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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
I 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.
Had so many compliments!! Easy too.
I’ve made this for Thanksgiving two years in a row and I substituted the pecans for crumbled bacon and it totally takes it up a notch! Thank you for this super simple family favorite.
Tired making it today and absolutely love it! I will note that mixing it with helix beaters doesn’t work well but I didn’t have regular beaters. It is little kid approved though! My 3 year old helped make it, and after licking off the spatula, she wanted to eat it all up! 🙂
Very simple, yet very tasty! I had all the ingredients on hand and made it for my book club. Everyone liked it and I’m passing the recipe on
Thank you Paula! What a great idea using this for bookclub!
Oh my word – just like the cheese ball my Mum made when I was a kid. I loved this, as did my kids! Thanks for sharing this recipe😊
do you use the whole green onion or just the green part for the cheese ball ..?
Excellent recipe. I didn’t realize until I was already into it that I was out of worcestershire sauce and decided that Heinz 57 steak sauce might be OK as a substitute and it taste great. I also opted to use 3 onion seasoning from pampered chef instead of green onions. So some variation in the recipe seems to be ok.
Delicious! I didn’t have any hot sauce so didn’t add. I’m not a big fan of spicy food anyway. I used chopped yellow onion instead of green, and I used a shredded Swiss/Gruyère cheese because that’s all I had. I was concerned the cheese ball would be bland, but it’s very tasty!
I made this, but I added some dry ranch dressing, bacon, and onion and garlic powder. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it’s good. But an easy way to form the ball is put it on plastic wrap, wrap your plastic wrap around the ball, form it then twist it, and put it in the fridge, That way your hands stay clean.
I made this cheese ball for superbowl Sunday. I added some bacon bits to it for a personal touch. I have sampled it and Yum. It was easy to make and I’m sure it will be a hit with everyone.