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The best Cheese Ball recipe has plenty of cheddar cheese, green onions, and seasonings mixed with cream cheese. It's coated in chopped pecans and served with crackers, pretzels, or veggies.
This Cheeseball is the MVP of Easy Appetizers
This Cheeseball is the MVP of Easy AppetizersI can't think of a more classic appetizer for the holidays than this cheeseball recipe. I love how I can prep it up to a week in advance and just pull it out of the fridge and plate it when it's ready to serve. Ignore the bland, flavorless cheese balls in the grocery store–this one is PACKED full of flavor from the cheese, Worcestershire, spices, and a little hot sauce. I have even gifted cheeseballs as neighbor holiday gifts, and I love making mini cheese ball bites for a big holiday appetizer spread.
If you love fun appetizers try my Jalapeño Poppers, Burrata Appetizer, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Pimento Cheese Dip, or Whipped Goat Cheese!
How to make a Homemade Cheese Ball:
Combine: Beat cream cheese until smooth then incorporate remaining ingredients. High quality ingredients make a high quality cheese ball, so make sure to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Use a spatula to form the cheese mixture into a ball. Spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray as needed so it doesn't stick.
Cover in Nuts: Use whatever nuts you like best, but make sure they are chopped finely. While holding the cheese ball in one hand, use your other hand to gently scoop and press the chopped nuts on all the way around the ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Serve: Arrange cheese ball on a platter surrounded by crackers, vegetables, pretzels, or pita bread. Make sure you have a cheese spreading knife! If you use a cracker straight into it, it will break into pieces!
Serve Cheese Ball With:
- Crackers
- Vegetables
- Mini bagels
- Pita bread
- Pretzels
Simple Cheese Ball Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese, , softened
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, (avoid pre-shredded cheese)
- 2 green onions, , chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- dash freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup pecans, , finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix cheeseball ingredients: Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl then mix until smooth. Add cheese, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, parsley, garlic powder, oregano. and pepper then mix well to combine.16 ounces cream cheese, 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, 2 green onions, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Dried oregano, dash freshly ground black pepper
- Form into ball: Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and gather the mixture into one lump. Lightly grease your hands and form the mixture into a round ball.
- Coat with nuts: Place the pecans on a plate. Hold the cheese ball in one hand and use the other hand to scoop the pecans onto the outside of the ball, pressing them in gently and turning the ball to coat all sides.2/3 cup pecans
- Chill and serve: Cover the cheeseball in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour to allow it to firm up. Remove from fridge about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to soften just slightly. Serve with crackers, pretzels, vegetables or anything else you'd love to dip in cheese!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe November 2017. Updated October 2019 and October 2025.
Really great recipe. Taste supper.
Served to a group of men and women and was totally enjoyed .
I used extra sharp white cheddar cheese
I made this cheese ball and it was a hit at Xmas Eve cocktail party. I’m curious about the nutrition chart, is each entry per serving, so all numbers multiplied by 24? Or is the nutrition chart numbers for the entire ball? So each number divided by 24 for the serving?
Based on two blocks of cream cheese, cheddar and pecans, the nutrition listed is per serving. 101 kcal x24 =2424 calories in the whole cheese ball (plus crackers)
Such an easy cheeseball! It is so flavorful.
This is so delicious! Everybody raved about it you might think I made something difficult lol
I made this using vegan ingredients and it’s really good!
Just made this and it is wonderful! I did not use green onions and rolled it in chopped walnuts because I didn’t have pecans but the flavor is excellent!
This is so delicious! I make it every Christmas for our family and to give as Christmas gifts.
Made this with a couple variations. Added 1 tsp fresh horseradish and made bacon bits to roll the ball in instead of nuts. Was delicious!!
Absolutely fantastic. Very easy. Extremely versatile regards making in advance. All of my family thought it was superb. It’s rich but definitely moreish!
I whipped this up in a flash, at virtually the last minute, for company. The ball only had about an hour’s rest in the fridge before I served it. Everyone raved. That cheeseball was gone by the time my guests left. I’d call that a success!
I want to try this, but was wondering if anyone tried rolling in everything but the bagel seeds instead of nuts. (Nut allergies here.)
In the comments, some people rolled the cheese ball in crumbled bacon, and one person didn’t roll them in anything (she made minis).
I think there’s a lot of leeway with recipes. Those who varied the recipe had hits with their friends and families.
Did you try making it rolled in seeds?