updated Aug 09, 2024
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This easy Cheese Ball Recipe is made with cream cheese, green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. This classic appetizer is always a hit!
A cheese ball is a delicious addition to any holiday party, and a tradition that I grew up with, like many others did.
This is my go to recipe for an easy and tasty cheese ball that only uses simple ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes.A classic favorite that is always a hit for the holidays!
This delicious appetizer is so flavorful and has that perfect contrast of crunch in the pecans. Fresh green onions, cream cheese, and a few simple spices add just the right amount of flavor for every bite.
Ingredients & Notes
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- sharp cheddar cheese: freshly grated
- green onions
- chopped pecans
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
How to make a Cheese Ball
Step 1: First, allow your cream cheese to soften for a few minutes. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this may take around 30 minutes or so.
Step 2: Once softened, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, fresh chopped green onions, salt, and pepper until combined with a hand mixer.
Step 3: Grate 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese and beat that in.
Recipe Tip
I always recommend that you take the extra few minutes to grate your cheese fresh. It really makes all the difference in flavor!
Step 4: Cover and chill the filling mixture in the fridge for around an hour or so to firm it up. This will help make it easier to form the cheese ball.
Make It Ahead
If you want to make this ahead, you can leave the batter overnight in the fridge, then just finish rolling and shaping it right before serving.
Step 5: Once you are ready to make the cheese ball, use greased hands and a spatula to form the mixture into a ball shape.
I first shaped the ball roughly with a spatula then sprayed my hands with olive oil spray to finish shaping it and that worked perfectly.Oiling your hands will help keep the cheese from sticking too much to you.
Step 6: Next, roll the cheese ball in the pecan pieces until it is coated on all sides. You need about a cup of chopped up pecans.
Step 7: Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and roll the cheese ball until it is totally covered in chopped nuts on all sides.
Your cheese ball is now ready to serve!
Tips For Success
Grate the cheese yourself: Don’t skip grating the cheese yourself! The extra flavor and texture are just right for this recipe.I used sharp cheddar cheese, but medium cheddar would work just as well.
Buy pecan pieces: To save time, buy your pecans in pieces so you don’t have to spend time chopping them up.
Use a butter knife to serve this cheese ball
Refrigerate until ready to serve: do not leave this out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
What crackers to serve with cheese ball
Personally, ritz crackers are my favorite cracker to serve with a cheese ball, but pretty much any cracker is going to be delicious!
- triscuits
- pita chips
- wheat thins
- pretzel chips
- other crackers
Storing
Leftover cheese ball can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I doubt they will last that long though. In our house any leftovers are quickly devoured!
More Appetizer Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
- Pumpkin Cheese Ball
- Pimento Cheese Ball
- Creamy Spinach Dip
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- Homemade Veggie Dip
- Pimento Cheese Spread
- Sour Cream Potato Chip Dip
- Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
4.47 from 239 votes
Cheese Ball Recipe
By: Joy Shull
This easy cheese ball recipe is a classic favorite appetizer!
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Additional Time: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Servings: 16
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Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup fresh green onions, minced or finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup pecan pieces**
Instructions
Beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, green onions, salt, and pepper until combined
Grate the cheddar cheese block fresh
Beat in the sharp cheddar cheese
Cover and chill the cheese ball mixture for around an hour, until it begins to firm
Use a spatula and greased hands (I used olive oil spray on my hands) to form the cheese ball shape, then roll it in the pecans until it is coated on all sides
Serve with your favorite crackers and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Start with one cup of pecan pieces for rolling, and add more if necessary.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 587IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 141mg, Iron: 0.3mg
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